The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 174

Ver. 30.-~in and ingratit~ of grieving the Spirit of God. 'l'he apostle, as if to • show the senons consequence ,of corrupt speech in a Christian says "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God." That would be a most deplorable result. ' ' I. CONSIDER WHAT IS IMPLIED IN THIS ACT. 1. It implies the holy personality of the Third Person of the Trinity. He is a Person as much as the Father and the Son. 2. It implies that the Holy Spirit is al,ready a Dweller in the hearts of those who are capa.ble of this act. \Ve grieve those we love or those who love us. A very different rerm than "grief" would be applied in the case of unbelievers who are said to resist him. 3. The Holy Spirit represents himself as susceptible of grief or affront. Not that there is any break in the calm of the Godhead, but to signify that " he carrieth himself toward us after the manner of a person grieved," as if he were a human being capable of grief. Whe.n we consider that it is he who applies to us the reel.emption procured by Christ; tha.t it is he who, as the Spirit of holiness, works in us every pure thought, every chaste desire, every noble sentiment; that he dwells in our very bodies as his holy temple ;-<1ur unworthy conduct is manifest in it.s true light as a grieving of the Spirit. His love is wounded as well as his holiness offended. 4. The effect of our "grieving" him is f,o lead f,o the suspension of his influences, f,o the withdrawal of his comforts, to the temporary loss of our assurance. In a word, he will withhold the manifestations of his presence. Il. 0oNSIDEB THE ABGlnlENT BY WHICH THE APOSTLE ENFOROEB .THE EXHORTATION. "In whom ye have been sealed till the day of redemption." It is ingratitude on our p:u-t to grieve him upon whom our salvation depend~, The apostle does not make an appeal to our fears as if the Spirit would leave us, but to our gratitude, as any corrupt speech or action on our part would wound the ·heart of our best friend. The passage implies our perfect security till the day of judgment. 1. There is no hint .of apostasy in the passage, or of the Spirit's departure. 2. The term "sealing" implies security. ".A. security that may be broken at any time, or the value.of which depends on man's own re,,-ponsi ve fidelity, is no secnrity at all." 3. The sealing is spoken.. of as a past act: "Ye have been sealed." Thus their perseverance in grace was secured. 4. The security lasted beyorrd death: "till the day of redemption." The apostle never regards the day of death as marking the day of final security, but rather fixes it for that de.y ~hicii completes the redemption in the rejoining of body and soul in their changeless incorruptibility.-T, C. Ver. 3L-Malicious and revengeful feeling. The apostle commands us to put away five forms of it along with the temper out of which they spring. L B:rrrEBSESS. This points, not to mordant speech merely, but to a sour, irritable, splenetic temperament, which places a raan in an attitude of constant antagonism with his feUow-men. It argues want of love and consideration for others. Its effects are (1) to spoil our own comfort; (2) to excite the hatred of others; (3) to destroy our influence for good. . IL WR.lTJI. This suggests the fierce mental excitement that springs out of bitter- ness. It ui "a fever in the heart, and a calenture in the head, and a fire in the face, and a sword in the hand. and a fury all over." Wrath is sinful because it springs from want of love, from misllllderstanding, and from pride (Prov. xxi. 24). III. ANGER. This is a more settled habit of the spirit. There is an anger that is lawful (ver. 26), so far as it proceeds from a lawful cause, is directed to a lawful object, and is gnided t.o a lawful issue. But the anger here is al~gether sinful. I~ i,e an angt:r (1) that is accompanied with hatred; (2) that breaks out mto curses (Ps. cvi. 83); (3) tLat is excittd by the wrong done to ourselves rather than by the dishonour done to God; ( 4) that is long cherished; (5) that unfit.a us for holy duties. We ought to put it i.way from WJ., because (1) God forbids it (Col. iii. 8); (2) because it dieturhl both rw.r.d and 1:,-.,dy; (3) booaw;e it is folly aa well as sin (Prov. xiv. 17, 29) ; (4) because it Ililiv lt:ad to eu,rr.,.,,l ruin. iv. Culiloi:a:. Thls ~ the cry of irtrife; the noisy, impetuo111 brawling, whloh givea ,,ut:et to the da.rk h011tility within. OB. IV. 1-32.] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 173