Do not quench the Spirit! (1Thess. 5:19)

1 Thessalonians 5: 19-23; 1 Cor. 2: 6-14; Acts 4: 29

Recurrent Thought

The Holy Spirit is the invisible essence, who during this dispensation is sent to mentor us, intercede for us and train us in many Kingdom Assignments. We must recognize Him if we are to take advantage what he is meant to be for us!

God wants every believer be the dispenser of Heavenly wisdom. His transformative Wisdom is different from the natural wisdom. This great wisdom, which no eye has seen, nor ear heard nor the heart of man imagined is revealed by God through the Spirit to all devoted Christ-followers (1 Cor. 2: 6-14). However, not everyone enjoys this privilege.

The reality is that every devoted Christ-follower is indwelt by the Spirit is able to operate in the realm of the supernatural. 1 Corinthians 2 shows that the Spirit who searches the deep things of God grants us access to the thoughts and the mind of Christ. Walking in the Supernatural realm is related to understanding the person and operation of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit, is the divine person of the Trinity sent to come as a Paracletos, one who walks alongside us.

As Jesus prepared the Disciples for His Death and Ascension, he assured them that He would send the Holy Spirit who was another Comforter. The word used for another is allos, another of the same type (John 14:16). There is another Greek Word called heteros which means another of the different kind. For example, a Benz to a Bus is heteros (another) car of a different type.

The Holy Spirit gives an advantage to Believers what the Lord Jesus in his physical form could not offer until he would start using the divine properties he deliberated not exercised. Thus, since the day of Pentecost, the Church has access to these extraordinary benefits of walking with the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, most of Christ-followers do not even know that the Lord has granted them an opportunity to walk in the supernatural.

Here are four truths about Recognizing the Holy Spirit in Our lives

1. Human Beings are spirits with capacity to engage the Divine (1 Thess. 5: 23)
   • Human beings are tripartite beings with the spirit being the main essence of their humanity
   • Some scholars use the word spirit and soul interchangeably. But this text and others show this wisdom.
   • Hebrews 4:12 states that “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart “
   • This is the only place we see the separation of the three and done by the Word of God only (God himself)
   • The totality of man was incapacitated by Sin; thus the whole human being yearns for the sanctification of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:23)
      
2. God is always Willing to Reveal Himself to those Ready
   • We must Discern and Recognize the Spirit’s Intervention
   • We must always recognize that God wills to reveal himself to us.
   • Recognize the atmosphere he prefers: An atmosphere were worship is intense.
      
3. Recognize and Honor the Holy Spirit by not Grieving Him (Eph. 4:30)
   • And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
   • To Grieve is from a Gk Transliterated word of Lupeō which means to distress; to be sad: - cause grief, grieve, be in heaviness, (be) sorrow (-ful), be (make) sorry
   • We should recognize the role Jesus clearly stated that He shall be for us.
   • To Grieve the Holy Spirit is not to recognize his significance in us (Eph. 4:30)
   • Grieving the Spirit refers to our actions that hinder the Spirit from being Himself in his work of perfecting our redemption.
   • The goal is to become like Christ from the inside out. His presence is
     significant
   • The Spirit acts upon the believer’s nature like a fire, warming, purifying, refining. But believers through sin, they grieve the very person who comes to revive them.
   • Sin Grieves the Spirit. Sometimes it begins as small sins. But Remember the Little foxes do destroy vine yards (Song of Solomon 2:15)
      
4. Recognize and Honor the Holy Spirit by not Quenching Him (1 Thess. 5:19)
   • To Quench is from the Gr. Transliterated word of Sbennumi which means to extinguish, go out.
   • Quenching the Spirit refers to our actions that hinder the Spirit from doing what He could do through us.
   • Recognized the two coming of the Holy Spirit. He comes at Salvation and he comes subsequent to Salvation (Titus 3: 4-6, John 14:17)
   • John 14:17 says “even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
   • Part of Quenching of the Spirit is Despising Prophesies (1 Thess. 5:20)
   • The Pentecostal Flame can be extinguished. It may happen when a good thing is set in disrepute due to excesses. The case of the Prophetic Movement
   • Part of Quenching of the Spirit is when we don’t abstain from evil (1 Thess. 5: 22)
   • Neglect tend to quench the Fire of the Holy Spirit

Key Principle

Apart from many components that trigger the engagement with the Holy Spirit is creating the necessary atmosphere through worship. In this atmosphere, sins are repented, hearts are rededicated and a new vision of God is recaptured