Grieve Not the Holy Spirit
A Sermon on Grieving the Holy Spirit from Ephesians 4:30
Originally preached July 6, 1958
Scripture
30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Sermon Description
What does it mean to “grieve the Holy Spirit?” In this sermon on grieving the Holy Spirit from Ephesians 4:30, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks of Paul’s statement that encompasses all the particulars that he had been talking about in the preceding verses. Importantly, it also serves to differentiate Christian ethics from any other ethical tradition. If a Christian’s morality is not rooted in this purpose and understanding of sinning against God, then it is not Christian at all. Paul’s point is this: any wrong living grieves the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is the seal of the Christian’s inheritance and indwells those who are saved. All sin runs counter to the character of God and grieves Him greatly. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that when one becomes a Christian, their relationship to God becomes one of love instead of one as a lawbreaker. Thus, when one sins, they must not be grieved because they have broken His law, but rather because they have sinned against His great love for them. Understanding this, it is easy to see why it is such a serious thing to sin and grieve the Holy Spirit. How can this be countered? Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that the Christian must constantly be aware of the Lord’s presence. As people are reverent around royalty, Christians must remember that God is constantly with them and act accordingly. This will drive them to a desire to honor and please Him with their lives.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul often inserts striking statements in the midst of practical exhortations. This verse is an example.
- There are differing views on how this verse connects to the surrounding context. It could be summarizing what came before or introducing what comes after. It likely serves as a center point connecting both.
- This verse highlights what makes Christian ethics distinct - the Holy Spirit's role. No other system teaches not grieving the Spirit.
- This verse captures the heart of biblical sanctification. It's not about rules or self-benefit but honoring the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit dwells within believers, as Paul has said before. Without the Spirit, one is not a Christian.
- It is astounding yet true that the Holy Spirit can be grieved. Though God is impassable, for salvation He has entered into relationship with us where He can be grieved.
- We grieve the Holy Spirit through unholy actions, words, thoughts, failure to honor His presence, and failure to follow His leading.
- We should not grieve the Holy Spirit because of who He is, the ingratitude it shows, the failure to understand salvation's purpose, loss of His manifestations, supremacy of the flesh, and His convicting work.
- The Spirit never leaves a believer but may withdraw manifestations and bring conviction to restore the relationship.
- We should remember the Spirit's constant presence, the glory He prepares us for, and be careful not to grieve Him.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 4:30
What does it mean to "grieve the Holy Spirit" according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, grieving the Holy Spirit means doing anything that is not holy, which saddens or disappoints the Spirit who dwells within believers. The Spirit can be grieved by our actions, words, and even our thoughts. He emphasizes that we can grieve the Spirit by "our failure to realize his presence within us," by not honoring Him, and by "our failure to respond to his promptings and his leadings." Lloyd-Jones describes the Spirit as tender (like a dove) and explains that our relationship with Him is personal—we can disappoint Him just as we would a person we love.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones differentiate Christian ethics from other ethical systems?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that the differentiating factor of Christian ethics is expressed in the phrase "grieve not the Holy Spirit of God." He explains: "There is no other kind of moral, ethical teaching which ever makes this kind of statement. This is the peculiar thing about Christianity." While other ethical systems may promote similar moral behaviors (not lying, not stealing, speaking the truth), they never base morality on a personal relationship with the indwelling Holy Spirit. He emphasizes that "unless our conception of the Christian life and of Christian living and of conduct and of behavior includes this, is based upon this and always leads to this, it is not truly Christian."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the biblical approach to sanctification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the biblical approach to sanctification is not centered on the believer's benefit or mere conformity to a moral code. He criticizes approaches that say, "if you want to live a victorious life and to be really happy... stop doing those [sins]." Instead, he says the biblical approach starts with our relationship to God: "Why mustn't I do those things? Well, of course they're bad for me... But that isn't the first thing." The true biblical approach is "not for ourselves, but for his sake." Our sanctification should be "the outworking of what he has done for us and of our sense of his glory and our desire to live to the praise of the glory of his grace."
What happens when believers grieve the Holy Spirit, according to the sermon?
According to Lloyd-Jones, when we grieve the Holy Spirit, "it will inevitably lead to a loss of those gracious manifestations of his presence." While the Spirit never abandons the believer (the seal cannot be broken), He may withdraw His comforting presence. The consequences include: loss of the sense of God's love, loss of joy, peace, and assurance, being "left to the supremacy of the flesh" and vulnerable to Satan's attacks, and eventually experiencing the Spirit's convicting work that may make one "feel helpless and hopeless" before restoration. Lloyd-Jones warns, "if you do, you will bring upon yourself grievous experiences and agonies of soul that you need never have had."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "the day of redemption" and why is it important?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "the day of redemption" refers to the ultimate purpose of salvation—not merely being forgiven of sins or finding happiness, but being prepared for Christ's return when He will "destroy his every enemy and remove every vestige of evil out of the whole cosmos and will usher in his everlasting kingdom." On that day, believers will be in "glorified bodies, perfect and spotless, without spot or wrinkle." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that understanding this final goal is crucial because it gives proper perspective to our sanctification. He says a person who grieves the Spirit "is a man who clearly is not understanding... the whole object and purpose of redemption," which is that "we should be holy and without blame before him in love."
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.