"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God"

Ephesians 4:30

God’s elect are the special objects of his distinct, distinguishing, everlasting love. How God the Father must love us! Who can begin to imagine the measure of that love? He chose us as the objects of his grace. He gave his only begotten Son, the darling of his heart to redeem us! It was his love for us that made the holy Lord God willing to forgive us of our sins and found a way to do it. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, (We didn’t. We couldn’t. We wouldn’t!), but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins!”

“Could we with ink the oceans fill, And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, --

To write the love of God above would drain the oceans dry,

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky!”

How the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ must love us! O the love of Christ that passes knowledge! It was his love for us that brought him down here to save us. It was his love that compelled him to sacrifice himself for us. It was his love for us that caused the holy Lamb of God to voluntarily take upon himself our nature, and our sin, that made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. In love for us, he rules the universe to save us. In love for us, he makes intercession for us in heaven. In love for us, he is coming again to bring us into his glorious kingdom.

How the Spirit of God must love us! He called us from death to life by the power of his almighty grace. He reveals Christ in us. He seals, preserves, and keeps us in life and grace, and will never allow us to perish. But there is more. God the Holy Spirit so loves us that he is grieved by our misbehavior.

Only one who loves us can be grieved by us. Others are angered, offended, and antagonized by our acts of evil. One who loves us is grieved. Remember, it is God the Holy Spirit who has sealed us as the objects of his love in eternal election, sealed us in life in regeneration, and sealed us unto the day of our resurrection. He lives within us. He guides us. He teaches us. He reveals Christ to us. And he comforts us. Let us take great care not to grieve him.

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth." By "corrupt communication" Paul means more than cursing. Many, who would never soil their lips with an oath, have mouths full of "corrupt communication," by which the Spirit of God is grieved. What is this "corrupt communication"? The Apostle tells us in verse thirty-one. It is words of "bitterness". It is speech that arises from bitter feelings, speech that is intended to hurt. Bitterness of speech is unbecoming in anyone. But for God's children to speak bitterly of one another is horrid! Bitterness always arises from pride and jealousy. "Corrupt communication" is the language of "wrath," the heat of jealousy and bitterness, and "anger," feelings of ill-will toward another, vengeance, and inward desire to damage, hurt, and kill. Murder is the result of anger unrestrained by law. "Corrupt communication" is the result of anger restrained (outwardly) by law. It is the root of all "clamour", fighting, brawling, contentiousness, and strife. This "corrupt communication" is "evil speaking," slander, gossip, reproach. Let these things be "put away from you, with all malice." These things are sinful, carnal, corrupt. They arise from the flesh. They dishonor Christ. They grieve the Holy Spirit. They disrupt the fellowship of the saints. They hinder the cause of Christ. God forbid that we engage in such evil! Let us rather speak "that which is good to the use of edifying...and be kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven”us. If we cannot speak good of one another, let us speak nothing! Is this not a most reasonable thing for those who are love of God? O Holy Spirit of God, give us grace that we may not grieve you, for Christ’s sake.

AMEN.

Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For Today Radio Message #891

2734 Old Stanford Road - Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 859-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net