Paul gave the
Thessalonian church members several brief, important and essential
directives as he closed his first letter to them. He included ideas
such as: “rejoicing evermore”, “praying without ceasing”
and “giving thanks in every thing”, and in chapter five
and verse nineteen he adds not “quenching the Spirit”
where we read:
Quench not
the Spirit.
The
verse begins, “Quench not...”. Paul began with the word,
“Quench” which means “extinguish, suppress and stifle”
and added “not” or “never, nor, neither or God forbid”.
This idea is there should never be any extinguishing, suppressing or
stifling of what Paul is about to introduce.
The
verse goes on to say, “...the
Spirit.”
Paul added, “the Spirit”
which is the Greek word “pneuma”
and
refers
to “the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal,
coeternal with the Father and the Son”. Paul's thought is toward
the work of “the Spirit”
within the hearts and lives of the Thessalonian believers. They were
not to inhibit nor suppress His word within them as they were being
perfected in their walk with God.
As
we think about Paul's words, we may be reminded of those who have
told us “not to quench the Spirit” within the church when
extra-Biblical activities are being performed. Sometimes aberrations
occur within a church service, and people deem them as “from the
Spirit of God” when they are often from “the spirit of human
beings”. Paul's idea was to allow the Holy Spirit of God to work
within the Thessalonian church members' lives, and the
“fruit of the Spirit” or
“love” would be
the result of it. Too many people allow un-forgiveness, bitterness,
resentment, jealousy, rancor and enmity to rule in their hearts
because of some tragic event from the past. “Love”
is diminished, and “the Spirit”
is “quenched”.
Perhaps as we meditate upon these things, the Holy Spirt of God will
remind us of areas where we “suppress and stifle” His work in our
lives, and may the Lord Jesus help us to remember that He allowed the
Spirit of God to work in and through Him even when He hung on the
cross.
Next
time Paul tells the Thessalonians to not “despise”
“prophecyings”, so
read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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