“ “Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit.”
I Thessalonians 5:19 (Amplified version)
Paul told the church at Thessalonica not to subdue, suppress or quench the Holy Spirit. To subdue means to keep under control, to moderate; suppress means to restrain, hold in check; and quench means to extinguish, snuff out. The opposite would be to release the Holy Spirit, to allow, permit, let go, yield, surrender, liberate, encourage, support, assist.
In the New Testament, the word for quench was always used in reference to putting out a fire. To paraphrase Paul, he was saying, “Do not put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.” A fire can be flamed to become bigger or a fire can be suffocated to become smaller or extinguished completely. The Holy Spirit is always with us, but His anointing to perform the purpose God can grow in strength, lessen in strength, or completely go out.
1. To allow the Holy Spirit to move in great power, first we must realize the Holy Spirit wants to move today. Not everyone has the spiritual perception that the Holy Spirit is near and His power is tangible.
2. Second we must pursue the Holy Spirit and what He wants. Our motivation should be a passionate love for God and a longing to be in His manifested Presence.
3. Third, we need to make room for the Holy Spirit to move without restraint. He knows what people need better than we do. We don’t need to moderate God.
4. Fourth, teach people a well-rounded Gospel, including spiritual truth from the Bible so they know what to expect and how to respond in God’s manifested presence.
5. Fifth, embrace wisdom, give attention to providing excellence in every area of ministry, and guard against error.
Like a fire swells, we want to give the Holy Spirit the freedom to swell in our hearts and our church services. We want the Holy Spirit to also move in the way He sees fit, so we give way to Him rather than expect the Holy Spirit to give way to our program, our method, or our culture.
Application: Read the Song of Solomon in the Bible. Don’t just be open to the Spirit, be like a young person in pursuit of love, and go after Him.