Unquenchable love

The Holy Spirit is not just a force but he’s an individual; a person. That expression, “Quench not the Spirit,” means don’t hinder Him; don’t extinguish His work: “I don’t sidetrack Him and be an obstacle to the operating and the working of the Holy Spirit in the assembly--He’s a person who works in the assembly!”

The focus here is much bigger than just the individual. If you hinder it individually, it will hinder the group. Let the peace of God rule in the assembly too.

II Timothy 1 is a play off of this ‘quench’ issue. When you quench something you’re talking about putting out the fire and the Holy Spirit is often associated with fire. He’s called ‘the spirit of burning’ back in Isaiah 4.

II Tim 1:6. When you stir something up it’s because it’s kind of died down. The flame’s gone down but hasn’t gone out. It’s not blazing anymore so you go stir up the coals and expose the unburned fuel to the fire and it blazes back up.

And what’s happened in Timothy’s life is what happens in everybody’s life—you come through times Spurgeon called ‘fainting fits’ where you’re a little dry and the enthusiasm isn’t there. Romans says, ‘Be fervent in spirit.’ You ought to be boiling hot inside and you’re not.

He tells Tim, ‘Stir this thing back up.’ In I Tim 4:14, he warns Tim, ‘Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.’

If you neglect the gift then what happens is it begins to go out and not function walking by faith. The work of the ministry and the Christian life requires a positive choice and walk of faith. It doesn’t just happen in your life. Your flesh will take over if you just lay down and do nothing. There’s good men who, if they do nothing, evil will prevail. That’s a real good analogy of how your faith operates.

The only response grace will accept is faith. It won’t accept works or your merit. But grace will not operate EXCEPT in response to faith. It requires the response of faith; it requires that constant vigilance. 'Set your affections on things above.’

If you neglect that then it kind of dwindles away. So what he’s doing is warning them in the assembly, ‘As the Holy Spirit works in the midst of the assembly, don’t in any way hinder him. Don’t neglect his activities so he stays working.’

Ephesians 4:30 says, ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’

“Grieving Him had to do with unworthy conduct in your life. Instead of bearing fruit, you’re over here walking in flesh, and consequently you’re grieving Him; you’re not allowing Him to work in your life. It frustrates him. Like the verse in Galatians 21, do not frustrate the word of god.

“You notice that the word ‘holy’ in that verse does not have a capital? This is not a title here. But it’s a reference to sanctify. It’s the Holy Spirit’s function to set you apart for purpose you were created for. It stops him from being able to do His job.

That word 'holy' means set apart. The Holy Spirit’s function, and when that isn’t being accomplished in your life, it grieves the Holy Spirit. It stops Him from being able to do His work. It’s the issue of ‘quench not the Spirit.’