The Command
“Quench not the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19 KJV)
How can the Spirit be Quenched?
Basically the Holy Spirit is quenched when men and women take on the role that the Holy Spirit should have. The role of the Holy Spirit includes the following:
1. The Holy Spirit brings about the new birth: “Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (the physical birth) and the Spirit (the new birth), he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8 NKJV).”
2. The Holy Spirit guides and teaches: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come (John 16:13 NKJV).”
3. The Holy Spirit leads our worship: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24 NKJV).”
4. The Holy Spirit wants to fill us (or take control of us as believers):
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:18-19 NKJV).”
Do we Let the Holy Spirit do His Work?
In our church meetings we have moved to a model that more closely resembles a business model than a new testament church model where the Holy Spirit guides, teaches and gives life. We press people and children for conversions before the Holy Spirit has been allowed to convict of sin and judgment to come (John 16:8). In our personal lives and in our church practices, we often say that we have to do things contrary to what the word of God teaches (and the Spirit and the Word are always in agreement) because following the scriptural patterns just doesn’t work today.
Question?
I know that the Holy Spirit and the Word of God always work together. For example: “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light (Genesis 1:2-3 NKJV).” Also, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17 NKJV).” I wonder how much blessing we miss out on today because of our lack of faith in the Spirit’s ability to guide and teach and lead. I personally wonder if I have ever really known what it is to let the Holy Spirit take charge in my life. If we are truly saved He took charge using the Word of God when we were convicted and converted. But did the leading of the Holy Spirit stop there? Do we tend to take back control in our personal lives and church meetings after we are saved?
Paul knew the nature of man. No doubt he knew that we tend to quench the Holy Spirit. And that is why he writes, “Quench not the Spirit.”
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of October 17, 2021