Welcome to a firm foundation presented by Princeton Ministries with Dr. Ken Smith. This is Carol Smith, Ken’s wife. Please enjoy.

I don’t know if you have noticed it, but we are involved in a slide. The ground is slippery. And as families, as individuals, as a nation, there is a moral slide that seems to be headed towards disaster. The commercial a few years ago said, we’ve come a long way, baby. Well, how far have we come? We look at divorce in America, and they no longer even give figures on it. They just say it’s epidemic. Teenage suicide, they call it epidemic. Venereal disease. No figures anymore. Simply epidemic. And then when we look at our institutions, we look at our mental institutions, overcrowded waiting lists, we look at our prisons. We can’t build them fast enough. We look at the abortion clinics as people stand online. And we’re living in a time that there is an increased movement of moral decay. Say, well, I can see it, but what’s the solution?

Well, the apostle Paul lived in a time of great moral decay. And the problems that I mentioned were also common to his day. Now, Paul had a solution to these problems, but first I want to notice what was not his solution. Paul does not say, in the face of all of the problems that faced his time and that face us, he did not say that the law of God would produce the fruit that we want. As a matter of fact, Paul goes on to say that the law of God, if that becomes the solution to the problems, simply reminds us of our own sin. That the law of God convicts us and shows us that we have been a failure.

And so Paul does not give as a solution to his problems and to ours, just simply apply the Ten Commandments and all will be well. Nor does Paul suggest that the answer to the problems of society, of families, of individuals, is to be found in ethical systems of teaching. Paul lived in a day where there were many ethical systems. He lived in a time of stoicism. Those who said, the way you cope with these problems is to pretend they’re not there and to be stoic. On the other hand, there were others who had the philosophy of the Epicureans, who said, what you do is you indulge yourself in whatever is going on within the culture. Paul lived in a time of utilitarian philosophies, simply the greatest good for the greatest number.

And Paul does not say, that’s the answer to the problems that you and I face. And he does not resort to pragmatism. Pragmatism that simply says, whatever works, whatever will give a solution to the problems. That’s the answer. No, Paul does not give any of those as the solution to the problem of moral waffling. Instead, in Ephesians chapter four, verse 30, he gives this kernel for a solution to the problems that men and women face in their morals, that families face, that nations face. And he says this, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Did you hear the solution? Not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Let me ask, what motivates you to do good? Is it simply the payoff? If I’m good, I’ll get promoted? If I’m good, I’ll be noticed. If I’m good, I won’t be arrested.

If I’m good, there are many benefits that this society will place upon me. Is that what motivates you to be good? Or are you motivated by a different principle? That principle, not that there’s a payoff in being good, but that to do wrong grieves the Holy Spirit of God. We are told in scripture that as Christians, we have become the living stones of the church of Jesus Christ. Know ye not that you are the holy stones of the temple of God and that it is the Holy Spirit that lives within you? You mean my flesh is the temple of God. And living inside of you as you have put your trust in Jesus Christ, living inside of you is the third person of the Trinity.

Now one of the problems with our getting a grasp on grieving the Holy Spirit is that there has been so much teaching over the radio and the television that has presented the Holy Spirit not as a person, but rather presenting the Holy Spirit as a force that is floating around. And as Christians, they say our purpose is to somehow get hold of that force. But I would remind you that the scriptures know nothing of a Holy spirit who is a vague force. It speaks of the Holy Spirit of God as a person, because the wind is a force, but you can’t grieve the wind. Gravity is a force, but you can’t hurt gravity. Electricity is a force, but you can’t wound electricity. Atomic power is a force, but it cannot live within the heart of a man or a woman.

When Paul tells us that we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, he is saying to us, the spirit of God is a person. As much a person as your wife, your husband, your mother, your father, and the very things that bring joy to those who are closest to you brings joy to the Holy Spirit of God. And as you can grieve those who you love, you also, as a Christian can grieve the Holy Spirit that lives inside of you. Have you ever thought of the Holy Spirit as a person? It’s an interesting study, because if you look at the scripture, you will find that the Holy Spirit has the power to create. The Holy Spirit has a will. The Holy Spirit has the ability to search and to look and to investigate.

The Holy Spirit, on seven occasions to the churches, speaks so that they hear the voice of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit can cry. The Holy Spirit can pray. The Holy Spirit can teach. The Holy Spirit can command. And it was the Holy Spirit of God that commanded Paul that he should not go to this place, but rather to that place. It was the Holy Spirit of God that spoke and directed the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Because the Holy Spirit is presented in the scripture as a person, not only is it a person who can be encouraged, but the Holy Spirit of God is also a spirit, a person who is able to be grieved and hurt and wounded and harmed. Well, how does a person grieve the Holy Spirit? Well, there are several ways.

One of them is simply to be ignorant of his presence. To say, I never knew that as a Christian, the Holy Spirit of God actually lives within me. And to be ignorant and to live a life of ignorance of that truth. In a Bible study recently with some businessmen, were looking at the topic of the Holy Spirit as a person. And one man just simply said, I’ve been in the church for 25 years and I never heard that the Holy Spirit was a person, that the Holy Spirit actually lives inside of a Christian for 25 years, ignorant of one of the most basic teachings that is found in God’s word. But another way that we can grieve the Holy Spirit of God is to be partially open to that spirit.

The book of Ephesians tells us that we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It does not tell us to be partially filled, half filled, quarter filled. It is not like our gas tank that will get us there as long as there’s just a few more drops left in the tank. But rather, we are called upon not for a partial filling of the Spirit, but filling to the full. And without that, we grieve the Holy Spirit, but also, we grieve the Holy Spirit when we are disobedient to the commands of the Holy Spirit. Are you aware of the difference in your mind when your experience is speaking, and then another voice speaks? And when does that voice speak?

