LIVING BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. (Part 38).
1 Thessalonians 5. Verses 19-22 read:
Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Yesterday, we started considering things we must desist from to ensure a sustained healthy partnership with the Holy Spirit. The first act considered is the grieving of the Spirit. Where men consistently grieve the Holy Spirit without repentance, they graduate to the point of quenching the Spirit. To quench the Holy Spirit is to suppress or subdue his operations in a life.
The Holy Spirit desires to express the Godhead through men who avail themselves to him. Where men quench the Spirit, their godless carnal ways override the operations of the Spirit. In that atmosphere, self-projection outweighs the exaltation of God. Thus, the Spirit is not accorded the room to operate.
Apostle Paul mentions some specific acts that lead to the quenching of the Spirit. The foremost of these is the despising of prophesying. Prophesying refers to the declaration of the word of God under the spontaneous inspiration of the Spirit. Prophecy is not a premeditated word. It is the declaration of an instant insight into the mystery of God received through a vision, a hearing, or an impression of the heart in the Spirit. Despising of such distinct words of God amounts to the rejection of God’s word. Worse of all, are those who criticise and condemn such declarations.
Apostle Paul admonishes that rather than despising prophesying, we should prove or test all things and hold fast to what is good. We want to consider two key ways by which prophecy can be proven. They are:
- Subjecting the prophecy to the written word of God. As the spoken word of God, prophecy must align and not contradict the written word of God.
- Discerning the spirit by which the word is spoken. The Holy Spirit is the inspirer of prophetic words. Refer to 2 Peter 1:21.
To really experience the power of the Holy Spirit, let us avoid acts that grieve or quench the Spirit, whom God has given to partner believers to live meaningful lives.
SHALOM 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