Austin Bible Church
Ten examples of grieving the Holy Spirit can be found in Ephesians 4:17-32 and fall into three groups: sins of the mental attitude, sins of motivation, and sins of behavior.
Imitating the Unbeliever
Grieving the Holy Spirit is thinking as an unbeliever with human viewpoint. Eph. 4:17.
“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,” (Ephesians 4:17, NASB)
A carnal believer imitates the unbeliever. This starts in the mind where the believer thinks as an unbeliever with human viewpoint. The thought pattern of the carnal believer produces the behavior pattern of an unbeliever. Christianity emphasizes what is on the inside, in your soul is what motivates the believer. Prov. 23:7.
“For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, "Eat and drink!" But his heart is not with you.” (Proverbs 23:7, NASB)
The walk of the unbeliever includes vanity and emptiness of any divine viewpoint. The believer thinks as an unbeliever because they are minus Bible doctrine in the right lobe of the soul.
Ignorance of the Word
This believer has little or no Bible doctrine in the soul. The ignorant believer keeps on being ignorant of the supernatural Christian way of life. Believers do not live the Christian way of life because they are minus Bible doctrine, God's promises, spiritual techniques, and understanding of dispensations. The believer receives darkness by catering to human viewpoint. The principle is when you do not know the Word, you are alienated from God’s life even though you are born again and have eternal life. Therefore, you fail to live the Christian way of life. Believers minus doctrine operate on tradition, emotions, and rationalism. Eph. 4:18.
“being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;” (Ephesians 4:18, NASB)
Moral Apathy and Lasciviousness with Uncontrolled Lust
Carnal believers are callous to Bible doctrine and betray themselves to unbridled lust. Lasciviousness focuses on the details of life like power, prominence, etc. Soul callousness takes place and then comes lasciviousness. When the believer is minus doctrine and looks at life from the human viewpoint, they are in status quo morale apathy. They have no concern for others. For example, not helping your country when it is fighting for its freedom. “Having become callous” in Ephesians 4:19 is an idiom for insensitivity to moral issues. As a result, they have given themselves over to lasciviousness resulting in darkness, alienation, and scar tissue of the soul.
“and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” (Ephesians 4:19, NASB)
Ignoring Bible Teaching
The believer does not learn this negative attitude from the Lord Jesus Christ. The order of learning the Word of God is hearing and teaching. Negative volition to Bible doctrine leads to negative volition to doctrinal teaching. You started with divine viewpoint when the believer accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, so why have you reverted to human viewpoint by rejecting Bible teaching? Eph. 4:20-21; 1 Cor. 2:16.
“But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,” (Ephesians 4:20-21, NASB)
“For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16, NASB)
Activity of the Old Sin Nature
There is a negative command in Ephesians 4:22 to stop grieving the Holy Spirit. The old sin nature is in a constant state of corruption and believers can only “put it off” by confession of sin and the resultant restoration of soul control to the Holy Spirit. You put off the old sin nature as you would put off soiled clothes. The standard or criterion of your ways are not to be those of the sin nature, either human good or sin. The “old self” is the old sin nature. Eph. 4:22-24.
“that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (Ephesians 4:22-24, NASB)
There is a positive command in Ephesians 4:23. “Be renewed (present passive imperative) in the spirit of your mind.” This refers to the intake and application of Bible doctrine using the grace apparatus for perception. The principle here is that the Christian way of life starts on the inside. See category on the Grace Apparatus for Perception.
There is a second positive command in Ephesians 4:24. “Put on (present imperative) the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created (aorist participle) in absolute righteousness (+R) and true holiness of the truth.” You as a believer are born-again and are to put on the new self or new nature. You must become a new creature (born-again) before the “new self” operation begins. Absolute righteousness (+R) and true holiness refer to our position in Christ. The new self receives this quality - righteousness and holiness. The new self is the construction of the edification complex of the soul with epignosis Bible doctrine in the right lobe of the soul. This results from the function of the grace apparatus for perception while filled with the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor. 5:17.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB)
By False Doctrine or Lying
When the believer has an empty mind, it fills up with false doctrine. In Ephesians 4:25, “laying aside” is the aorist middle and means you are benefitted. “Falsehood” is literally “the lie” or perversion of Bible doctrine. Then, by contrast “speak truth.”
“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.” (Ephesians 4:25, NASB)
Incorrect Use of Anger
In Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry, and yet do not sin” is the present middle imperative of ὀργίζω (orgizō) and is used of an anger against false doctrine. Believers are to have discernment based on Bible doctrine in their soul minus the mental attitude sins. Don’t get out of fellowship when you think of false doctrine. “Do not sin” means the believer is not to resent the person, but resent the false doctrine. “Do not let” is the present active imperative and means to make it your habit to live each day one day at a time. “Your anger” is παροργισμός (parorgismos) in the Greek and involves the emotions and is forbidden.
“BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” (Ephesians 4:26, NASB)
The principle is that righteous indignation can be good. However, the improper use of anger is sinful and grieves Holy the Spirit. See category on Anger.
Submission to Satan or Giving Him Room
In developing an edification complex, one does not give room to the devil. Satan cannot indwell a believer, but he can influence a believer. Satan indwelt Judas, but he influenced Peter. Satan gains room or a place when we go legalistic, religious, operate on human good while being out of fellowship and so on. Ignorance of Bible doctrine makes a believer vulnerable to the devil’s wiles. Every believer should focus on keeping short accounts with God through confession of sins to God the Father and staying filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, consistent learning of Bible doctrine from a pastor-teacher in a local church is a must. Spiritual growth that brings discernment is the only way to counter Satan’s influence. Eph. 4:27.
“and do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Ephesians 4:27, NASB)
Dishonesty in Business
In Ephesians 4:28, “He who steals must steal no longer” means Paul is saying the believer should stop stealing and it is an imperative or a command. In place of stealing, engage in legitimate business practices. The believer has the right to make a living, to labor, and work very hard. “So that he will have something to share with one who has need” means the believer also has a responsibility to give to others in need. The believer in business is in full time Christian service just as much as any minister or missionary. Dishonesty neutralizes this portion of our Christian duty and therefore grieves the Holy Spirit.
“He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.” (Ephesians 4:28, NASB)
Sins of the Tongue
In Ephesians 4:29, “unwholesome word” means bad or rotten. Instead of the sins of the tongue, build an edification complex. “Good for edification” is good that is intrinsically good or divine good, the divine viewpoint of life. We are to pass on grace to others by the use of the tongue. See category on Sins of the Tongue.
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29, NASB)
The results of grieving the Holy Spirit can be found in Ephesians 4:31. In contrast, the results of the filling of the Holy Spirit can be found in Ephesians 4:32. In conclusion, the only answer to sins of any type is spiritual maturity by growing spiritually and constructing an edification complex of the soul!
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32, NASB)