We can have a vibrant and personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Person who has feelings and emotions. The Holy Spirit is sensitive and because He has feelings and emotions He can be offended by people. As Christians, we should build an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit who is called Helper and Comforter. We are in the Spirit and the Spirit is in us, we are united with Him. Through Jesus Christ, we became one with God, one with Christ, and one with the Holy Spirit.
1Cor. 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
When we were born again by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, our bodies became a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Person who lives in us and we should have a good and healthy relationship with Him.
1Cor. 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1Cor. 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
God is so great and majestic and we can be amazed daily that He lives in us with His Spirit. We should not live in ignorance and take this for granted. We should have the fear of the Lord in our hearts and be thrilled that God lives in us. We should ask God to teach us the fear of the Lord. The Bible teaches us that the fear of the Lord brings us many blessings, protection and benefits.
Prov. 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Prov. 2:5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.
Prov. 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
Prov. 9:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Prov. 10:27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Prov. 14:26-27 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
Prov. 16:6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
Prov. 22:4 By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.
THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN BE OFFENDED BY OTHER PERSONS.
We already studied that the Holy Spirit is a Person and we studied the beautiful character of the Holy Spirit. Next to this we need to know that the Holy Spirit has feelings and emotions and that He can be offended. We should try to avoid offending our Helper and Comforter.
A. God the Father send the Holy Spirit in the world, like He sent the Son.
The Lord Jesus Christ got hurt and offended when He came into this world, it the same with the Holy Spirit who can be hurt and offended in this world. The Holy Spirit is send into this world.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
B. The Holy Spirit can be grieved by people.
The word “grieve” in this text means also to hurt, pain, grieve, displease, and offend.
Isa. 63:10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.
Eph. 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
C. The Holy Spirit can be resisted.
We see in the ancient scriptures how the Holy Spirit was resisted by the Jewish people. Resisting the Holy Spirit is resisting the Kingdom of God and His blessings.
Acts 7:51 "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
1 Thess. 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.
D. The Holy Spirit can be blasphemed by people.
The Lord Jesus Christ was casting out demons and doing miracles by the Holy Spirit but the Jews blasphemed the Holy Spirit by accusing the Lord Jesus Christ from using the power of the devil to cast out demons. (Matt. 12:24)
Matt. 12:31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is to resist God, the Kingdom of God and the manifestation of the Kingdom of God.
Matt. 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
E. People can speak against the Holy Spirit and don’t accept His leading and correction.
Matt. 12:32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
F. People can lie against the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and can’t accept lies from people. The Spirit of Truth came to destroy the lie!
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
G. People can insult the Holy Spirit.
Religious Jews insulted the Spirit of Grace because they didn’t accept full salvation through believing in Jesus Christ. The religious Jews continued to follow their man-made religion and religious works instead of believing in the salvation provided by Jesus Christ.
Hebr. 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
Heavenly Father, forgive us for grieving You. Forgive us for resisting You. Forgive us for offending You. Your Words convince us from our sins and we ask You for forgiveness. We thank You for Your willingness to forgive our sins. Help us to walk in the newness of life! Help us to bring glory to Your Name! We ask You in Jesus Name. Amen!
