Quenching the Holy Spirit
By Dr. Ken
Matto
Quench not the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
Is it possible for the Christian to quench the Holy
Spirit? If it wasn’t then it would
not be in the Bible. This verse is
not addressing unbelievers because they do not have the Holy Spirit.
But ye are not in the flesh, but
in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9) So 1
Thessalonians 5:19 is definitely aimed at believers.
The word “quench” in the Greek carries with it the meaning of
“extinguish, suppress, subdue, or stifle.”
Is it possible to actually extinguish the Holy Spirit?
The answer is yes but to extinguish in this case does not mean that you
have the ability to actually terminate the Holy Spirit in your life because if
you could do that then you could lose your salvation and there is nothing in
scripture which teaches loss of salvation but many scriptures which teach that
you cannot lose your salvation.
The Holy Spirit was given to the true believer for the
purpose of sealing us and guiding us into all truth:
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are
sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you
things to come. (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God
and is eternal God himself. He will
guide us into all truth so we will not follow any pernicious doctrines.
Many churches and Christians invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit to
guide them into truth and yet Christianity has become weaker by the day.
So how could this be that he is going to guide us into all truth and yet
if we are walking in the truth it seems that Christianity has become weaker.
What could be responsible for that?
The reason is that the Christian’s mind and
understanding have dual citizenship.
The Christian’s mind dwells in two realms.
The first realm is the Bible and the second realm is man’s teachings.
Whenever we adopt any of man’s teachings, we quench the Holy Spirit.
Whenever we adopt biblical teachings we stimulate the spirit within us
and sets us on a path to truth which once we establish, we will never be able to
be moved. The Holy Spirit
illuminates the teachings of Scripture not the teachings of man.
Whenever I refer to the Scriptures, it is always the King James Bible not
the modern counterfeits.
Christianity is very duplicitous in the area of teachings.
Howbeit in vain do they worship
me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men. (Mark 7:7) Jesus condemned the Pharisees that they were
teaching as biblical doctrines, the commandments of men.
The Apostle Paul in Colossians had dealt with the same type of situation.
Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as
though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, {21} (Touch not; taste
not; handle not; {22} Which all are to perish with the using;) after the
commandments and doctrines of men? (Colossians
2:20-22)
They were following the teachings of men and those teachings
of men were but vanity. They had taught them as if they came from the hand of
God but were the works of men. How many of these types of books do we see today?
The following books are the extant works of men but are taught as if they were
handed down by God: The Book of Mormon, The Divine principle by Moon, Urantia
Book, Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ, etc. Many religions teach the works
of men as if they were the words of God. If what these people teach cannot be
found in the Scriptures, then they are to be totally rejected. The Pharisees had
such a system of beliefs that sounded good but was in opposition to the word of
God. Much of their writings began back in Babylon during their captivity and is
called the Babylonian Talmud so they had over 500 years to destroy truth.
Now we expect unbelievers to portray their false writings as if they are the
word of God but are Christians guilty of the same method?
Do Christians accept the teachings of men as if they are fully backed up
according to the Scriptures? We are
going to look at quite a number of prevalent church and media teachings which
are portrayed as coming from the word of God and we will see that in the
churches, a massive amount of incorrect and untruthful teachings are taught as
biblical doctrines while in reality these teachings are the farthest from the
truth. Whenever a Christian accepts
false doctrines or teachings, they will be quenching the Holy Spirit simply
because they are believing a lie and that is the reason that so many Christians
have gone apostate in their beliefs and are actually believing opposite what the
Bible teaches and even defending the false teachings.
Once a Christians adopts a false system, that system completely bars all
biblical teachings which challenges its teachings.
Let us look at some of the teachings which quench the Holy Spirit in the
life of a believer.
Tongues
Visions
Signs and Wonders
Modern Israel
Dispensationalism
Pre-trib
Rapture
Nightclub
atmosphere in churches
Prosperity
Gospel
Grave Sucking
Free Will
Modern Versions
Age of
Accountability
Environmentalism
Sodomy
Date Setting
Judging is
Wrong
Process
Salvation
Third Temple in
Jerusalem
Walking the
Labyrinth
Mid-Acts
Dispensationalism
Willful Sin
Doctrine
Millennial
Reign of Christ
Seven Year
Tribulation Period
Christian
Zionism
Two Separate
Resurrections
Physical
Antichrist
Unsaved Jews
are God’s Chosen People
Women Preachers
Federal Vision
New Perspective
on Paul
These 30
teachings which I have listed cannot be proven according to the Scriptures.
Now
when I say “proven” I mean teachings which flow naturally out of the Scriptures
without any forcing of the meanings of the Scriptures.
These 30 teachings are all man-made teachings and are forced upon the
Scriptures. Sin is not the only
thing that can quench the Holy Spirit but false teachings are a great culprit in
that area. The Holy Spirit cannot
endorse any teaching that is not taken from the Scriptures.
Those teachings which come from man, as these 30 above are, cannot be
illuminated by the Holy Spirit because these teachings did not come from Him
when he penned the Scriptures through the chosen vessels.
Since the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth, then that means once
you adapt a false theological system or belief, you have quenched him which
means your belief system is now of you and not the Lord.
