Living in the Spirit: Love, Obedience, and Community

Devotional

Day 1: The Holy Spirit as Our Transformative Companion

The Holy Spirit is not just an abstract concept but an essential part of our Christian identity. This indwelling presence signifies a transformative relationship with Christ, shaping our actions and thoughts. The Spirit's role is not about enforcing a set of rules but about guiding us into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. As we allow the Spirit to work within us, we experience a profound change that aligns our lives with the love and grace of Christ. This transformation is evident in how we interact with others, how we handle challenges, and how we grow in our faith. [07:06]

Ephesians 3:16-17 (ESV): "That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love."

Reflection: In what ways can you invite the Holy Spirit to transform a specific area of your life today?

Day 2: Sensitivity to the Spirit's Grief

Our actions and thoughts have the power to grieve the Holy Spirit, not because we are breaking a law, but because we are affecting our love relationship with God. This grieving impacts our joy, peace, and assurance in our walk with Christ. When we act in ways that are contrary to the Spirit's guidance, we experience a disconnect that can lead to spiritual dryness. It is crucial to remain sensitive to the Spirit's presence and to seek forgiveness and restoration when we sense that we have grieved Him. This sensitivity helps us maintain a vibrant and joyful relationship with God. [13:07]

Isaiah 63:10 (ESV): "But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent action or thought that may have grieved the Holy Spirit. How can you seek reconciliation and restore your joy in Christ today?

Day 3: Keeping the Spirit's Fire Alive

Quenching the Spirit's fire occurs through disobedience, neglect, and sinful thoughts. This dampening leads to a loss of the Spirit's influence, resulting in a diminished experience of God's love and joy in our lives. To keep the Spirit's fire burning, we must fuel it with godly obedience and avoid dousing it with negative emotions or sinful imaginations. This requires intentionality in our spiritual practices and a commitment to living in a way that honors the Spirit's presence. By doing so, we can experience the fullness of the Spirit's joy and peace. [22:39]

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 (ESV): "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good."

Reflection: Identify one negative emotion or thought pattern that is quenching the Spirit's fire in your life. What practical steps can you take to address it today?

Day 4: Love as the Foundation of Our Relationship with the Spirit

Our relationship with the Holy Spirit is rooted in love, not a legalistic adherence to rules. This love relationship calls us to live in a way that honors the Spirit's presence, fostering intimacy and spiritual growth. When we focus on love rather than legality, we open ourselves to the Spirit's guidance, comfort, and empowerment. This perspective shifts our motivation from obligation to devotion, allowing us to experience a deeper connection with God and a more fulfilling spiritual journey. [39:09]

Galatians 5:13-14 (ESV): "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Reflection: How can you shift your focus from legalistic practices to a love-driven relationship with the Holy Spirit today?

Day 5: The Power of Practical Obedience

Practical obedience is essential for experiencing the fullness of the Spirit's presence. By fueling the Spirit's fire with obedience and refraining from negative emotions and sinful thoughts, we maintain a vibrant relationship with God. This obedience is not about following a checklist but about aligning our lives with the Spirit's guidance. As we practice obedience, we open ourselves to the Spirit's transformative power, leading to spiritual growth and a deeper experience of God's love and joy. [36:34]

James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

Reflection: What is one specific act of obedience you can commit to today to keep the Spirit's fire burning brightly in your life?

Sermon Summary

In our exploration of 1 Thessalonians 5, we are reminded of the profound and practical directives Paul provides for the church. These instructions are not merely a list of dos and don'ts but are deeply rooted in the relational dynamics between believers and the Holy Spirit. The essence of these directives is to encourage and build one another up, fostering a community that reflects the love and grace of Christ. Paul’s exhortations are straightforward yet deeply impactful, urging us to respect our leaders, live in peace, and be patient with everyone. These are not just moral imperatives but are expressions of a life transformed by the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is central to our Christian identity. Without the indwelling of the Spirit, one cannot truly be a Christian. The Spirit is not an impersonal force but a person who can be grieved by our actions, thoughts, and neglect. This grieving is not about breaking a law but offending against the love relationship we have with God. Our actions, thoughts, and even our neglect can dampen the Spirit's fire within us, leading to a loss of joy, assurance, and intimacy with God.

