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The Spirit Can Be Grieved, January 25
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the
day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:30
.
I would that all my brethren and sisters would remember that 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; the good work begun will be finished; and holy
thoughts, heavenly affections, and Christlike actions will take the place of
impure thoughts, perverse sentiments, and rebellious acts.
The Holy Spirit is a divine teacher. If we will heed its lessons, we shall
become wise unto salvation. But we need to guard well our hearts; for too
often we forget the heavenly instruction we have received, and seek to act out
the natural inclinations of our unconsecrated minds. Each one must fight his
own battle against self. Heed the teachings of the Holy Spirit. If this is done,
they will be repeated again and again until the impressions are as it were lead
on the rock forever.
God has bought us, and He claims a throne in each heart. Our minds and
bodies must be subordinated to Him; and the natural habits and appetites
must be made subservient to the higher wants of the soul. But we can place
no dependence upon ourselves in this work. We cannot with safety follow
our own guidance. The Holy Spirit must renew and sanctify us. And in
God’s service there must be no halfway work. Those who profess to serve
God and yet indulge their natural impulses will mislead other souls. Said
Christ, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind” (
Matthew 22:37
). “This do, and thou shalt live”
(
Luke 10:28
).—
Manuscript Releases 18:47, 48
.
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