Now in the last
paragraph I stated that proven doctrine is something which naturally flows out
of the Scriptures without any meaning or teaching forced upon it.
Let me give you a popular example:
Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Since the COVID
debacle was fostered on the world, many Christians take that to believe that the
rapture is imminent, in other words they think they are going to escape what
others must endure.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians
4:16-17)
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 are used as the primary verses
to prove the pre-trib rapture.
Where in these verses is a mention of timing?
There is absolutely nothing in these verses which claim a
pre-tribulational rapture yet every dispensational preacher will teach that
these verses are speaking about a rapture which precedes a seven year
tribulation period. How can they do
that? Because they are tied to a
theological system which endorses that teaching and they do not go outside the
parameters of that teaching and therefore have quenched the Holy Spirit which
means they will never come to truth about biblical eschatology.
Now for us to gain the timing of the rapture we must
compare 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 with what the Bible teaches in other places.
This is why we are to study because some subjects are spread throughput
the Bible and isolating one or two verses will never reveal that truth.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16, it mentions a trump will be
sounding but no time frame is given.
For the timing we look at 1 Corinthians 15:52 and see that the trump will
be the “last trump” and at that last trump the true believer will be changed and
the dead will be raised incorruptible.
This verse includes both the Christians who are living who will be
changed and the dead in Christ who will be raised incorruptible.
So far the teaching from Scripture is flowing naturally.
Are we done confirming our findings?
No we are not!
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is
coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;
and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28-29)
John 5:28-29 speaks about the resurrection of both the
saved and unsaved happening simultaneously on one day.
Dispensationalists claim there are two separate resurrections, one for
the believer which is the pre-trib rapture and 1,007 years later for the
unbelievers. Now we have run into
another problem.
32 And before him shall be gathered all
nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his
right hand, but the goats on the left. (Matthew 25:32-33)
In Matthew 25:31-46 we read the full scenario of the
Judgment Seat of Christ. I have
included only verses 32-33 for brevity but you can read the entire section and
you will not see any discrepancy in what I am presenting.
In these two verses we read that both the sheep and the goats are present
at the Judgment Seat of Christ. But
wait! The dispensationalists claim
there is a 1,007 year distance between these resurrections.
If their teaching is correct then why are both the saved and the unsaved
being separated at the Judgment Seat of Christ if there are separate dedicated
resurrections?
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again
in the resurrection at the last day. (John 11:24)
Here is another problem the pre-tribbers have to deal
with. Lazarus was a believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ but had died.
According to the pre-trib doctrine all believers up to the point of the rapture
will be raised and taken to Heaven.
So then why was Lazarus bypassed and had to wait until the last day and be
raised with all the unbelievers?
Why didn’t he go up in the rapture of the believers?
Was he missed or overlooked?
One more piece of “evidence” showing the pre-trib rapture is a forced and false
doctrine.
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that
of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up
again at the last day. (John 6:39)
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one
which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will
raise him up at the last day. (John
6:40)
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent
me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44)
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath
eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:54)
Here are four verses spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ
himself that he is going to raise the true believers at the last day.
The words “last day” are singular which denotes only one last day.
Last is last! The Lord Jesus
Christ states that the true believer is going to be raised on the last day.
Remember 1 Corinthians 15:52 which speaks of “the last trump.”
That harmonizes perfectly with these four verses from John.
So who are you going to believe, your theological system, prophecy book,
or pastor, or are you going to believe the Lord Jesus Christ?
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath
one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in
the last day. (John 12:48)
One more tidbit of truth.
Above we see John 12:48 which is another quote from the Lord Jesus
Christ. It states that those who
reject the Lord Jesus Christ and does not receive his words, they will be judged
at the last day. Remember, Matthew
25:32-33 where both believers and unbelievers are at the Judgment Seat of Christ
being separated? The five verses of
John give overwhelming evidence that both believers and unbelievers will be
raised on the last day, only one general resurrection.
There is no such thing as dual resurrections.
Now I did this short study to show that the contrived
teaching of a pre-trib rapture is totally inconsistent with what the Bible
really teaches. The same can be
done with the other 29 I listed in this study along with many other false
doctrines floating around Christianity today.
When we compare what we have been taught with what the Bible really
teaches, we will come to the conclusion that Christianity has more false
doctrines being forced on it than true doctrines.
Summary
The reason Christians do not grow is because they have
quenched the Holy Spirit by committing themselves to man-made theological
systems and doctrines. If you stop
watering a plant what will happen?
Its growth will be stunted and eventually it will die.
Sin is not the only thing that quenches the Holy Spirit in a believer’s
life but the adaptation of false teachings and doctrines.
Many Christians have stopped growing in their Christian walk simply
because they chose to stop at the borders of their theological system or their
church teachings and never investigate what they are taught.
The only way a Christian can grow in the faith is by stepping outside the
boundaries of their theological systems and study the Bible and challenge every
teaching you are given. When I was
a young Christian 40 years ago I believed dispensationalism but since I rid
myself of the scourge of prophecy books and studied the Bible alone on the
subjects I was taught, I have concluded that Christianity has been sold a bill
of goods. Here is the Free
Dictionary definition of “bill of goods.”
“To get someone to believe something that isn't true; to deceive
someone.”