Efésios 4
F.B. Meyer · Citado em PreceptAustin
Efésios 4:30
Meyer says, we do so as an act of faith, independent of "feelings" or "manifestations", and this faith shows itself to be effective by its obedience to the Spirit's urgings and enablings). (Devotional Commentary of Ephesians, by F. B. Meyer) Jerry Bridges - DOES HE CARE? Holiness Day by Day: Transformational Thoughts Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.(EPHESIANS 5:10) The good news of the gospel is that God’s grace is available on our worst days. That’s true because Christ fully satisfied the claims of God’s justice and fully paid the penalty of a broken law when He died on the cross in our place. Because of that, Paul could write, “He forgave us all our sins” (Colossians 2:13, NIV). Does this mean God no longer cares whether we obey or disobey? Not at all. The Scripture speaks of our grieving the Holy Spirit through our sins (Ephesians 4:30). And Paul prayed that we “may please [God] in every way” (Colossians 1:10, NIV). Clearly, He cares about our conduct and will discipline us when we refuse to repent of conscious sin. But God is no longer our Judge. Through Christ He is now our heavenly Father who disciplines us only out of love and only for our good. If God’s blessings were dependent on our performance, they would be meager indeed. Even our best works are shot through with sin—with varying degrees of impure motives and lots of imperfect performance. We’re always, to some degree, looking out for ourselves, guarding our flanks, protecting our egos. It’s because we don’t realize the utter depravity of the principle of sin remaining in us and staining everything we do that we entertain any notion of earning God’s blessings through our obedience. And because we don’t fully grasp that Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins, we despair of God’s blessing when we’ve failed to live up to even our own desires to please God. Your worst days are never so bad that you’re beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you’re beyond the need of God’s grace. Today in the Word - The Wall Street Journal reported that one of the longest civil cases in memory was settled last year by a secret agreement. The case, a libel suit involving a Philadelphia prosecutor and the city's leading newspaper, spanned more than 25 years and two separate trials. The incident that was the subject of the newspaper story happened in 1963, although the article itself was published in 1973. The first trial was held in 1983, and the second in 1990. None of the principals in the case are at the same jobs today; in fact, one of the key figures died in 1989. One has to wonder if a simple plea for, and the granting of, forgiveness would have made this ordeal unnecessary. Unfortunately, we live in a society in which lawsuits, complaints and damages are more eagerly sought (and often more easily given) than forgiveness. But when animosity and bitterness take root in our lives, the results are always destructive. Jesus' warning in Mt 6:15 is a disturbing one, and we should take it seriously. But it's important to read this in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, which we already know is addressed to believers. Jesus is not dealing with the forgiveness that leads to salvation. His concern is our fellowship with the Father, not our eternal standing before Him. Animosity and bitterness between believers stems from a failure to forgive. Such attitudes break our intimate fellowship with God because they grieve the Holy Spirit, who is sensitive to sin (see Eph. 4:30-31). THOUGHT Is there someone you are unable to forgive? If your answer is yes, you can be sure that you are grieving the Holy Spirit and you are cutting off the supply of supernatural power necessary to live this supernatural life! If you are convicted by the Spirit (even the grieved Spirit will convict us of sin!), then take appropriate action in order to restore fellowship with the Triune God! If you would like to study more in depth about the significance of forgiveness see the articles in the topic FORGIVENESS/UNFORGIVENESS. A friend of Vance Havner coined a word by combining the words squelch and quench. He used to say, Don't 'squench' the Spirit. (Squelch/silence & quench/extinguish) John
Efésios 4:30
Meyer - Numbers 19:17—For the unclean, they shall take ashes. (R.V.) It was very easy to become unclean without realizing it. To touch a corpse, to be in the same room as the dead, to stumble over a grave, was enough to defile the Israelite, and excommunicate him from the Tabernacle with its holy rites. Could anything more graphically set forth the contagiousness of sin? We cannot be in contact with those who are dead in trespasses and sins, or breathe air defiled by their filthy speech, or read books which contain their thoughts, without suffering in some way by it. This is the reason why, at the end of the day, we often feel unable to pray, or hold fellowship with God: we are excluded from the Most Holy Place, because of this defilement. Indeed, there is only one way of escaping it, and that is in being covered, hermetically sealed, by the Spirit