Stop Quenching the Spirit (μὴ σβέννυτε)
“Quenching” involves the ceasing of a function by extinguishing it. It is used for not dousing smoking flax in Matthew 12:20 and putting out a lamp in Matthew 25:8. By faith, the saints of old were even able to quench the violence of fire, Hebrews 11:34. For those who reject the truth of the Gospel for salvation, they will abide in a place where the worm is not quenched, Mark 9:44. The worm is referring to the sin nature; therefore, it is a place where the sin nature will never cease its cravings, for it will at no time be satisfied.
As Christians, we have been given the tools in Christ that enable us to quench the fiery darts of the malignantly evil one, Ephesians 6:16. These are his attempts to get us to act independently from God by persuading us to be bitter, disappointed, discouraged, lie, steal, gossip, or in any other way speak and act in a manner that is contrary to who we are in Christ. They are rightly described as fiery darts, for when we allow them in, they burn within us as they seek to overtake our thoughts and impact our actions. However, the shield of faith is able to quench them all.
We are not to quench the Holy Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:19. The Holy Spirit impacts us through our desires, Galatians 5:17. He does this by giving us desires that are contrary to the cravings from our flesh, which is where the sin nature resides. When we quench Him, we are rejecting His desires over the yearnings from the flesh. By applying the truth, we are able to have victory over our sin nature and will seek to fulfill the […]
Experiencing the Holy Spirit – Desires
Why do we want the things that we want? There is always a reason behind our desires. Some of them are not so good as others, but a reason none the less.
As part of our salvation our spirits were washed and regenerated, that is, we were born again in our spirit which means we are now connected to God in spirit.
not out from works, the ones in righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us through washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5
But the one knit together with the Lord is one spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:17
Our spirit is our rational part
For what human intuitively knows the things of a human except the spirit of the human, the one in Him? 1 Corinthians 2:11
Because we are now connected to God in our rational, intellectual part and the Holy Spirit indwells us, He impacts our desires. So the next time you have a desire to do what is right, that desire is not coming from you; rather, it is a direct result of the Holy Spirit expressing to you His desire for you in that situation. Don’t take these desires lightly, they are not natural to our human nature and are contrary to it.
But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will never bring to completion the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the desires of the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are against one another in order that you do not do the things you desire – Galatians 5:17
Now we do not want our sin nature taking advantage […]