Quenching the Spirit. Terrible iniquity. Certain spiritual death. Ecclesiastical suicide.

The Spirit is the Spirit of the risen and exalted Jesus Christ whom he poured out on the church. By the Spirit, Christ, and his Father too, comes to the church. Through the Spirit they take up their abode in the church and in the hearts and lives of believers. By the work of the Spirit, Christ blesses the church with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. The Spirit is the fire by which the church is warmed and filled with Jesus Christ and all the riches of salvation. The Spirit comforts, edifies, and preserves the church with Christ.

Christ ministers his Spirit in the church and works miracles in her. Oh, yes! Mighty wonders of his grace!

The Spirit regenerates dead sinners and opens their hearts, so that they attend unto the Word. The Spirit makes effectual the mighty call of the Word in the hearts of sinners, pricks them, turns them, and draws them effectually to Christ, so that they come unto him. The Spirit works faith in their hearts by the preaching of Christ. The Spirit justifies sinners under the preaching of the gospel, so that they go home justified. He purifies hearts by the preaching of the truth, sanctifying and cleansing them from sin, and consecrates them to God, so that they love him and fear, honor, and glorify him alone. We are his workmanship! Mighty, irresistible, gracious work of the Spirit to warm and to fill the church with Christ and the fullness of his salvation.

Quench not the Spirit. Do not pour water on the fire of the Spirit. Do not kick sand on the Spirit to smother him.

How is that possible?

Despise not prophesyings. Not merely the prophesyings that accompanied the work and labor of the apostles. Christ did for a time give some prophets in the apostolic age. But he calls the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ prophesying. So the Spirit does his work in the church through prophesying. This is nothing new for the Spirit. So he did all his work in the Old Testament church. He created the prophet. He sent the prophet. He gave the prophet his message. He moved the prophet to speak that message. He effectually worked by means of that prophesying his own sovereign work to save and to harden. So he also continues to work through the preaching of the Word of God in the scriptures. This Word he causes to be spoken in the preaching of his truth.

Do not despise prophesying: set at naught; cast aside; treat with contempt and mockery; make of no account. For then you quench the Spirit, who is the only one who warms and fills the church. Such unbelieving men always do with the Spirit. They mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his prophets, until the wrath of Jehovah arose against his people, until there was no remedy. This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears. They struck Jesus on the face and asked him, saying, “Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?” And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads and saying, “Ah, thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself and come down from the cross.”

And they quenched the Spirit.

Behold, Jerusalem, your house is left unto you desolate, a synagogue of Satan. For the church either has prophesyings and the Spirit, or she despises prophesyings and has the devil.