Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

THINGS THAT GRIEVE THE SPIRIT

This entry was posted on 05-27-2008 and is filed under uncategorized.

We now move to a section of Scripture in Eph. 4 that might be called "Things That Grieve the Spirit."

"Therefore, putting away lying, 'Let each one of speak truth with his neighbor,' for we are members of one another" (Eph. 4:25 NKJV). Lying must be a very deep-seated problem or Paul would not be addressing it to fellow Christians. How easy it is to lie! Some of the Bible's most noble characters resorted to lying (Abraham, David, etc.). Two church members in Jerusalem died because they lied (Acts 5:1-11). Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). When you resort to a lie, it did not come from God.

Politicians caught in lies say that they "misspoke" or made a "misstatement." It is still a lie. Lying is contrasted with truth in our text. Paul quotes Zech. 8:16 and reminds us that the reason we should speak truth, not lies, is because we are members of one another. When Christians can't speak truth to fellow Christians, the Holy Spirit is surely grieved. We are not to grieve the Holy Spirit (v. 30). As members of the Body of Christ, let us forever put away lying.

Prayer: Holy Father, keep us from ever yielding to the temptation to tell a lie or twist the truth. May we always speak truth to Your children and to all men. Through Christ we pray.