It speaks when we are faced with a moral choice and you can hear your own voice telling you to do this or that, and then, for some unexplainable reason, you hear within your conscience another view. How many people have confused that voice? Now, we would be placed in a mental institution if the only voice we heard was a voice that was not our own.

But how many Christians do not realize that God has placed within us his Holy Spirit, that Holy Spirit, to remind us, as we would make various choices, moral and ethical choices, that he has placed within us the standard of right and wrong, and that he would want us to hear that voice and to respond not to our own desires, but to that voice, according to Romans, chapter two of conscience, that God has placed within each one of us either to accuse or excuse our behavior. Here’s a good principle. If you’re not sure and you’re in doubt as to what you should don’t do it until you know that the spirit of God, by his word, would take you that next step.

But when in doubt on some area of moral living, don’t why are there so few Christians who seem to be living with an awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit? Why so few super spiritual folks? I think there are many reasons. One is not only a lack of knowledge about the presence of the Holy Spirit, but also pride. Pride that wants things done our way, no matter what God says, no matter what he has placed in our conscience. But pride would become our general, and we would follow his orders. And we would forget the words of one Peter five. For God opposes the proud, but God gives grace to the humble. Not only does our pride get in the way, but very often we fear what other people will say.

And perhaps more often than not, the greatest reason that so few people live today wanting to fulfil the will of God is for fear of what someone else will say, not knowing that the fear of man, according to proverbs, is a snare that captures us and the very thing that we would hope would occur for good because of our fear for man causes us to stumble. What will they think if I told them I’m a Christian? What would they think if I said I believe there’s a right and a wrong approach to this problem? How many mouths of Christians have been silenced for the fear of what someone else will say?

Peter two nine reminds us that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of the darkness into the marvellous light. But there’s another reason that we grieve the Holy Spirit and would not live according to the fullness of that spirit. And that is that at times we are so preoccupied on this world, so concerned about that next step in our physical life. It’s like pilgrim in Pilgrim’s progress, as he comes to that place of vanity fair where all manner of goods are for sale and all types of entertainment, to idle away his time. And there he meets Mr. Worldly. And every time that pilgrim would bring up something Christian and spiritual, Mr.

Worldly could take it and twist it on its head, so that the things that seemed so important spiritually to pilgrim began to look suspect, and Mr. Worldly began to place his tentacles like weeds around the life of pilgrim. Till pilgrim understood that he was meeting Mr. Worldly, Mr. Worldly, who would desire to take him away from the things of Christ and draw him to the things of self, as Christians be aware of Mr. Worldly in our own lives. In one John, chapter two, verse 15, we read this concern. Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you. For when you love these things, you show that you really do not love God. For all of these things.

The craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance, these are from the world itself. This world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden things will go with it. But whoever keeps the will of God will live forever. If we would want not to grieve the Holy Spirit, but to encourage the Holy Spirit, then we must see those possessions that God has given us as possessions that he has graciously given to us, rather than possessions that are to be grasped and held onto and clung to, but that we would free ourselves. Our text tells us that we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom were sealed for the day of redemption.

Did you know that the Holy Spirit has sealed you for a purpose, and that sealing by the Holy Spirit first closes the transaction, because we’ve been sealed by the Holy Spirit, as you would take a letter with your mark and melt the wax and place your mark on the close of that envelope, sealing all of its contents. So, as we have trusted in Christ, we are told that we have been closed. It’s finished. We have been sealed for a special purpose in Jesus Christ. But also, this sealing by the Holy Spirit indicates our security in Christ, that because of Christ, we are secure. It is his cross and his blood that has sealed us for the day of redemption. And that seal also indicates that our owner is God himself.

Well, in these verses, the apostle Paul tells us that in particular there are certain things that we do that grieve the Holy Spirit. He tells us first verse 25 that we are to put away lying, and each one is to speak with his neighbour, for we are members of one another. The Holy Spirit of God is a spirit of truth. And when you are tempted to tell a partial truth or a lie, to remember that the spirit of God would encourage you to tell the truth. And that as we lie, we grieve the Holy Spirit. A number of studies have come out, and I’ve talked about these in other times, showing that the average person lies in each day of his life, whether verbally or nonverbally, over 200 times a day. That lying is just natural.

And yet the scripture teaches that lying grieves the Holy Spirit of God. It was Ananias and Sapphira who lied about the cost of the land that they said they were giving to the church. And it’s interesting to note that in their discussion, the apostle says to them, you have agreed together to tempt the spirit of the Lord. It is Satan who has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, that when they lied, they were lying to the Holy Spirit of God, and it was grieved. But also, he tells us in verses 26 and 27 that we are to be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. We read of Jesus having his anger kindled, and in his anger, he turned the tables on the court, in the temple.

And anger by itself is a human emotion. We are not told in this test that it is inappropriate to be angry. What is inappropriate and what grieves the Holy Spirit of God is when our anger continues. And it goes from day in till day out, sunrise to sunset. And that person who you work with or that relative or neighbour who all that has to be done is mention their name and suddenly anger is kindled inside. The scriptures teach that anger grieves the Holy Spirit, that we should put away that anger, that we should confess that anger, and that we should lay our swords down and simply come to Christ and ask forgiveness. For we ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.

Thank you for listening to a firm foundation presented by Princeton ministries. This programming is supported by you, the listener. You may go to our website, princetonministries.org or send your donation to Princeton Ministries post office Box 2171, Princeton, New Jersey 8543. That’s Princeton Ministries post office Box 2171, Princeton, New Jersey 8543. The Lord bless you and Dr. Smith looks forward to hearing from you. We would like to thank Rones web development company for making this webcast possible. You can find their link at the bottom of our website, princetonministries.org.