of God. “In whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30, R.V.). For this reason also, we should perpetually seek fresh cleansing in the precious blood of Christ. He is represented in this heifer without spot, slain in its prime, whose ashes were mingled in running water to testify their perpetual efficacy and freshness. If the ashes of an heifer availed for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ cleanse our consciences! Ask perpetually for the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, that you may have access with confidence into the Most Holy Place. The red heifer of Numbers answers to John 13. Let us apply the ashes and the water of purification to each other. Jesus said: “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” The Holy Spirit: Present or Absent? And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. —Ephesians 4:30 In most Christian churches the Spirit is quite entirely overlooked. Whether He is present or absent makes no real difference to anyone. Brief reference is made to Him in the doxology and the benediction. Further than that He might as well not exist.… Our neglect of the doctrine of the blessed Third Person has had and is having serious consequences. For doctrine is dynamite. It must have emphasis sufficiently sharp to detonate it before its power is released.… The doctrine of the Spirit is buried dynamite. Its power awaits discovery and use by the Church. The power of the Spirit will not be given to any mincing assent to pneumatological truth. The Holy Spirit cares not at all whether we write Him into our creeds in the back of our hymnals; He awaits our emphasis. [The Holy Spirit] loves us so much that when we insult Him, He is grieved; when we ignore Him, He is grieved; when we resist Him, He is grieved; and when we doubt Him, He is grieved. (Tozer on the Holy Spirit: A 365-Day Devotional) David Jeremiah - Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Lord God, You have given me the love of Your Holy Spirit … my Helper. In all my affliction You are afflicted, and the Angel of Your Presence saves me; in Your love and in Your pity You redeem, and You bear, and carry me. But I rebel and grieve Your Holy Spirit; so You turn Yourself against me as an enemy, and You fight against me. I know that I abide in You, Lord God, and You in me, because You have given me of Your Spirit. Believing, I was sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, the guarantee of my inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. So I will walk in the Spirit, and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that I do not do the things that I wish. Your Spirit also helps in my weaknesses. Thank You, God, for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is my Helper, my Strength, my Guide. May He enable me to live so that I honor You. EPHESIANS 4:30; ROMANS 15:30; JOHN 14:26; ISAIAH 63:9–10; 1 JOHN 4:13; EPHESIANS 1:13–14; GALATIANS 5:16–17; ROMANS 8:26 Life-Changing Moments with God The devil is subtle, deceptive, and sly; He cleverly tricks us to swallow his lie, But his cunning methods we're sure to discern By making God's warnings our daily concern. —DJD God's warnings are to protect us, not to punish us. (Ed: God's warnings are to empower us, not to punish us.) The devil is subtle, deceptive, and sly; He cleverly tricks us to swallow his lie, But his cunning methods we're sure to discern By making God's warnings our daily concern. —DJD God's warnings are to protect us, not to punish us. (Ed: God's warnings are to empower us, not to punish us.) If we have God's Word in our minds, He can put the right words in our mouths. God’s Word was given for our good And we are to obey, Not choose the parts that we like best, Then live in our own way. —Hess There is no good excuse for ignoring God. Are You Losing Power? Ephesians 3:14-21 Little eyes were looking over my shoulder at the gas gauge. Running out of fuel on an interstate highway was no one's idea of fun. There had been plenty of places to stop and get a fillup. If we ran out of gas, it would only be because of my own foolishness. So we pulled into a gas station at the next exit. But getting a full tank of gas didn't solve all our problems. We became irritable and impatient with one another. Tempers flared. It didn't take long till we sensed that our lives were not being controlled by the Spirit's power. Only after apologies and a quiet prayer of submission to the Lord was our inner spiritual strength restored. It was as if we had stopped to fill our hearts and minds with renewed energy. Unlike my experience of running low on gas, we as Christians can't run out of the source of our strength. We have the Holy Spirit in our hearts, but it is possible for us to grieve Him and block the flow of His strength in our lives (Eph. 4:30). His Spirit fill my hungering soul His power all my life control; My deepest prayer, my highest goal, That I may be like Jesus. –Chisholm Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. –Is 40:31 Holy Spirit, all divine, Dwell within this heart of mine; Cast down every idol throne, Reign supreme and reign alone. —Reed The