Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Grieving the Spirit
(Ephesians 4:30-5:17)
The Christian life is spiritual because every true believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. The indwelling means that God’s Spirit is actually present within us—every moment of every day. He sees every action, is acquainted with every thought, hears every word, and knows every motive and desire. He is familiar with both our victories and our defeats. And sometimes our actions make Him sad (30).
When we yield to the Spirit’s promptings, our lifestyles vastly improve. There is nothing spirit-filled about bitterness, wrath, and malice. On the other hand, real spiritual living practices kindness, tenderheartedness, and Christ-like forgiveness (30-32).
If we are genuinely following in the Spirit’s footsteps, then, our lives will characterized by love in action, word, and thought (5:1, 2). Former entertainments of the flesh—fornication, immoral speech, and materialism—will be banished as we yield to the Spirit’s leading (5:3-7). In fact, with the sensitive Holy Spirit living within, it is a shame for Christians to even mention the evil practices of our flesh-driven culture (12). We are, rather, to reprove the darkness with our light (11, 13) and to walk “circumspectly,” cautiously analyzing every choice—“proving what is acceptable unto the Lord” (10, 15).
The key, then, to a genuinely spiritual walk is to yield to the Holy Spirit who dwells within. As we walk cautiously, search the Scriptures, and sense the Spirit’s leading, we will come to understand the Lord’s will (17).
