HOW DO I BRING SORROW TO THE HOLY SPIRIT?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: Hoe bedroef ek die Heilige Gees?
Translator: Lynda Botha
Someone wrote to me and asked how I understand: "to bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit”.
I believe the part this person refers to are:
EPH 4:30: “And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, He has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”
Just something about our Lord and I write the word "it” when I refer to Our Lord’s Holy Spirit, with the utmost respect. Something about the Holy Spirit, which I think is very relevant here, which I want to mention are the following:
The Holy Spirit of our Lord, said with great respect, is as much part of the Lord’s Godly divinity as what Jesus is part of the Godly divinity.
Our emotions, can, for example, become sorrowful, because we were created after the image of God which can also become sorrowful. Just like there are many examples in the life of Jesus, and we also read in Ephesians 4:30, that the Holy Spirit of our Lord can also become sorrowful.
The reason I mentioned this first, is because the Holy Spirit of our Lord, and again I say this with the greatest respect, isn’t something like a commodity or something that a priest decides whenever it tickles their fancy whether to give it to you or not, as believed in some of these so-called religions.
I will never be able to name these so-called religions “Christian religions”. To return to the subject at hand, about what it means to bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit. In fact, I think anything I do wrong in the eyes of our Lord, brings sorrow to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, my great hero Paul mentions a few examples, just after he wrote Ephesians 4:30, of what would make the Holy Spirit sorrowful and some examples, to put it this way, that will bring the Holy Spirit joy.
We can, for example, make the Holy Spirit of our Lord sorrowful by: bitterness, anger, outrage, yelling, blasphemy and all other types of evils.
EPH 4:31: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour.”
As well as: adultery, and all sorts of impurity and greed.
EPH 5:3: “Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.”
And: meanness, folly or foolish and obscene talks.
EPH 5:4: “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.”
At the same time, I almost wrote: "in the same breath" Paul also mentions examples after he wrote Ephesians 4:30, a few things that has an opposite effect on the Holy Spirit if we do it:
Kindness, giving and forgiveness to others in our hearts.
EPH 4:32: “Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
Then, we must keep our eyes on the Lord like His children, which we are, and on what we’re supposed to do.
EPH 5:1: “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children.”
Then of course, it can never be left behind by the children of our Lord to live life full of love towards others.
EPH 5:2: “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a Sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”
Paul also says something about the fruit of the Spirit, something which you and I need to bear according to the Lord’s Word:
EPH 5:9: “For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.”
So, my friend, if we want to make sure that we are not bringing any sorrow to the Holy Spirit of our Lord, let us then bears the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus says in this regard:
Matthew 7:17-20
17 “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.”
18 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.”
19 “So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
20 “Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”
I think, one of the great grieves which many Christians bring to our Lord, is that many Christians practice their religion, without God. Just after Jesus said the above you just read, He also said the following:
MAT 7:21: “Not everyone who call out to me, “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter.”
What does the fruit of the Holy Spirit look like which should be found within each of us?
GAL 5:22: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”
GAL 5:23: “gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
Let’s ask our Lord daily, to help us, so everyone that we meet will find that we are covered with these fruits. Because child of God, this is what our Lord expects from us. To be religious without the fruit of the Spirit, as Jesus showed above, will not impress our Lord at all. He can make Christians out of stone, but He does not need stone Christians.
LUK 3:8: “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, “We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.” that means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.”
LUK 3:9: “Even now the axe of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
Greetings,
Sakkie