SUNDAY, JULY 8
Scripture: Ephesians 4:30-32

We are told in Ephesians 4:30-32, “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.” That is an admonition we need to keep. The perfect example of that was the account of Elisha and Gehazi. One reason we are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit by which we were sealed is so that we maintain our holiness before the Lord. Then and only then will our faith be alive and active so that in any situation we face we can connect with God for deliverance, for freedom and for His perfect will. But if we are walking in disobedience or sin we cannot. If we are in sin, the faith is not there. In this state we cannot have the confidence that God will hear us. The confidence is gone, because we haven’t lived a life of obedience that preserves holiness!