Grieve Not the Spirit

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

The word grieve is taken from the Greek word lupete, which comes from the word lupe. Lupe denotes a pain or grief that can only be experienced between two people who deeply love each other.

The word lupe normally is used to describe a husband or wife who has discovered that his or her mate has been unfaithful. As a result of this unfaithfulness, the betrayed spouse is shocked, devastated, hurt, wounded, and grieved because of the pain that accompanies such a betrayal.

This tells us that the relationship that exists between us and the Spirit is tender and precious. The Holy Spirit is faithful to lead us to Christ, to empower us to keep God’s commandments, and to help sanctify us. When we deliberately enter into sin, it grieves him.

One scholar has translated Ephesians 4:30 in the following way:

Stop deeply wounding and causing such extremely emotional pain to the Spirit of God, by whom you have been sealed till the day of your redemption.