
To “quench” something is to extinguish, suppress, or put out. We can quench a thirst, and that’s a good thing. We can quench a fire, which is also a good thing. But in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, the Bible says that we can also quench the Spirit, which is a bad thing. And for that reason, God commands us, “Do not quench the Spirit.” Don’t extingush the Spirit. Don’t suppress the Spirit. Don’t put out the Spirit.
No, we want the Holy Spirit to have full force in our life, to bring the most heat, the most light, the most power. Therefore, we should be careful to not quench Him.
But how do we typically quench the Spirit? The biggest way we do that in our lives is giving ourselves over to anything unholy. Sin in our lives is like pouring water on a fire. It puts that flame out. And sin does that to the Holy Spirit in our lives. It doesn’t irradicate the Holy Spirit. Sin just causes Him to withdraw because the Holy Spirit will not occupy the same space as that which is unholy.
We also quench the Spirit when we reject His leadership. Like a stubborn horse resisting the tug of his rider’s reins, we can fight against the Holy Spirit’s tugging. And in doing so, we quench the Spirit.
We also can quench the Spirit when we despise the movement of God. We’ve all been there before when God seems to do something extraordinary. Yet, many pull out the fire extinguisher of skepticism, trying to explain it away as being anything but a work of God. That quenches the Spirit.
Beloved, the Holy Spirit wants to build a fire of goodness in you and among you. Feel Him, fan Him, and follow Him. But don’t quench Him.
Change begins in you!
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