Ephesians 4:30
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Explanation and Commentary of Ephesians 4:30
It is a glorious truth that Jesus fulfills his promise to us to be “with us to the very end of the age” (Mt 28:20). At Pentecost, He sent His Holy Spirit to indwell his Church, and to seal us for the “the day of redemption.” This means that our salvation is bought and paid for. We cannot lose it, and God’s Spirit in us is a guarantee of that fact.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, God the Spirit. He has a will, a personality, and He has feelings. It is a fact that the Holy Spirit, who loves us, is grieved by our sin. Imagine sending a child, who is still innocent of the greatest evils of the world, into a den of iniquity of some kind. Imagine the scandalousness of that. The Holy Spirit actually lives in us. He is not a child but is infinitely purer than the most innocent child. He is party to all of our thoughts, feelings, and desires. He knows and sees everything. Anything less than holiness and purity, anything less than conformity to His perfect way, causes him to grieve.
He not only watches what we do, but he also tells us what to do. He not only watches and tells us what to do, but he also is the source of our strength to obey him. If you know you have grieved him, he will be quick to forgive a repentant heart. If you fall a thousand times, you can get up a thousand times, and the Spirit of your Father in heaven, the Spirit of the Savior of the world, will forgive you and cleanse you. If you are sincere in your repentance, he is faithful and just to forgive.
Breaking Down the Key Parts of Ephesians 4:30
#1 “And…”
Just previously, the apostle warns against unwholesome talk. This is indeed something that grieves the Holy Spirit.
#2 “…do not grieve the Holy Spirit…”
The Spirit is a person who feels. He can be joyful at what is going on inside us, or he can be grieved.
#3 “…of God,”
He is the Spirit of God. All persons have a spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, who knows the mind of God (1 Cor 2:11) and will reveal it to us through his Word.
#4 “with whom…”
Again, he is a whom, rather than a what. He should be related to as a person.
#5 “…you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
This is a sweet truth that gives a clue to our eternal security. It is not by our own strength that our salvation is secured, but by God’s work in us and the presence of his Holy Spirit.
Bible Study on Ephesians 4:30
Expert Overview of Ephesians
Biblical Translations of Ephesians 4:30
NIV
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
NLT
And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
ESV
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
KJV
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
NKJV
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Natalie Regoli is a child of God, devoted wife, and mother of two boys. She has a Master's Degree in Law from The University of Texas. Natalie has been published in several national journals and has been practicing law for 18 years.