To avoid quenching the Spirit, we must fuel the fire with godly obedience, avoid dousing it with envy or bitterness, and refrain from covering it with the dirt of lust and vain imaginations. The Spirit's presence in our lives is meant to be a source of joy, peace, and assurance. When we live in disobedience, we lose these blessings, not because the Spirit leaves us, but because we have dampened His influence in our lives.

Ultimately, our relationship with the Holy Spirit is one of love, not legality. It is about living in a way that honors the indwelling presence of God, allowing His Spirit to guide, comfort, and empower us. As we continue to study and reflect on these truths, may we be mindful of the Spirit's presence in our daily lives, seeking to live in a way that pleases Him and builds up the body of Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is essential to our Christian identity, dwelling within us as a sign of our relationship with Christ. This indwelling is not about adhering to a code of ethics but about a transformative relationship that shapes our actions and thoughts. [07:06]
2. Grieving the Spirit: Our actions and thoughts can grieve the Holy Spirit, not because we break a law, but because we offend against the love relationship we have with God. This grieving affects our joy, peace, and assurance in our walk with Christ. [13:07]
3. Quenching the Spirit's Fire: We quench the Spirit's fire through disobedience, neglect, and sinful thoughts. This dampening leads to a loss of the Spirit's influence, resulting in a diminished experience of God's love and joy in our lives. [22:39]
4. Living in Love, Not Legality: Our relationship with the Holy Spirit is rooted in love, not a legalistic adherence to rules. This love relationship calls us to live in a way that honors the Spirit's presence, fostering intimacy and spiritual growth. [39:09]
5. Practical Obedience: To keep the Spirit's fire burning, we must fuel it with obedience, avoid dousing it with negative emotions, and refrain from covering it with sinful thoughts. This practical obedience is essential for experiencing the fullness of the Spirit's presence. [36:34]
** [36:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:11] - Introduction to 1 Thessalonians 5
[01:23] - Prayer for Understanding
[02:20] - Paul's Directives for the Church
[03:28] - Encouragement and Building Up
[05:20] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
[06:08] - Quenching the Spirit's Fire
[07:06] - The Indwelling of the Spirit
[11:31] - Grieving the Spirit
[13:07] - Offending Against Love
[17:29] - Vulnerability in Relationship
[22:39] - Dampening the Spirit's Fire
[30:09] - Assurance and Salvation
[36:34] - Practical Obedience
[39:09] - Love Over Legality
[44:42] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

1 Thessalonians 5:11-22
Romans 8:9
Ephesians 4:30

---

Observation Questions:

What are some of the specific directives Paul gives to the church in 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22? How do these directives relate to the community life of the church? [02:59]
According to Romans 8:9, what is the significance of the Holy Spirit dwelling within a believer? How does this relate to one's identity as a Christian? [07:06]
In Ephesians 4:30, what does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit, and how is this connected to our actions and thoughts? [12:18]
How does the sermon describe the relationship between quenching the Spirit and the believer's experience of God's love and joy? [30:26]

---

Interpretation Questions:

How does the indwelling of the Holy Spirit transform a believer's actions and thoughts, according to the sermon and Romans 8:9? [07:06]
What does it mean to quench the Spirit's fire, and how can this affect a believer's relationship with God and the church community? [22:39]
How does the sermon explain the difference between living in love versus living in legality in our relationship with the Holy Spirit? [39:09]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that our thoughts and actions can either fuel or dampen the Spirit's fire within us? [36:34]

---

Application Questions:

