Ephesians 4:30
"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." When one is born again he is conceived and brought forth into the Kingdom by the mystic operation of the Holy Spirit—an operation on the mind and heart of a man. This is a transcendental and unreachable action of God which brings into a man Christ’s qualities. From that time on the Holy Spirit guides and sustains him and gives him the spiritual propensity of loving the company of God’s children. The likes and dislikes of man are compared to the likes and dislikes of the Holy spirit.
The Holy Spirit brings under subjection the soul-forces and uses them for the extension of the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit is taking control of your thoughts, imaginations, will, affections and desires and making them those of God. If the flesh reigns in any region by resisting the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will be grieved. The Holy Spirit is leading you into a region where you can call God, "Abba Father."
According as your obedience to the will of God or the Spirit of God grows, your consciousness of sonship will increase. It will be a thing well-known to you that you are no longer your own. You are being guided and mastered by the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit will be seen in you. You will see the world around being conquered by your thought and life, though it may oppose you in the beginning. Those around you will know, the way you have chosen is the better one and the true one. They will be convinced in their hearts and will heed to your words. When? When you obey the Spirit. There will be such a harmony between your words and life which no one can resist.
But we allow ourselves to be drawn by the world. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.", Ephesians 4:29. Those things which do not edify others you need not utter. You do not throw a stone into a dirty pool to prove to others that it is dirty. It will splash on your clothes and on those around you. When we speak uncouth things which do not edify others, it grieves the Holy Spirit. When I asked God if I should speak certain things, God said it was wrong even to ask such a thing. Blessed is the man who can put his tongue under the control of the Holy spirit.
Real success comes to us when we do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Your life will have a terrific impact on those around. A blind man ten miles away from an atomic explosion became conscious of the flash. The spiritual forces that begin to operate through us become mighty. "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace", Ephesians 4:2,3. If your Fellowship is like this, we need not be many. Let us aim at quality. I know that each of you wants your family members to be converted. Be true to God and pray for them and they will be converted. Pray without grieving the Holy Spirit. You must love your kith and kin. You must tell them in gentle words that they should be born again in a spirit of meekness, and not with a sense of spiritual superiority. They must know that the incongruities of their life can be set right by a supreme mind who knows all the complications of their life. Christian life finally resolves itself to utter obedience to the word of God.
This body is always a hindrance. Hitherto the spirit of the world was riding on it. Now that spirit tries to throw off the Holy Spirit that is ruling it. Christ had ultimately to obey the will of God on dying for sinners. There had to be a concrete death. There had to be a concrete fulfilment of the word of God. It is only in the spirit of prayer that a spirit of contrition can exist. A contrite heart is a teachable heart and becomes an obedient heart. In the spirit of prayer, transcendental forces come into operation. Miracles will become normal things and you will become accustomed to them. You presence will be felt wherever you go. The powers of darkness will be disturbed wherever you go. Jesus knew that wherever He went, the powers of darkness would be disturbed and devil possessed people would scream and critics would speak out. There will always be critics on your way. You must not mind them. "Theirs is not to reason why theirs is but to do and die," should be your motto.
In our conversation and fellowship with others, let us not be led away or be pulled down by others. The field before you is too vast for any unnecessary waster of time. if a doctor has a hundred beds to visit, he cannot go on discussing politics with some visitor. He goes about his business till it is over. There are many spiritual patients for you in God’s mind. Before you finish your life you must attend to them.
Sundar Singh said, "For a man who prays, miracles are normal happenings." Prayer must go beyond the reach of the mind to spiritual regions. The Holy Spirit will take you to those regions where things not available in the lower levels are made available for you. Once you are converted you must know that you have made a great discovery and started to possess the treasury of God. It is so vast you cannot see it all. You must maintain your spiritual life but maintain it at all costs. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.