The great Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, was the first to discover the magnetic meridian of the North Pole and to discover the South Pole. On one of his trips, Amundsen took a homing pigeon with him. When he had finally reached the top of the world, he opened the bird’s cage and set it free. Imagine the delight of Amundsen’s wife, back in Norway, when she looked up from the doorway of her home and saw the pigeon circling in the sky above. I can only imagine her saying— ‘He’s alive! My husband is still alive!’ In a similar way, when Jesus ascended, the disciples clung to the promise to send them the Holy Spirit. Need some confirmation? The Spirit descended at Pentecost! The disciples had with them the continual reminder that Jesus was alive and victorious with the Father… and they would be with Him soon again. This continues to be the Spirit’s message…
Have you noticed what God is doing? Amazing! God is working a revival in several places all over the world and in pockets here in the United States. It can only be explained as a movement of the Holy Spirit. Personally, I don’t want it to end… but it can. In fact, the ‘how’ is found in our text, 1 Thessalonians 5.19—“Quench not the Spirit.” There are unprecedented opportunities for evangelism and discipleship during this pandemic; this push for error; this time of uncertainty. God is working, and our humanity is screeching.
Up until now Paul has instructed what we should ‘be’ doing, now he emphasizes what we should ‘stop’ doing. Notice it’s written in present tense. This action alone not only can, it is killing the work of God. He isn’t saying, ‘watch out for this’;but more like, ‘stop it!’
I think with this kind of importance we have to break down the specifics. The word “Spirit” is as it always is: ‘pneuma’ which means ‘breath’. The connotation is that of ‘life’. This is true as far back as Genesis 2.7 when God breathed the breath of life into man and he became a living soul. The Spirit of God also:
- restrains evil— 2 Thessalonians 2.7
- convicts men— John 16.7-11
- points men to Christ— John 15.26
- regenerates— John 3.5,6
- liberates— Romans 8.2
- indwells— Romans 8.9
- seals— Ephesians 1.13,14
- assures— Romans 8.14,16
- empowers— Acts 1.8
- 10.commissions— Acts 13.1-4
- 11.guides— Acts 8.29
- 12.illuminates 1 Corinthians 2.12-14
- 13.comforts— John 16.7
- 14.intercedes— Romans 8.26-27
- 15.gives life— John 3.6
Look at our context again— Incessant joy; persistent prayer; and a genuine gratitude are all evidence of an active walk with the Spirit. Romans 8 and Galatians 5 describe this as ‘the Spirit-filled life’.
Does your life reflect that? At present, Is your walk in the Lord one that could be characterized as a Spirit-filled life? This is significant because the Spirit can be hindered or stopped in a personal way. The word here is “quench”or ‘sbennumi’. It is a verb that means to extinguish, quench fire or things on fire; to cause to go out. It’s not that He gets suppressed or extinguished; but I extinguish Him and I suppress Him working in me. It’s personal.
Think about it though, I extinguish or ‘put out’ who? God. Scripture says in Hebrews 12:29— “For our God is a consuming fire.” Fire is often associated as a picture of the Holy Spirit in the scripture. It is in: The burning bush (Exodus 3.2); The Shekinah glory (Exodus 14.19; Numbers 9.15-16); God’s judgment (Numbers 11.1, 3; 2 Kings 1.10, 12); God’s power (Judges 13.20; 1 Kings 18.38). Also the fire on the altar of burnt offering was originally lit by God’s Spirit as we see in Leviticus 9.24. At the very beginning of the New Testament John the Baptist predicts that Jesus will be the One to “…he [Jesus] shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” (Matthew 3.11c). At Pentecost the Holy Spirit appeared as “tongues of fire”. Although fire is most used, water and air is also used as symbols of the Holy Spirit. When it comes to fire, there are many more examples such as… God showed His presence to the Israelites by overspreading the tabernacle with fire (Numbers 9.14-15). This fiery presence provided light and guidance (Numbers 9.17-23). His presence is in His children by dwelling in our bodies (2 Corinthians 5.1; 6.16). The 2 disciples talked with the resurrected Jesus—“burning within us” (Luke 24.32). As the silversmith uses fire to purge the dross from the metal, so God uses the Spirit to remove our sin from us (Proverbs 17.3). to purify us (Titus 2.14)
What extinguishes it? When we ignore Him and when we disobey Him.
This is personal… If you ignore someone doesn’t it grieve them? If you dismiss someone’s instructions doesn’t it grieve the relationship? Why should that not be so for God? It is in Ephesians 4.30— “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” It’s true also in Acts 7:51, which explains it as— “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”
God charged the priests with keeping His fire lit in Leviticus 6.13. Our priestly charge is another blog post entirely, but the point is made… Do not let it go out!
In fearful reaction, believers think they need to stoop to cheap supplements, like conjuring-up some ‘spirit’ movement. Maybe an emotional rush? Nope. In fact, God also made it clear that fire from any other source was unacceptable in Leviticus 10.1-2.
Simply put— Quench not the Spirit. It is a movement of God Himself, because it is God Himself. It is His work and not ours. It is personal and not mechanical. It cannot be made-up, conjured-up, but it can be quenched!