Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” This commonly misunderstood passage carries great implication in general, and specifically for the context in which is it found. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? How does the passage apply?
Paul’s command implies an important truth about the Holy Spirit, namely, that He is a person. The Godhead is one divine essence composed of 3 distinct personalities: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:30 demonstrates the personality of the Holy Spirit by informing us that He grieves.
The context of the passage reveals its meaning. Ephesians 4:25-32 is comprised of a series of 5 exhortations, each made up of a negative command, a positive command, and a rationale. Consider, for example, verse 25: “Therefore, putting away lying (negative command), let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor (positive command) for we are members of one another” (rationale). Verse 30 serves as the rationale portion of the 4th exhortation which begins in verse 29. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we use inappropriate language that destroys–the opposite of what verse twenty-nine commands. Note also the earlier part of the chapter (4:1-16) in which Paul discussed God’s desire for the unity, maturity, and stability of the body of Christ, and the Holy Spirit’s role in making that possible. The conclusion is that any word or action that harms the unity and well-being of the body of Christ grieves the Holy Spirit.
Further commentary is found in Acts 5:1-10 and 7:51. Ananias and Sapphira’s conspiracy prompted Peter to ask, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself ” (Acts 10:3)? Stephen rebuked a group of unbelieving Jews when he said, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you” (Acts 7:51). Lying to, resisting, and grieving the Holy Spirit are closely related.
The immediate context of Ephesians 4 demonstrates that we grieve the Holy Spirit by harming the unity and well-being of the church through word and action. The overall context of scripture reveals that we grieve the Holy Spirit any time we sin, and rebel against the will of God.