Chapter 208—Grieved by Our Doubts
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the
day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:30
.
When we seem to doubt God’s love and distrust His promises we dishonor
Him and grieve His Holy Spirit.... How can our heavenly Father regard us
when we distrust His love, which has led Him to give His only-begotten Son
that we might have life? The apostle writes, “He that spared not his own Son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give
us all things” (
Romans 8:32
)? And yet how many, by their actions, if not in
word, are saying, “The Lord does not mean this for me. Perhaps He loves
others, but He does not love me.”
Faith takes God at His word, not asking to understand the meaning of
the trying experiences that come. But there are many who have little faith....
And the difficulties they encounter, instead of driving them to God, separate
them from Him, by arousing unrest and repining. Do they well to be thus
unbelieving? Jesus is their friend. All heaven is interested in their welfare,
and their fear and repining grieve the Holy Spirit. Not because we see or feel
that God hears us are we to believe. We are to trust His promises.... When
we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive it, and
thank Him that we have it. Then we are to go about our duties, assured that
the blessing will be sent when we need it most.
It is a serious thing to grieve the Holy Spirit; and it is grieved when the
human agent seeks to work himself, and refuses to enter the service of the
Lord because the cross is too heavy, or the self-denial too great. The Holy
Spirit seeks to abide in each soul. If it is welcomed as an honored guest,
those who receive it will be made complete in Christ.
Are we striving with all our power to attain to the stature of men and
women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness, ever pressing toward
the mark set before us—the perfection of His character? When the Lord’s
people reach this mark, they will be sealed in their foreheads. Filled with the
Spirit, they will be complete in Christ, and the recording angel will declare,
“It is finished.”
[217]
302