Prior to the carnal emphasis of New Pentecostalism in the 1950s even as they departed from their original foundations, the Holy Spirit was not given much credit except by godly Christians. Some Christians tend to rely upon their biblical knowledge without reliance upon the Holy Spirit so they ended in frustration. Studies in the Holy Spirit began to be widely published in defense of the faith against the errors of Charismatism. We almost neglected the specific commands God gave in the Bible on how we can work productively with the Holy Spirit. The worldly liveliness the Charismatics desired was replaced with the deadness of theological discussion of some conservatives. Today, I want to share with you these very significant commands in the NT through which you will become His great and glorious instrument in the advancing of His church.
First, believers are commanded to stop a habitual action of grieving the Holy Spirit. This is the truth in Eph. 4:30. The believers of Ephesus were continuing in such ungodly habit of various types of sins as enumerated in verse 31. Essentially, believers in one local church must avoid lying to one another and speaking in a foul manner. In stead, they ought to relate in a manner as listed down in verse 32.
If we are still engaged in any of the above sins in verse 31 then we must stop such evil practice. Why are we to do this? The reason is that the Holy Spirit who is in us is much sorrowed by such ungodly behavior. It is never right to deliberately hurt or grieve the Spirit. Not only are the involved parties are affected by such sins but also the entire local church people including those not directly involved. So we must never allow such scenario to happen in the local church.
Second, believers are commanded to allow the Holy Spirit to control their lives. This is taught in Eph. 5:18. The control is possible because the Spirit is already indwelling the believer. He is urged to permit the Spirit to take total control over his life rather than his own sinful nature, the world, and the devil. This command is indeed significant in experiencing real daily victory in Christian life. Daily a believer is to allow the Holy Spirit to control him. This is also the prohibitory contrast of allowing oneself to be filled with wine as it will surely control the person.
A believer is prohibited from drinking liquor of any amount. To allow moderate, occasional, or social drinking is to allow a little sin in your life. A little leaven will leaven the whole bread. (See 1 Cor. 5:6.) The command includes absolute prohibition from any form of wine or liquor as it is unbecoming of a godly Christian. Primarily, the command is on our task to let the Holy Spirit control our lives regularly. So it involves regular surrendering to Him and permitting Him to convict us, to correct us, and to chastise us in any form.
People get discouraged when they do not see professing believers changing from bad to good. They do not fully see that the reason behind is not the powerlessness of the Bible or of God but the rejection of the person to be molded by the Spirit. Regardless of how good I am in molding people to become God’s instruments in the church, if the candidate is unwilling, uncooperative, and insubordinate then there is no way the person could improve. Usually things would get worst.
Third, believers are commanded not to resist the workings of the Holy Spirit. This is what Paul said in 1 Thess. 5:19. To quench means to put off the fire or the momentum or heat being gained. It is like putting cold water on the already burning coals. The Spirit is likened in other references to fire or flame of fire. Fire will normally eat up things around it and will cause them to burn, too. Paul warned them not to quench the task of preaching in verse 20. To quench it means to undermine, despise, belittle its importance and consequence of preaching. So in the local church, we are commanded never to quench the preaching work or the spirit of a preacher.
How do we quench the Holy Spirit? In the context, it is to resist the effect of preaching work. It also includes belittling the result of preaching. So when someone is called to preach, church members are to pray and to encourage such a person lest his fire be put off. As the pastor preaches, we must ask God to bless and widen the fire it creates in our soul as well as in others. We are never to resist neither to oppose nor to discourage the working of the Holy Spirit in any one’s life as well as in ours.
Imagine the great environment the Holy Spirit will create among us as church members when the above three commands are seriously obeyed by every one. What a holy sight to see when church members are growing away from carnality of sins mentioned in Eph. 4:31 and replaced by the virtues in verse 32. The seeming insurmountable tasks that await us Cornerstone people, shall become realities as we labor in every ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit who indwells and controls every church member. Finally, what a glorious sight that every member strengthens and encourages one another to love and to good works fulfilling together the goals of Cornerstone given by the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
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