Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
Daily we are called to pray continually, give thanks in all things, and rejoice always. This is a call to practice The Lord's presence. God wants his children to remain purposely walking out our day in his Holy Spirit's power. Let's be honest; it is easier to do all this when we are desperate for him to act on our behalf. Have you trained yourself to remember Jesus is your Lord in your everyday affairs? I'm not talking about asking God what you should have for dinner, but while planning your dinner, why not take intimate time with him to remind yourself as you plan, prepare, and eat to give him thanks? This is one example. It's not simply the hackney quick absentminded prayer we pray over the meal. Trite are those prayers for many; some people are heartily grateful.
We are promised the Spirit of God in John 15:26 would be sent after Jesus departed. He said he would send another Comforter just for those who have been transferred into the Kingdom of Light through His Son. We are told in Ephesians 4:29-32 that we can grieve the Holy Spirit of God. When the Bible talks about grieving the Holy Spirit, we can make him sad or sorrowful. God is not emotionally unbalanced, unlike mankind, but He does respond with hurt, sadness, and disappointment by our disobedience, apathy, and carelessness to emulate His Son.
There are examples in Scripture, many examples. As I read through the Bible, which I encourage all my readers to do, I'm in awe of God's responses to mankind. We learn about his Sovereign rule. Knowing God's Word for yourself is so necessary. Anyway, as I read and shared in an earlier devotion, Moses went up to the mountain in Exodus 32 to get the law and commandments from God. While he was there the people lost hope that he would come back, and they asked Aaron to make them a "god." One, they would serve and give credit for bringing them out of Egypt. Aaron obfuscates his responsibility as the mouthpiece for the One True God and capitulates to the people's sinful request. The golden calf is carefully formed, proving the hearts of God's people are not for God.
On the mountain, God's heart becomes grieved. God becomes angry at the people. The result is many are killed for their sin, and the Levi's putting God first over brothers and sons become the hands of discipline, bringing forth God's discipline. God must judge sin, and the people needed to know God would not share his glory. He was separating them for himself, to be seen as holy in their eyes. God redeemed these people from the hands of their slave masters in Egypt. And so quickly, they turn on him. Grieving the very God who rescues, saves, and miraculously provides, and they have experienced all that and more.
In Exodus 33:1, God keeps his promise to send the people to the land, but there's a new scenario. Listen for the grief and anger in God's words, "Depart and go up from here, you the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying 'To your descendants, I will give it.'... 3 "for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people." In verse 2, God tells Moses he would send "My Angel" before them, but he would not go. It was probably not "The Angel of the LORD." More than likely, it was one of many of his angels that he'd send. That's concluded because, in his grief and anger, his presence would not go with them.
Can you imagine God's grief and anger so palatable that he does not want to be in his people's presence? Does grieving God's Holy Spirit mean anything to you? Israel simply put God out of their mind and erected their own gods to serve. Where in your life do you do this? Ephesians 4 shares how we might grieve the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the words that come from your mouth. Maybe you are holding on to sinful anger. It could be you, like Israel, forget he is your provision. Take time to pray and recognize areas of your life that may grieve the Holy Spirit. Remember, God, through his Spirit, isn't just some wimpy and sad being. His grief comes with righteous anger. He is not passive with us building our golden calf.
It's not too late; though you may have suffered his discipline, Hebrews 12:6-11, he is building the character of his child through said discipline. We have the opportunity we see Moses taking by going before the Lord in contrition. Exodus 33:13, "Now, therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people." Before we see God's response, I want to skip to Moses' realization of grieving God and the broken relationship it brings.
Verse 15-6, "... If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us?" That is a man who understands what we know of Jesus' words in John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." Moses, in repentance for his people, understood without God's presence, they would be just another people group filling the earth.
Christians, we are not just another people group filling the earth. We are those who have come to the knowledge of what God's done for the world through His Son. We are those who have believed, and by faith, we work through love and obedience to be salt and light. We must remember the importance of being filled with God's Spirit, leading and helping us live out his righteousness. We are warned not to grieve Him, and while God quickly forgives, he does not look over our sin's absent consequences. We also must remember apart from Him, we can do nothing. If we try to do things apart from abiding and recognizing the abiding Spirit in us, we might just be building a golden calf. That will surely grieve the Spirit of God.
Here's great hope, God's ready to forgive and set you back on the path for your good and his glory. Look how quickly he responds to the people's repentance and Moses' heart; in verse 14, God promises to go with them, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." God relents and forgives. God is not some monster who just randomly attacks like a wild animal. What we read must be put in the context of God's people sinning heinously against him. We don't need to be afraid of God. We do need to fear him, which is to remember he is HOLY. He will not be treated less than, without consequences.
Whatever we do, we can never take lightly grieving God's Spirit. Do not take his mercy for granted. I guess the question is, how can anyone who truly loves Jesus intentionally go on in their life with him, grieving His Spirit? If you read Exodus 32&33, you will get a clear example of what it looks like to grieve the Spirit. Your heart should hurt for how Israel so carelessly treated God and pushed him aside. Meditate on the story, and it is our hope that we avoid the very act of antagonizing God in any way that would grieve Him. The very God who sent his Son to die for not his friends but his enemies. Knowing that let your light shine, and you will not grieve God's Spirit.
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