Grieving the Holy Spirit

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.   Ephesians 4:30

The other day my son asked my wife and me why we need to eat well and exercise.  Our response was a little deeper than should be told a four-year-old.  We tried to explain that God lives within us and we are God's holy temple.  Needless to say we had to go into more simplistic detail.

But how often do I forget the simple truth that God, more specifically the Holy Spirit, lives within me?  Each time I sin I allow something into my mind and heart that is deplorable to God.  In the Old Testament God speaks of turning his face away from his elect, his chosen people of Israel because of their sin (Isaiah 59:1-2).  This does not mean that he abandons his people, but that when sin enters the relationship between God and his people a rift is created.  The New Testament speaks of our sin grieving the Holy Spirit.

John Calvin put it this way:

No language can adequately express this solemn truth, that the Holy Spirit rejoices and is glad on our account, when we are obedient to him in all things, and neither think nor speak anything, but what is pure and holy; and, on the other hand, is grieved when we admit anything into our minds that is unworthy of our calling.

 "God's Spirit is especially sensitive to sin because of His close relationship with us, those who have been saved and defined as the Lord's holy people (1 Peter 1:13-16)" (TableTalk).  Though our sin grieves the Spirit it is not a paralyzing grief that at times overtakes our emotions and decisions at difficult times such as the death of a loved one.  God cannot be so grieved that it clouds his judgement.  But our sin creates distance in the relationship between us and our Creator.  He has not left us.  He has only turned his face away from us.  That is the effects of sin in our lives.