Dont Dampen the Spirit Dont stifle the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19, HCSB The sin described in Scripture as blasphemy against the Spirit rarely occurs in the life of a Christian. It is rather a conscious resistance, and anyone worrying about it has not committed it. There is, however, a more frequent sin. It is one that almost all Christians have committed and is known as quenching the Spirit. How do we quench the Holy Spirit? We can do this in many ways, but the chief way is by refusing to let Him have full control of our lives. The Amplified Bible says: Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the (Holy) Spirit.You see, it is possible for you to possess the Holy Spirit without the Holy Spirit possessing you. Dr. Handley Moule, the great Anglican bishop of a past generation, used to say: The difference between someone who is quenching the Spirit and someone who is allowing the Spirit to have free course in their life, is the difference between a well in which there is a spring of water choked, and a well in which the obstruction is removed so that the water springs up and fills the well. If we are choked by fears, resentments, indecision, self-centeredness, then we are suppressing the Holy Spirit who resides in us in order to free us. I know that many are afraid to surrender completely to the Spirit, afraid that they will become what some people call hot-pots. But the danger to the present church is not from hotpots but from cold fish! Unless I am greatly mistaken, our churches are more in danger of freezing up than burning up. Daily Prayer O God, forgive me, I pray, for not allowing Your Holy Spirit to have full sway in my life and experience. Let Your divine fire burn within. This devotional is courtesy of Every Day with Jesus.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 22:29:34 +0000