10 Ways to Grieve the Holy Spirit

I’m preaching on Ephesians 4:30 this upcoming Sunday. In preparation I’ve been reading through a sermon by Richard Sibbes on this very text. Sibbes, being a Puritan, knows how to squeeze every bit out of a text. At one point in his sermon he sets his sights on ways in which we can particularly grieve the Spirit. I’ve tried to update and summarize them a bit for you.

1. When we labor to draw the Spirit to us. Sibbes means that whenever we try to adjust the Spirit to us, instead of ourselves to the Spirit we especially grieve him. He has in mind the person who goes to the Bible trying to find loopholes or a few verses that can ease his conscience as he plunged headlong into sin.
2. When we count wrath kindled from hell to be the fire of holy zeal. When we wound and damage (and even massacre) others in the name of faithfulness to God.
3. When we sin against the gospel. “By neglecting so great salvation, and by thinking this favor of God to be a common favor, we sin against both Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and in that they desire to be most glorified”.
4. When we slight Christ in the gospel. This is, says Sibbes, “the ordinance and organ of [the Spirit’s] working good in us”. Christ is who the Spirit is most passionate about. When we deny or sins and Christ’s atonement, we grieve the Spirit.
5. When we have a corrupt judgment of things. When we consider God’s truth and beauty to weigh the same as other things. “To think it better to be accounted witty and politic, than to be holy and gracious” is most grievous to the Spirit.
6. When there is plotting and contriving. To wound your conscience and to plan out a course of sin is terribly grievous to the Spirit.
7. When we commit sins which were easily avoidable. It’s one thing to be caught into a net and have our passions wage war against us. It’s quite another to go out looking for sin. Sibbes, likely has in mind the fool in Proverbs who walks by the harlots home.
8. When we make petty objections to the truth. When we play around with truth as if it’s something for us to juggle with, we are toying with the Lord and grieving the Spirit.
9. When the mind is troubled with a multitude of busyness. If we are so busy that we neglect Christ and numb our spirits, then the Spirit is disrespected. A noisy life is grievous.
10. When we omit our duties. “The reason why so many are dead-hearted, is because they make no conscience of omissions, of drowsiness, of negligent cold performances.” It grieves the Spirit for us to be cold and lifeless in our following of Christ.