24 lines
4.3 KiB
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24 lines
4.3 KiB
HTML
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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<div class="head">Day By Day By Grace</div>
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<div class="subhead">Bob Hoekstra</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020">March 11</div></div>
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<h2>Three Wrong Responses to the Holy Spirit</h2>
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<div class="block"><i>You always <b>resist the Holy Spirit</b>…Do not <b>grieve the Holy Spirit</b> <b>of God</b>…Do not <b>quench the Spirit</b>.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Act',7,51);">Acts 7:51</a>; <a onClick="return mV('Eph',4,30);">Ephesians 4:30</a>; and <a onClick="return mV('1Th',5,19);">1 Thessalonians 5:19</a>)</div>
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<p>It is the will of God that we <b>walk</b> in <b>daily dependence</b> upon the <b>Holy Spirit</b>. It is God's desire that we seek Him for the <b>fullness</b> of the Spirit's work in and through our lives. <b>Three wrong responses</b> that undermine the will of God in our lives are <b>resisting</b>, <b>grieving</b>, and <b>quenching</b> the Spirit of the Lord.</p>
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<p>When Stephen was on trial before the religious leaders of Israel, he preached a powerful sermon declaring the faithfulness of God toward His consistently unfaithful nation. He concluded his message with a pointed, radical, accurate evaluation. <i>"You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always <b>resist the Holy Spirit</b>; as your fathers did, so do you"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Act',7,51);">Acts 7:51</a>). Here we are given the kind of attitudes that oppose the work of the Spirit. These people were <i>"stiffnecked."</i> They were stubborn and self-willed. They wanted their will, not the will of God. They also were <i>"uncircumcised in heart and ears."</i> They did not allow God to cut away the carnality of their inner being. They would not allow God to speak to them through His messengers. They were self-righteous and self-sufficient. When we conduct ourselves in this same manner, we also are <i>"<b>resist</b></i>[<b>ing</b>] <b><i>the Holy Spirit</i></b><i>."</i></p>
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<p>When Paul was writing to the church at Ephesus, he commanded them: <i>"Do not <b>grieve the Holy Spirit</b>."</i> In the next verse he indicated the dispositions that bring grief to the Spirit of God. <i>"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Eph',4,31);">Ephesians 4:31</a>). Yes, the Holy Spirit is a person, not a mere power or influence. He can be saddened by our behavior. When we, God's people, harbor bitterness in our hearts and malicious words in our mouths, then we are <i>"<b>griev</b></i>[<b>ing</b>] <b><i>the Holy Spirit of God</i></b><i>."</i></p>
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<p>When Paul wrote to the saints at Thessalonica, he instructed them: <i>"Do not <b>quench the Spirit</b>."</i> Just as a fire can be quenched, the promptings of the Holy Spirit can be stifled. As we read the word of God, the Spirit can be stirring a spiritual fire of conviction within us. Will we respond to that heavenly influence, or will we suppress it? When the Lord is igniting a vision of service unto Him, will we yield or will we extinguish it? When the Lord is calling us to intercessory prayer, will we cry out to Him or will we suppress that desire He is kindling? Will we allow the Spirit to blaze within our hearts, or will we <i>"<b>quench the Spirit</b>?"</i></p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">O Father, I am convicted by Your Spirit of times that I have behaved in these same ways. I have resisted and grieved and quenched the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. Lord, I repent, and I ask You to show me any area of my life that is not yielded to the full work of Your Spirit. This I pray through Christ, my Lord, Amen.</div></div></div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020"><a href="./devotions/daybyday/03/0310.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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<a href="./devotions/daybyday/03/0312.html">Tomorrow's Reading</a>
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