THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1

C.OUR RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO ‘QUENCH THE SPIRIT.’ “DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT;“ (5:19) 1.THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. i.GOD THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT REGENERATES SINNERS. ii.HE EFFECTS A COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SPIRITUAL AFFECTIONS. iii.HE FREES US FROM THE SLAVERY TO HABITUAL SIN. ” THEREFORE, IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW. ” (2 COR. 5:17) 2

iv.HE TAKES UP PERMANENT RESIDENCE WITHIN EACH ONE OF US. “EVEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, WHOM THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE, BECAUSE IT NEITHER SEES HIM NOR KNOWS HIM. BUT YOU KNOW HIM, FOR HE DWELLS WITH YOU AND WILL BE IN YOU. “ (JN. 14:17) ” IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD DWELLS IN YOU, HE WHO RAISED CHRIST JESUS FROM THE DEAD WILL ALSO GIVE LIFE TO YOUR MORTAL BODIES THROUGH HIS SPIRIT WHO DWELLS IN YOU. ” (ROM. 8:11) v.HE POURS THE LOVE OF GOD INTO OUR HEARTS. “AND HOPE DOES NOT PUT US TO SHAME, BECAUSE GOD'S LOVE HAS BEEN POURED INTO OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US. “ (ROM. 5:5) 3

vi.HE GIFTS’ US FOR SPIRITUAL SERVICE. “ FOR AS IN ONE BODY WE HAVE MANY MEMBERS, AND THE MEMBERS DO NOT ALL HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION, SO WE, THOUGH MANY, ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST, AND INDIVIDUALLY MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER. HAVING GIFTS THAT DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE GRACE GIVEN TO US, LET US USE THEM: IF PROPHECY, LET US PROPHESY IN PROPORTION TO OUR FAITH; IF SERVICE, IN OUR SERVING; THE ONE WHO TEACHES, IN HIS TEACHING; THE ONE WHO EXHORTS, IN HIS EXHORTATION; THE ONE WHO GIVES, IN GENEROSITY; THE ONE WHO RULES, WITH DILIGENCE; THE ONE WHO DOES ACTS OF MERCY, WITH CHEERFULNESS. “ (ROM. 12:4-8) iii.HE SEALS US FOR ETERNITY. “ AND DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, BY WHOM YOU WERE SEALED FOR THE DAY OF REDEMPTION. “ (EPH.4:30) 4

iv.HE SANCTIFIES US. “KNOW YE NOT THAT THE UNRIGHTEOUS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD? AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU: BUT YE ARE WASHED, BUT YE ARE SANCTIFIED, BUT YE ARE JUSTIFIED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS, AND BY THE SPIRIT OF OUR GOD. “ (I COR. 6:9, 11) D.IT IS THE PROCESS OF PROGRESSIVE SANCTIFICATION BY THE SPIRIT THAT PAUL WARNS THE THESSALONIANS NOT TO QUENCH. 1.QUENCH – MEANS “TO EXTINQUISH, STIFLE, OR RETARD” THE POWER, OR ENERGY, OF SOMETHING. IN SCRIPTURE, THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SOMETIMES AS FIRE. “ AND SUDDENLY THERE CAME A SOUND FROM HEAVEN AS OF A RUSHING MIGHTY WIND, AND IT FILLED ALL THE HOUSE WHERE THEY WERE SITTING. AND THERE APPEARED UNTO THEM CLOVEN TONGUES LIKE AS OF FIRE, AND IT SAT UPON EACH OF THEM. AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST. “ (ACTS 2:2-4) 5

2.THUS PAUL IS SAYING, DON’T SMOTHER THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU; COMPARING SUCH QUENCHING TO EXTINQUISHING A FIRE. “BUT PETER SAID, ANANIAS, WHY HATH SATAN FILLED THINE HEART TO LIE TO THE HOLY GHOST, AND TO KEEP BACK PART OF THE PRICE OF THE LAND? WHILES IT REMAINED, WAS IT NOT THINE OWN? AND AFTER IT WAS SOLD, WAS IT NOT IN THINE OWN POWER? WHY HAST THOU CONCEIVED THIS THING IN THINE HEART? THOU HAST NOT LIED UNTO MEN, BUT UNTO GOD. “ (ACTS 5:3-4) 3.ALSO, JESUS HAD PROMISED TO SEND ALL BELIEVERS ‘A HELPER’ TO ASSIST THEM IN MINISTRY AND TO PROGRESSIVELY SANCTIFY THEM. “AND I WILL PRAY THE FATHER, AND HE SHALL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COMFORTER, THAT HE MAY ABIDE WITH YOU FOR EVER; “ (JOHN 14:16) ”NEVERTHELESS I TELL YOU THE TRUTH; IT IS EXPEDIENT FOR YOU THAT I GO AWAY: FOR IF I GO NOT AWAY, THE COMFORTER WILL NOT COME UNTO YOU; BUT IF I DEPART, I WILL SEND HIM UNTO YOU. “ (JOHN 16:7) 6

E.THIS SANCTIFICATION PROCESSY COMPRISES A VARIETY OF SPIRIT-INITIATED WORKS. 1.THE HOLY SPIRIT ‘ILLUMINATES’ THE WORD OF GOD. “THESE THINGS GOD HAS REVEALED TO US THROUGH THE SPIRIT. FOR THE SPIRIT SEARCHES EVERYTHING, EVEN THE DEPTHS OF GOD.” (1COR. 2:10) 2.WE, AS BELIEVERS, GROW SPIRITUALLY ONLY AS WE FEED ON THE WORD. “AS NEWBORN BABES, DESIRE THE SINCERE MILK OF THE WORD, THAT YE MAY GROW THEREBY” (1PET. 2:2) 3.BUT, BELIEVERS CAN QUENCH THIS ASPECT OF THE SPIRIT’S WORK BY FAILING TO STUDY SCRIPTURE OR MISINTERPRETING IT. “STUDY TO SHEW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD, A WORKMAN THAT NEEDETH NOT TO BE ASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH. “ (2 TIM. 2:15) 7

i.BY NOT RECEIVING IT WITH HUMILITY AND APPLYING IT TO THEIR LIVES. “AND RECEIVE WITH MEEKNESS THE ENGRAFTED WORD, WHICH IS ABLE TO SAVE YOUR SOULS. BUT BE YE DOERS OF THE WORD, AND NOT HEARERS ONLY, DECEIVING YOUR OWN SELVES. FOR IF ANY BE A HEARER OF THE WORD, AND NOT A DOER, HE IS LIKE UNTO A MAN BEHOLDING HIS NATURAL FACE IN A GLASS (MIRROR): FOR HE BEHOLDETH HIMSELF, AND GOETH HIS WAY, AND STRAIGHTWAY FORGETTETH WHAT MANNER OF MAN HE WAS. BUT WHOSO LOOKETH INTO THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY, AND CONTINUETH THEREIN, HE BEING NOT A FORGETFUL HEARER, BUT A DOER OF THE WORK, THIS MAN SHALL BE BLESSED IN HIS DEED. AND FROM GOD. “ (JAS. 1:21-25) ii.BY FAILING TO HIDE IT IN THEIR HEARTS (THINK/SAY/PRAY/OBEY). “ THY WORD HAVE I HID IN MINE HEART, THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST THEE.. “ (PS. 119:11) 8