Do not put out the Spirit’s fire. 1 Thessalonians 5:19, NIV
Paul is talking to Christians who know the power of God working in their lives. They are living to please God (4:1). They have been taught by God (4:9). They are encouraging one another (5:11). And they are standing firm in the Lord (3:8). This is a model church, and yet he says to them: “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.”
God was doing something wonderful among these people. The gospel came to them not only in words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. The life of Christ was being reproduced in them. The fire of the Holy Spirit was burning.
But Paul was concerned that in some way this flame would be put out, that in some way the work God was doing in this place would be doused, like a person throwing a bucket of water over a barbeque grill.
Can that really happen in a church? Yes, unfortunately it can. You can visit some of the great cathedrals in Europe where the gospel was once preached, and the fire of the Spirit once burned. You can visit ancient sites in Turkey where living churches once thrived.
J. I. Packer writes in Keep in Step with the Spirit: “While one may effectively put out a fire by dousing it, one cannot make it burn again simply by stopping pouring water. It has to be lighted afresh. Similarly, when the Spirit has been quenched, it is beyond our power to undo the damage we have done; we can only cry to God in penitence, asking that He will revive his work.”
Cry out to God and ask Him to revive the work of His Spirit in your church, and in churches all around the world.
