Dig In!

Here's why it's so important to not only read the bible to but to study it...

Have you noticed that you're different after learning what's been written in it's actual context? We have a way that we interpret biblical words in the 21st century, but when it was written the words had unique applications, and it has extra meaning if you dig a little bit.

For example, reading in Ephesians you come across the word "grieve" (To grieve the Spirit of God through your actions or attitudes). We would normally think about that word in the context of losing a loved one and the feeling of emptiness after, but it really means more the feeling of betrayal that a spouse would have after discovering their partner had been unfaithful.

Here is the devotional that I was reading that got me thinking about this, it's from, Rick Renner...

Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit! And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. — Ephesians 4:30

Many years ago, when I first studied the word “grieve” in Ephesians 4:30, I ran to my bookshelf and pulled out my Greek New Testament to discover exactly what the word “grieve” meant. I found that this word was taken from the Greek word lupete. This surprised me, because the word lupete is from the word lupe, which denotes a pain or grief that can only be experienced between two people who deeply love each other. This word lupe would normally be used to picture a husband or wife who has discovered 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 unfaithfulness. This tells us, first of all, that the relationship that exists between us and the Holy Spirit is precious! The Holy Spirit is deeply in love with us. Just as someone in love thinks about, dreams of, and cherishes the one he loves, the Holy Spirit longs for us, thinks about us, desires to be close to us, and wants to reveal Himself to us. But when we act like the world, talk like the world, behave like the world, and respond the same way the world does, we cause the Spirit of God to feel shock, hurt, and grief. You see, when we deliberately do what is wrong, we drag Him right into the mire of sin with us, because He lives in us and goes wherever we go. The Holy Spirit convicted us of sin and brought us to Jesus; then He indwelt us, sanctified us, empowered us, and faithfully remains alongside to help us. So when we deliberately enter into sin, it grieves Him. Just as a husband or wife would feel who has just discovered that his or her spouse has committed adultery, the Holy Spirit is shocked when we dishonor His Presence in our lives. One scholar has translated Ephesians 4:30 in the following way: “Stop deeply wounding and causing such extreme emotional pain to the Spirit of God, by whom you have been sealed until the day of your redemption.” We need to realize how precious the Holy Spirit is in our lives and honor Him by making sure we live holy and upright lives. If our behavior has been wrong, we should confess our sin and receive cleansing by the blood of Jesus so we can be restored to fellowship with the Spirit of God. So before you get started with your daily duties today, stop and ask, “Holy Spirit, is there anything in my life that causes You grief? If there is, please reveal it to me so I can change.”

So, now you can clearly see that adds a new meaning to that verse that's life changing if you're a Christian! If you read that and understand it, you're a changed person!

So get out the shovel and dig a little deeper into the bible for all the GOLD!

P.S. I would highly recommend getting this devotional in your daily e-mail! http://www.renner.org