Quench One Fire to Re-kindle Another

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
Print, Study and Apply

Title: Quench One Fire to Re-kindle Another ------------------- Date: 5/3/2001
Keywords: "fire" "Holy Spirit" "quench"
Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:19*

Do not quench the Spirit;

Questions

1. What mental image does the word "quench" bring to mind? (what gets quenched in the physical world?)

 

2. To what, then, is the Holy Spirit likened, if He can be quenched?

 

Practical help

In the second chapter of Acts, the Holy Spirit manifested Himself by appearing as "tongues, as of fire, resting on each one" of the disciples. So, on the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit was revealed to be fiery, AND as communicating that fire to Jesus’ followers. With the fire burning, they went on to proclaim Jesus to those in Jerusalem.

Now, jump of our verse for the day, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, where Paul tells Christians to not "quench the Spirit." That tells us that the Holy Spirit is still fiery, and that He still wants to communicate that fire through us, Jesus’ followers.

Today, many Christians do not experience the full measure of the Holy Spirit’s fire in their lives. The context of 1 Thessalonians 5 explains, in large measure, why that is the case.

In the context in which we find the command to not "quench the Spirit" Paul lists other commands - "pray without ceasing" "give thanks in everything" "rejoice always" and "don’t despise prophetic utterances" (probably referring to the preaching of the Word of God). And, he lists one more practice that is especially relevant to eXXit readers. Paul says, "abstain from every form of evil."

Pornography is a fire that consumes and destroys. Involvement with it will even "quench" the good fire of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian wants the Spirit’s fire coursing through his life. To re-kindle the Spirit’s fire in your life, quench the fire of porn!

eXXit homepage
Index of three-minute studies
Copyright 2001 by eXXit
*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."