The Look On His Face

I was in the fourth grade and he was my hero. As often as my father was absent we were all finally together and he could do nothing wrong, and that is what made it hurt all the more. The look on his face, the obvious disappointment, and he said nothing. He didn't have to, my behavior was unacceptable and because of his love for me it grieved his heart.

It is easy to ignore God's precepts and wander from the path into disobedience. We don't have to look into his eyes and see the disappointment. We justify our sin and excuse our behavior because we have been forgiven and God's disappointment is satisfied in Christ. I have a friend who said that God is never disappointed in us because we can never be good enough to please him. In Christ we are free from shame and condemnation.

There is enough truth in that to make us miss a very important point. In Christ we are free to live or not to live in obedience to God. It is true there is no condemnation. It is true that our salvation is secure. It is true that we can confess and be forgiven. It is true that nothing can separate us from the love of God. BUT we can grieve the heart of God.

When we believe in Christ as our savior we are indwelled with the Holy Spirit and an intimate relationship with God is made possible. As we abide in Him, walk in Him, move in concert with Him we die daily to sin. Each moment we have a choice to live according to the flesh or live according to our new life. The Holy Spirit enlightens us to understand the depth of God's love so we can love others. He convicts our hearts when we are tempted to sin. He provides a way of escape so we can avoid sin's destructiveness. He prays on our behalf, and He has sealed us for the day of redemption. As a result, when we willing chose to sin He is grieved.

In between his admonition not steal or use corrupted language and putting away negative feelings Paul tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit. The word grieve means to bring about sorrow or cause to be cross. The Holy Spirit is grieved because He loves us. This isn't an issue of condemnation but of love and appreciation. Paul is calling us to live a righteous life out of love and appreciation because there is no condemnation. The evidence of this is the seal of the Holy Spirit.

My father didn't want to discipline me for my bad behavior, but he did because he loved me and wanted the best for me. The Holy Spirit is grieved because He knows that if we persist in our sin that He will have to discipline us when He would rather bless our obedience. As much as our faithfulness will bring the words "well done", so does our dissobedience grieve the Holy Spirit. Let's not do that today. I'm just saying...

Eph. 4:30, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit Of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."