Brethren, the most sobering words ever spoken by the Lord still echo across time: “My Spirit shall not always strive with man” (Genesis 6:3). Think of it! From the dawn of human history, God’s Spirit has been reaching, convicting, restraining, pleading.
Yet there comes a moment when man’s rebellion becomes louder than God’s whisper. The Spirit strives, but He will not strive forever. The flood was not just water – it was the result of a world deaf to God’s warning. Do you hear the Spirit now, or have you learned to live comfortably without His voice?
The Spirit’s Striving Through the Prophets
God’s mercy didn’t end with Noah. Nehemiah 9:30 says, “God testified against them by His Spirit in the prophets.” He spoke again and again, sending messengers, calling His people to repent. Yet, as 2 Chronicles 36:15–16 declares, “They mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words.” What patience! What mercy! Still they “hardened their neck” (Jeremiah 7:25–26).
The prophets weren’t mere voices – they were vessels of the Holy Spirit’s striving love. But Israel’s rebellion wasn’t just against commandments; Isaiah 63:10 says, “They rebelled and vexed His Holy Spirit.”
Imagine that – vexing the very One who sought to save them. Psalm 78:40–41 laments, “How oft did they provoke Him… and limited the Holy One of Israel.” Zechariah 7:11–12 adds, “They made their hearts as an adamant stone.” Have our hearts grown that hard?
The Spirit Convicts the World of Sin
Jesus said, “When He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). Conviction is mercy in motion. It’s the Spirit exposing sin not to condemn, but to heal.
Yet John 3:19–20 says men loved darkness rather than light. God’s goodness still leads to repentance (Romans 2:4), but when the heart refuses light long enough, darkness feels like home.
The Spirit Resisted by Man
Stephen’s cry pierces the centuries: “Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost” (Acts 7:51). From Genesis to Jerusalem, humanity keeps repeating the pattern. Jesus wept over the city saying, “How often would I have gathered thy children together… and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37). Hebrews 3:7–8 warns, “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Every resistance to conviction thickens the callus of the soul.
The Spirit Withdrawn
Romans 1:28 speaks chillingly: “God gave them over to a reprobate mind.” There is a time when God stops arguing. Proverbs 1:24–26 paints the same tragedy – Wisdom calling, man refusing, and calamity coming. Hosea 4:17 declares, “Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.” O my soul, what a terrifying phrase – let him alone. When God lets a man go, judgment has already begun.
The Spirit Grieved Within Believers
To the church Paul pleads, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God” (Ephesians 4:30). How can we grieve Him? With bitterness, unforgiveness, unholy talk. The same Spirit who sealed us can be wounded by us. Isaiah 63:10 echoes the same sorrow. The flesh and Spirit “strive against one another” (Galatians 5:17), and we must choose daily which side wins.
The Spirit Despised by the Hardened
Hebrews 10:29 warns of those who “have done despite unto the Spirit of grace.” That is the ultimate rejection – turning from mercy with open eyes. Hebrews 6:4–6 describes those who were enlightened but fell away, crucifying the Son of God afresh. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers” (Matthew 23:31–32). When hearts despise the Spirit’s pleading, the cup of rebellion fills to the brim.
The Spirit Quenched in the Saints
To quench is to extinguish fire. Paul’s command is short but sharp: “Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). The fire of holiness fades when we ignore conviction. Galatians 5:25 urges, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” 2 Timothy 1:6 pleads, “Stir up the gift of God which is in thee.” Do not let the embers of faith turn cold.
The Spirit Blasphemed by the Reprobate
The most fearful warning of all: “Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven” (Matthew 12:31). Mark 3:29 says such a soul “is in danger of eternal damnation.” Why? Because the Spirit is the one who testifies of Jesus (John 15:26). To reject the Spirit’s witness is to reject the only Savior who can pardon.
A Final Plea
From Genesis to Revelation, the Holy Spirit is heaven’s voice striving with mankind concerning sin. He convicts, He warns, He grieves, and – if resisted long enough – He withdraws. Yet every warning is mercy. Every conviction is grace. Every call to repentance is love still knocking before the door shuts.
O friends, will you harden your heart today, or will you yield to the Spirit’s voice? When God strives, it’s not to destroy but to deliver. But when He ceases, judgment begins. Let us hear while there is still time. For the Spirit still pleads, “Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
Call to Action: The Question That Demands an AnswerIn Acts 2:37 Peter and the Apostles were asked the question – What Shall We do? And in Acts 2:38 Peter answered, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Do you understand this? After hearing the gospel and believing, they asked what should would do. The answer hasn’t changed friend, Peter clearly gave the answer. The question for you today is, Have you receieved the Holy Spirit Since you believed? If you’re ready to take that step, or you want to learn more about what it means to be born again of water and Spirit, visit: Come, and let the Spirit make you new. |