Sin Grieves the Holy Spirit
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:30
Every time we sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit and we grieve God. If we are aware of how the Spirit, the Father and the Son view sin from one of their children in the family, it can make us more powerful spiritual warrior. If our hearts are driven to please God, then we must fight sin.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:12-14) The battle against temptation is between the Spirit and our fleshly sinful desires. We offer ourselves to God knowing our flesh is the temple for the Holy Spirit. If we recognize our worldly flesh as the temple, then we recognize we cannot be holy unless we see both our soul and our flesh are holy. If we place this attitude in our hearts, it can give us a powerful advantage over Satan’s temptations.
Picture the Holy Spirit’s grieving when we sin and visualize the effects on the Father and the Son. We know how we feel when someone in our family sins, and we have a perfect loving God who grieves when someone in his eternal family sins. Our hearts are filled with Godly sorrow when we sin because we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7) If we see our flesh as the temple and the grievance our sin causes in the Heavenly realm, we will learn to hate sin and develop a repentant heart. The Lord is pleased when we fight and overcome a sinful habit, and when we seek repentance for every sin with Godly sorrow in our hearts.
Today make an effort not to grieve the Holy Spirit, but rather strive to be pleasing to the Lord. Be mindful to repent of any sin no matter how small, but immediately ask for forgiveness. Try not to carry any sins through the days without asking for forgiveness.
Prayer: Lord I pray that I will not grieve the Spirit today but live to please you today. Help me to walk in your wisdom with patience today. In Jesus’ name, Amen