Are you quenching the spirit of the God? Paul the apostle was telling the Christians “Do not quench the Spirit”.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-20 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
The word “quench” means – to extinguish or to put out. The word was used to refer to putting out the leading of Holy Spirit by rebellious attitude. Let’s see the context-
In the context of this verse we can see a born again person can quench the Spirit of God by treating prophecies with contempt. God wants us to test everything and to abstain from every form of evil.
The quenching the Spirit means you can resist the work of the Holy Spirit or refusing to acknowledge the Holy Spirit. You may refuse to follow His leading, ignoring His presence. You may refuse to allow others to operate in gifts. You may misrepresent the Holy Spirit by doing things your own way. When we obey the desire of the flesh (sin) you quench the Holy Spirit.
The religious understanding can quench the spirit
The church-leaders can quench the spirit when they try to control what Holy Spirit is doing. Sometime leaders want to be the centre point of the fellowship and they do not allow Holy Spirit to lead.
God can use any members of the fellowship to operate in spiritual gifts; God doesn’t operate through only one leader.
You can quench the spirit by not allowing Holy Spirit to do what He wants to do. May be holy spirit wants people to repent, to get baptised in water, to be filled with Holy Spirit, to heal the sick, cast out demons, to operate in gifts but you are not allowing that. You may be trying diverting things to other way.
May be holy spirit start operating in the fellowship through a member and you really do not like the person and you are trying to stop the action of the Holy Spirit by not allowing the person to operate in Spiritual gifts , preaching etc.
Sometime the spiritual leaders try to control each and everything in the fellowship. They quench the spirit because of their fleshly desire and then they carry out other own agenda.
You need to repent if you are doing this. You need to discern the work of the Holy Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to work.
Conclusion: Bible revels both quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit are similar in their effects – both hinder our walk with God. These conditions happen when a believer walks in rebellion and follows his own fleshly desires.
Flesh cannot please God. One needs to repent for these and in the same time he needs to walk in the spirit. Walking in the Spirit is that same thing as walking in faith. We need to totally dependent on the Holy Spirit to please God. We need to hear from God and obey Him in our day to day life.
