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Future Glory | Present Trial: 1 Thes. 5:19-28

Future Glory - Present Trial :: August 8, 2021
1 Thessalonians 5:19-28 :: A Chief Danger

Our text today is the final verses of Paul’s ancient letter to the young Thessalonian Church. In typical fashion, the eminent apostle rattles off short statements and commands, some of them scattered, but many of them linked together. The final verses appear as this:

“19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
25 Brethren, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 27 I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

The initial command of verse 19 is only the first of five separate commands in the first four verses: do not quench, do not despise, examine, hold fast, abstain. But this first command sets the context and weight of the rest. The command of verse 19 could not be more important for the church or individual believers. But before we examine it further, let’s pause for a little refresher on the Holy Spirit of God. There are 5 things I want to remind you of today:

Holy Spirit 101:
1. The Holy Spirit is a full member of the Trinity; Father-Son-Spirit
2. The Holy Spirit is a Person; a “He”
3. The Holy Spirit fully indwells every believer in Jesus Christ, every Christian; He “seals”
4. The Holy Spirit has specific roles in the life of the believer and the church
5. The Holy Spirit can be grieved and quenched

Take a moment to examine these Scripture passages and discern what they reveal about the Holy Spirit of God.
- 1 Corinthians 2:9-12
- Ephesians 1:13-14
- Romans 8:5-9
- Ephesians 4:25-32
- 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

It is abundantly clear through the New Testament that the Holy Spirit is fully God, and that He fully indwells every believer in Jesus. Jesus’ own words to the disciples, especially in John 13-17, bear this out clearly. 1 Corinthians 2 and Romans 8 are also clear. No believer is without the Spirit.

Ephesians 1 is just one of the texts that identifies this as a “seal” or “sealing.” This Greek work is perfect for this expression, as it means “earnest money” or “down payment” for something that will be fully fulfilled, redeemed or purchased in the future.

Ephesians 4 is the only statement in the New Testament about “grieving” the Holy Spirit. For many believers, this can be difficult. As “quench” below, there are two things every believer must understand and remember. Only believers can grieve and quench the Holy Spirit of God - because they are the only ones that are “sealed” and indwelt. Second, while these actions are consequences of sin and unyieldedness, as we will see, they do not remove the Holy Spirit from the life of the believer. That cannot happen. He has come to abide, as we see in Lewis Sperry Chafer’s incredible book He That is Spiritual.


Sin destroys spirituality. It is necessarily so; for where sin is tolerated in the believer’s daily life, the Spirit, who indwells him, must then turn from His blessed ministry through him, to a pleading ministry to him. The Bible does not teach that the Spirit withdraws because of sin in the one whom He indwells: He is rather grieved by the sin. A child of God lives either with a grieved or an ungreived Spirit.”—Lewis Sperry Chafer

Pay close attention to Chafer’s words and emphasis, which is related from the original. Thus “to grieve” is to cause pain or experience sorrow. The individual believer does this when they willfully sin against the revealed will of God. This grieves the Holy Spirit of God.

His next statement is one on the quenching of the Holy Spirit, which again, does not mean that the Holy Spirit leaves, abandons the believer, or is otherwise eliminated. The word “quench” in this context means to suppress or restrain. It appears 8 times in the New Testament, several of which are quotes from Isaiah 42 and 66. It is used in Hebrews 11:34 and Ephesians 6:16 and Matthew 12 in reference to “extinguish” a flame or fire. It is used in Greek literature of snuffing out a candle or putting out a fire or even of a goat’s milk drying up. What this practically means and does not mean for the believer is critical. Hear Chafer again:


The Spirit is “quenched” by any unyieldedness to the revealed will of God. It is imply saying “no” to God, and so is closely related to matters of the divine appointments for service; though the Spirit may be “quenched,” as well, by any resistance of the providence of God in the life. The word “quench,” when related to the Spirit, does not imply that He is extinguished, or that He withdraws: it is rather the act of resisting the Spirit. The Spirit does not remove His presence. He has come to abide.”—Chafer

To quench is to restrain or suppress. The believer does this to the Holy Spirit when they say “no” to His commands and invitations. Consider how this might happen in your life especially in spiritual disciplines and relationships.

The rest of 1 Thessalonians 5:19-28 is just as good as the first verse, verses 20-22 adding significant context and application to verse 19. The remainder of the passage is a prayer for blameless holiness with a powerful reminder of God’s calling and ability to see it through in you. Some general commands conclude the letter with a note of “grace,” which is present at the beginning and end of every one of Paul’s letters.

Group Discussion Questions:
  1. How would you describe your “relationship” with the subject of the Holy Spirit? Where are you on the spectrum from excited to fearful or intimidated? Share with your group.
  2. Of the five points in the Holy Spirit 101 list above, which one challenges you the most?
  3. Which one comforts you the most?
  4. What does it mean to be “sealed” by the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 1:13-14)? What are the implications of this?
  5. How does a believer “grieve” the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 4:25-32)? What are the consequences of this?
  6. How might a believer “quench” the Holy Spirit?
  7. Scot has said above that only a believer can “grieve” and “quench” the Holy Spirit, because only they are indwelt by the Spirit. Discuss this with your group.
  8. The two quotes by Chafer above remind us that neither of these two actions - with special emphasis on “quench” as the heavier of the two ideas - remove the Holy Spirit from the believer. Discuss this with your group.
  9. If “to quench” is essentially to say “no” to God’s Holy Spirit, how might you be doing that right now when it comes to God’s commands regarding your personal holiness?
  10. How might you be saying “no” in spiritual disciplines?
  11. How might you be saying “no” to invitations of the Holy Spirit to go, do, speak, say or share?
  12. How might you be saying “no” to invitations of the Holy Spirit within your relationships? Consider reconciling, serving, loving over offenses and humbling yourself.
  13. Close your group time with prayer.
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