What does it mean to "grieve the holy spirit" in ephesians?

Question

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

Answer 1

Well we are saved by the power of the Holy Spirit who drew us into a relationship with Jesus and we are sealed by the Holy Spirit's power until the final day of deliverance. The chapter i believe is really talking about the body of believers - and always being aware we are called to build each other up and encourage each other - always treating each other with respect - taking time to help each other and doing everything with a loving heart. It's speaking of our fleshly nature (v31) but remember we can't change anything ourselves - it's the Holy Spirit that empowers us to make any changes required - the spirit renews us and makes us more Christ-like.
Hope this helps a bit...

It isn't about legalistic thinking - that's the good thing to remember.

Answer 2

Ephesians 4:30 New King James Version (NKJV) 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. God the Holy Spirit is a Person along with Jesus and God the Father. Together, they comprise the triune God. To be sealed with God the Holy Spirit means we have been born again or born from above. This happens after asking Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior and asking for and receiving forgiveness for our sins. God the Holy Spirit is grieved when we sin, which means we live outside of Godly parameters. He leads our Christian walk, and it grieves Him when we make choices that go against His leading.

Answer 3

Any sin grieves the spirit. Simple answer actually.

Answer 4

There are many ways to grieve the Holy Spirit. We can neglect holiness and grieve the Holy Spirit. We can think in purely materialistic terms and grieve the Holy Spirit. The Spirit exalts Jesus (John 15:26); when we fail to do the same, we grieve the Spirit.

ii. “I think I now see the Spirit of God grieving, when you are sitting down to read a novel and there is your Bible unread. Perhaps you take down some book of travels, and you forget that you have got a more precious book of travels in the Acts of the Apostles, and in the story of your blessed Lord and Master. You have no time for prayer, but the Spirit sees you very active about worldly things, and having many hours to spare for relaxation and amusement. And then he is grieved because he sees that you love worldly things better than you love him.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “Although the word ‘grieve’ is a painful one, yet there is honey in the rock; for it is an inexpressibly delightful thought, that he who rules heaven and earth, and is the creator of all things, and the infinite and ever blessed God, condescends to enter into such infinite relationships with his people that his divine mind may be affected by their actions. What a marvel that Deity should be said to grieve over the faults of beings so utterly insignificant as we are!” (Spurgeon)

iv. “Sin everywhere must be displeasing to the Spirit of holiness, but sin in his own people is grievous to him in the highest degree. He will not hate his people, but he does hate their sins, and hates them all the more because they nestle in his children’s bosoms. The Spirit would not be the Spirit of truth if he could approve of that which is false in us: he would not be pure if that which is impure in us did not grieve him.” (Spurgeon)

v. The Holy Spirit’s grief is not of a petty, oversensitive nature. “He is grieved with us mainly for our own sakes, for he knows what misery sin will cost us; he reads our sorrows in our sins . . . He grieves over us because he sees how much chastisement we incur, and how much communion we lose.” (Spurgeon)

f. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you: The new man has control of his emotions (bitterness, wrath, anger and so forth). When such things do emerge, he is able to deal with them in a manner glorifying to God.

i. Aristotle defined bitterness as “the resentful spirit that refuses reconciliation.”

ii. Wrath speaks of an outburst of the moment; anger speaks of a settled disposition. Both must be put away.

g. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another: The new man seeks to show the same kindness, tender heartedness and forgiveness to others that God shows him. If we treat others as God treats us, we fulfill every thing Paul told us to do in this chapter.

h. Just as God in Christ forgave you: Our forgiveness to others is patterned after the forgiveness of Jesus towards us. When we think of the amazing way God forgives us, it is shameful for us to withhold forgiveness from those who have wronged us.

God holds back His anger a long time until He forgives. He bears with us long though we sorely provoke Him.
God reaches out to bad people to woo them to Himself, and attempts reconciliation with bad people.
God always makes the first move in forgiveness, trying to reconcile even though the guilty party is uninterested in forgiveness
God forgives our sin knowing that we will sin again, often in exactly the same way.
God’s forgiveness is so complete and glorious that He grants adoption to those former offenders.
God, in His forgiveness, bore all the penalty for the wrong we did against Him.
God keeps reaching out to man for reconciliation even when man rejects Him again and again.
God requires no probationary period to receive His forgiveness.
God’s forgiveness offers complete restoration and honor. He loves, adopts, honors, and associates those who once wronged Him.
God puts His trust in us and invites us to work with Him as co-laborers when He forgives us
i. The older King James Version puts it like this: even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. This gives us an assurance of forgiveness - that it is for Christ’s sake. “God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven thee. Get hold of that grand truth, and hold it, though all the devils in hell roar at thee. Grasp it as with a hand of steel; grip it as for life: ‘God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven me,’ - may each one of us be able to say that. We shall not feel the divine sweetness and force of the text unless we can make a personal matter of it by the Holy Ghost.” (Spurgeon)

ii. “If anyone here who is a Christian finds a difficulty in forgiveness, I am going to give him three words which will help him wonderfully. I would put them into the good man’s mouth. I gave them to you just now, and prayed you to get the sweetness of them; here they are again! ‘For Christ’s sake.’ Cannot you forgive an offender on that ground?” (Spurgeon)

iii. It isn’t that we must forgive because Jesus will forgive us. We forgive because He has forgiven us. “It is the historical fact of Christ once for all putting away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, which is alluded to.” (Moule)