Reflect on your current relationship with the Holy Spirit. Are there specific actions or thoughts that might be grieving the Spirit in your life? How can you address these areas? [12:18]
Consider the directives in 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22. Which of these do you find most challenging to live out, and what practical steps can you take to improve in this area? [02:59]
The sermon emphasizes the importance of living in love rather than legality. How can you cultivate a love-based relationship with the Holy Spirit in your daily life? [39:09]
Identify a situation where you might be quenching the Spirit's fire through disobedience or neglect. What changes can you make to reignite the Spirit's influence in that area? [22:39]
Think of a time when you felt distant from God. How might grieving the Spirit have contributed to that feeling, and what steps can you take to restore intimacy with God? [30:26]
The sermon mentions the importance of practical obedience. What is one specific act of obedience you can commit to this week to fuel the Spirit's fire in your life? [36:34]
How can you be more mindful of the Spirit's presence in your daily activities, and what impact do you think this awareness will have on your spiritual growth? [40:21]

Sermon Clips

"First of all, no one is a Christian unless the Holy Spirit dwells in them. No one is a Christian unless they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Now let me give to you two familiar verses for your help and if you're taking notes you should note these for future study." [00:07:06]

"The Holy Spirit is a person. One of the things that you hear most frequently, even in prayer amongst Christian people, is them referring to the Spirit of God in the neuter, and we thank you that it is here they say. Well, there is no it for the Spirit of God. He is a person." [00:10:10]

"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. You were sealed past tense descriptive of having come to Faith in Jesus Christ for the day of redemption future namely that we have not said a great thing about being a Christian." [00:12:09]

"Do not make the Holy Spirit sad, do not hurt the Holy Spirit, do not cause the Holy Spirit sorrow says Kenneth Taylor in the living Bible. Do not cause the Holy Spirit sorrow in or by the way you live. Now I wonder if you thought about that at all this week." [00:13:00]

"God by virtue of his design in Redemption has chosen, particularly in the Incarnation, to stoop to our level, that he has chosen to come down to where we are, so that he might know in the person of Christ human Frailty, so that he might know disappointment, so that he might know fatigue." [00:16:23]

"It is expressive of a relationship of love. Many of us get ourselves in deep difficulty in seeking to live the Christian life and I think much of it may be traced to this, for whatever reason as a result of the way we read our Bible or the books we read or the preaching we hear." [00:18:13]

"The Holy Spirit is not an influence, not a power, but a person. You can't grieve an influence, you can only grieve a person. You can't hurt a power, you can only hurt a person. He can be disappointed in us and a principle cannot be disappointed." [00:20:41]

"Because the Holy Spirit is in me, my every action is known to him. Because my every action is known to him, it is therefore obviously possible for me to grieve him, to disappoint him, to sadden him, and in doing so, to dampen his fire within my life." [00:22:19]

"The fire of Salvation which God by his Spirit creates within us is not lighted and then extinguished and rekindled. As a Believer you do not go in and out of Salvation you're not saved today and lost tomorrow and saved the next day." [00:30:39]

"When by my disinterest when by my despondency by my laziness by my immorality whatever it might be when by these things which are clearly a violation of the word of God I dampen the fire of the spirit within my life then I lose the gracious manifestation of his presence with me." [00:31:45]

"We lose a sense of assurance. Disobedience and a lack of assurance always go together. Anytime an individual is living in willful Disobedience if they have any sensitivity to the spirit of God within their life at all they will find themselves saying I wonder if I am really a Believer at all." [00:33:34]

"It is not ultimately that we are called upon to maintain standards that we are called upon to maintain standards but pagans of standards, everybody's got standards of one kind and another. The issue is an issue of a loving relationship into which God has brought us in the Lord Jesus Christ." [00:39:09]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?

Living in the Spirit: Love, Obedience, and Community

Devotional

Day 1: The Holy Spirit as Our Transformative Companion

Day 2: Sensitivity to the Spirit's Grief

Day 3: Keeping the Spirit's Fire Alive

Day 4: Love as the Foundation of Our Relationship with the Spirit

Day 5: The Power of Practical Obedience

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Living in the Spirit: Love, Obedience, and Community

Share