Christian’s heart is the Spirit’s home. Listen To His Promptings - After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. —Acts 16:7 On Friday, my day of rest as a pastor, the Holy Spirit prompted me to call a young single mother in our faith community to see if her car had been repaired. I had some reservations about making the call, but I obeyed. Little did I know that my obedience would help save her life. She said later: “Friday at work I was planning on taking my life; but in a time of need, I believe God was there for me. He had Pastor Williams call me, and just by listening to his voice, I knew that God loved me.” The apostle Paul must have had reservations when the Holy Spirit prompted him and his team not to go into the provinces of Asia and Bithynia. Instead, they felt the Spirit’s call to go into Macedonia to preach the good news. In each situation, they obeyed the Spirit’s promptings. As a result, Paul and his team were instrumental in giving birth to a new faith community in Philippi (Acts 16:11-15). As believers in Christ who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:22), our desire should be to please Him. May we not grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30) by ignoring His gentle promptings. When we obey Him, we might be used by God to lead someone to Christ, to disciple new believers—or even to help save somebody’s life. Marvin Williams Holy Spirit, we would hear Your inner promptings, soft and clear; And help us know Your still, small voice So we may make God's will our choice. —D. De Haan Make the right choice: Obey the Spirit's voice. The devil is subtle, deceptive, and sly; He cleverly tricks us to swallow his lie, But his cunning methods we're sure to discern By making God's warnings our daily concern. —DJD God's warnings are to protect us, not to punish us. (Ed: God's warnings are to empower us, not to punish us.) James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose Grieved by the frivolity of men. "Grieve not the Spirit" (Eph. 4:30). This solemn exhortation lies between these other two: "Let your communication be good to the use of edifying" (v. 29), and "Let bitterness and evil speaking be put away" (v. 31). How often is the Spirit grieved by the light and unprofitable conversation of Christians; grieved, because He wishes to teach us to profit. He cannot join in the unprofitable talk, much less in the evil speaking. The Holy Ghost cannot afford to trifle. Why should we? Let a watch be put at the door of our lips. Men filled with the Holy Spirit are solemn men. James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose Grieve not the Holy Spirit. This is an awful possibility on the part of a Christian worker. He may be grieved by ignoring His presence, by unholy talk and temper which falsifies His character, by resisting His teaching, by depending on our own wisdom and strength. A grieved Spirit means the loss of the enjoyment of God's love, the loss of communion which is by the Holy Spirit, the loss of power for service (Isaiah 63:10). Grieve Him not, for by the Holy Spirit are you sealed and secured unto the day of Christ's final redemption (Eph 4:30). James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose Observe the force of John 14:16. What can be taken away? 1. The Consciousness of that Holy Presence. a. This is our Heaven below. b. We may live in the regular enjoyment of that presence. c. The manifestation of the Spirit is the fruit of loving obedience and watchfulness. 2. The Power of that Almighty Presence, though not the presence. a. When we lose that power we become "weak as other men," as in Samson's experience. (Jdg 16:20+) b. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that makes all the difference between preachers and workers. Ephesians 4:17-32 Clean Up The Environment What a frustrating problem pollution is! Everybody suffers from it, yet everybody contributes to it. Pollution takes many forms, but one type is often overlooked. Charles Swindoll calls it "verbal pollution," passed around by grumblers, complainers, and criticizers. "The poison of pessimism," Swindoll writes, "creates an atmosphere of wholesale negativism where nothing but the bad side of everything is emphasized." A group of Christian friends became concerned about this form of pollution and their personal part in it. So they made a pact to avoid critical words for a whole week. They were surprised to find how little they spoke! As they continued the experiment, they actually had to relearn conversation skills. In Ephesians 4, Paul called believers to that sort of decisive action. He said we are to "put off" the old self and its conduct that grieves the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:22,30) and "put on" the new self that builds up others (Eph 4:24). As we rely on the help of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), we can make those changes in our conduct, our thinking, and our speaking. What! Never speak one evil word, Or rash, or idle, or unkind! O how shall I, most gracious Lord, This mark of true perfection find? - -Wesley Help stamp out pollution--clean up your speech Warren