Even committed believers can fall into patterns that grieve or quench the Holy Spirit's work in their lives, leading to spiritual dullness and broken fellowship with God. Dr. Stanley leads us to honestly evaluate our spiritual selves, revealing the subtle ways we resist the Holy Spirit’s guidance and empowerment.
Sermon Outline
As Christians, we all need the gracious and loving presence of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Stanley shares what the Bible teaches about this relationship, so we can live in gentle harmony with our greatest advocate.
Key Passages: Matthew 12:22-32; Ephesians 4:25-32; 1 Thessalonians 5:19
Supporting Passages: Acts 2:3; 1 John 2:1-2
The Spirit of God blesses us in many ways, and yet there are moments when we sin against Him. Before we know it, we’re back to doing things our way. What leads us to do this time and time again?
► “Jesus sent the person of the Holy Spirit to be our helper. He really left nothing undone.”
There are three types of sin relating to the Holy Spirit:
1. Quenching the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19)
One symbol for the Spirit is fire, which represents cleansing, light, truth, purification, and warmth. To “quench” (v. 19) means to stifle or put the fire out.
We quench the Spirit when we rebel and say “no” to God’s will for us, when we become distracted doing other things, or when we tolerate disobedience and sin in our life.
Any act of rebellion stifles the Spirit, and doing so continuously will quench the fire of God in our heart.
Our love and enthusiasm for God can grow cold so slowly that we won’t even notice it’s happening.
The good news is that we can fuel the flame of the Spirit through things like praying regularly, reading Scripture, and serving others.
► “God has lit a fire in the heart of every single believer.”
2. Grieving the Spirit (Eph. 4:30)
Much like a child’s disrespect for a parent, our sin brings God sorrow and grieves the Holy Spirit.
Deliberate, willful sin doesn’t fit who we are as believers—children of God.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t release His power in our life if we are disobedient and choose to do things like …
Lie (Eph. 4:25).
Hold on to anger (v. 26).
Steal or refuse to work (v. 28).
Use unwholesome and destructive speech (v. 29).
Allow bitterness and malice to take root (vv. 30-32).
► “When we choose to disobey God, we give Satan the chance to trip us up.”
3. The unpardonable sin (Matt. 12:22-32)
In Scripture, the Pharisees witnessed the miracles Jesus performed in the power of the Holy Spirit. But they ignored the truth about the source of that power because they considered the Lord a threat to their authority. So they rejected Him, attributing His miracles to Satan. This isn’t possible today since Jesus is no longer on this earth.
The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, reveals the truth about Jesus, and gives us faith to believe.
If we want to be released from the weight of our sin, forgiveness is available (1 John 2:1-2).
When a person deliberately turns away from God and chooses not to believe, he or she abides in a state of unforgiveness.
The only unpardonable sin today is rejection of Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation.
After Watching
Take a moment to reread the “Side Note” from today’s sermon. For help understanding the terms or for guidance concerning a sin that needs confession and repentance, reach out to a local pastor you trust.
If you noticed you’ve grown indifferent to the things of God, repeat this prayer each morning, asking Him to rekindle your faith:
Heavenly Father, may Your Holy Spirit fill me with sanctifying fire, create in me a deep hunger for You, and lead me to a life of holiness in Christ my Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
