1. THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1

2. C.OUR RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO ‘QUENCH THE SPIRIT.’ “DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT;“ (5:19) D.AT THE MOMENT OF REGENERATION THE PROCESS OF PROGRESSIVE SANCTIFICATION BY THE SPIRIT BEGINS AND DOESN’T END UNTIL OUR GLORIFICATION IN HEAVEN. W I T S “ AND YE SHALL NOT FULFIL THE LUST OF THE FLESH. “ (GAL. 5:16) E.THE SANCTIFICATION PROCESS INCLUDES A VARIETY OF SPIRIT-INITIATED WORKS. 1.THE HOLY SPIRIT ‘ILLUMINATES’ THE WORD OF GOD. 2.WE, AS BELIEVERS, GROW SPIRITUALLY ONLY AS WE FEED ON THE WORD. 2

3. 3.BUT, BELIEVERS CAN QUENCH THIS ASPECT OF THE SPIRIT’S WORK BY FAILING TO STUDY SCRIPTURE OR BY MISINTERPRETING IT. i.BY NOT SEARCHING IT DILIGENTLY. ii.BY NOT LETTING IT DWELL RICHLY WITHIN YOU. 4.THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS YOU INTO ‘INTIMACY’ WITH GOD. “BUT YE HAVE RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION, WHEREBY WE CRY, ABBA, FATHER. (ROM. 8:15-16) i.THE SPIRIT GIVES YOU THE JOYFUL CONFIDENCE THAT GOD LOVES YOU AS HIS CHILD. (ABBA MEANS “PAPA” OR “DADDY,” “YOU ARE NO MORE A SERVANT, BUT A SON; AND IF A SON, THEN AN HEIR OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST. “ (GAL. 4:6) 3

4. ii.THE SPIRIT PROMPTS YOU TO PRAY FOR DIVINE RESOURCES. “BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING; “ (PHIL. 4:6) ” THEREFORE TAKE NO THOUGHT, SAYING, WHAT SHALL WE EAT? OR, WHAT SHALL WE DRINK? OR, WHEREWITHAL SHALL WE BE CLOTHED? (FOR AFTER ALL THESE THINGS DO THE GENTILES SEEK:) FOR YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWETH THAT YE HAVE NEED OF ALL THESE THINGS. BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. ” (MATT. 6:31-33) iii.ARE YOU GROWING IN YOUR SANCTIFICATION? “THAT (YOU) MAY KNOW HIM, AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS, BEING MADE CONFORMABLE UNTO HIS DEATH; “ (PHIL. 3:10) 4

5. iv.BUT, AGAIN, YOU CAN QUENCH THAT SPIRIT-PROMPTED, INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE BY NOT ACCEPTING GOD’S PURPOSE IN LIFE’S DIFFICULTIES. “ AND NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS ALSO: KNOWING THAT TRIBULATION WORKETH PATIENCE; “ (ROM. 5:3) “ MY BRETHREN, COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YE FALL INTO VARIOUS TRIALS; KNOWING THIS, THAT THE TRYING OF YOUR FAITH WORKETH PATIENCE. (JAS. 1:2-3) “BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT ENDURETH TEMPTATION: FOR WHEN HE IS TRIED, HE SHALL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE, WHICH THE LORD HATH PROMISED TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM. “ (JAS. 1:12) v.BY NOT BEING PRAYERFUL AND WORSHIPFUL. “ GOD IS A SPIRIT: AND THEY THAT WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. “ (JN. 4:24) “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.” (1 THESS. 5:17) 5

6. vi.BY NOT CASTING ALL OF OUR CARES UPON GOD. “CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM; FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU. “ (1 PET. 5l7) vii.BY OPERATING IN OUR OWN FLESH RATHER THAN TRUSTING GOD’S STRENGTH. “ TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE HEART; AND LEAN NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL THY WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE SHALL DIRECT THY PATHS. “ (PROV. 3:5-6) viii.BY NOT TRUSTING GOD’S SUPPLY. “ AND GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND TOWARD YOU; THAT YE, ALWAYS HAVING ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS, MAY ABOUND TO EVERY GOOD WORK: “ (2 COR. 9:8) “BUT MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS.” (PHIL. 4:19) 6