Covenant Reformed News – May 2009 • Volume XII, Issue 13
This article provides a practical exposition of Ephesians 4:25-32, focusing on how various sins—including lying, theft, corrupt speech, and sinful anger—grieve the Holy Spirit, particularly when committed against fellow church members. The author emphasizes that grieving the Spirit through these interpersonal sins is a serious matter requiring intentional repentance and reconciliation, illustrating how doctrinal truth about the Holy Spirit's nature should motivate ethical behavior in the believer's daily walk.
Grieving the Holy Spirit (2) It is not only corrupt speech (Eph. 4:29) that grieves the Holy Spirit (30). Lying (25) grieves the Spirit, for He is the Spirit of truth. Sinful anger (26-27) grieves the Spirit, for He is the Spirit of self-control. Stealing (28) grieves the Spirit, for He is the Spirit who works and enables us to labour honestly. The verse after our text lists other sins which grieve the Spirit: “bitterness,” “wrath,” “anger,” “clamour,” “evil speaking” and “malice” (31). These...