March 1, 2010

Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit - Ephesians 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

For quite a few years I had been enjoying FreeCell, one of the solitaire games on my computer. Each possible way the cards can be dealt is numbered, and I had a little scoresheet where I checked them off as I won them. Of course, I knew my propensity to get caught up in this kind of activity, so I carefully disciplined myself. After each game I would get up and do something constructive before allowing myself to play another.

One afternoon I had started a game when the phone rang. It was a woman who sometimes called for either counsel or sympathy. I was glad when my daughter picked up the phone, for I knew she would probably be able to provide the needed encouragement. A short while later the call was over, and Amy came in to report on her talk. When she sat down in the chair by my desk, I looked at her to decide if now she would need a chance to talk. She seemed fine, and when I asked if everything had gone okay, she assured me it had. So as she recounted her conversation, I divided my attention between her words and my game.

Then all of a sudden I had one of the strangest experiences of my life. It was as though I was looking at an old-fashioned movie film, the kind where there are a series of frames that create the illusion of motion. Everything was normal--except one frame was different. For the briefest of seconds, I clearly saw a Figure standing behind my daughter.

Three things were instantly and forever impressed into my soul. The first impression was simply the knowledge that this was Jesus. I did not see His face, but I knew without a doubt it was Him. The second thing I knew with absolute certainty was that He was not angry. I've known what it's like to have someone angry with me, and that feeling was not there. The third thing however gripped me the most strongly, which was that I had made my Savior sad. Even without seeing His face, His heart somehow touched mine and I felt His grief.

As Amy got up to leave, I sat there processing what had just happened. Slowly I reached up and clicked out of my game. I then made my way to my bedroom closet. There on my face before God, I wept. At first all I felt was deep repentance. But gradually, I realized I was also grateful. My God had given me a clear revelation of what did and did not please Him. I returned to my desk, deleted the program and threw away my scorecard. Today I don't even remember how to play FreeCell.

When at Calvary Christ received the full wrath of God against our sins, it did not remove the fact that they still bring Him great sorrow. Paul spoke of this grieving process in Ephesians 4:25-32.

Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

I cannot say with certainty that playing cards is always sinful. What I do know is that our entertainments are powerful, drawing us into hours of distractedness, making it very easy to ignore the quiet opportunities God might give us--either to commune with Him or to be used in service to others. I also am fairly certain they do not give Him pleasure, and that in the final count they will be of no eternal value.

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (I Corinthians 3:12-15)