3. How may we grieve the holy spirit, and what danger is there in continuing to do this?

³ After we have dedicated ourselves to Jehovah God and we have decided to do his will, we have come under the active force of Jehovah God, his holy spirit.

 9. (a) What benefits are gained from the way in which the Bible has been written? (b) Why are the critics unjustified and proved wrong in their attitude? (c) What is the right attitude, and what are the results it brings to us?

⁹ No, the holy spirit and God’s Word are not persons in themselves, but, so to speak, they are both charged with his personality.

8, 9. What benefit do the great crowd derive from considering the furnishings of the Holy?

⁸ While they will never enter the antitypical Holy, the great crowd of foreigners learn valuable lessons from its furnishings.

The Bible identifies the oil as being representative of Jehovah’s holy spirit. (Compare Zechariah 4:2-6.)

10. (a) As to the holy spirit, what can happen to us if worldly desires are left unchecked? (b) So what will help us to resist the world and its enticements?

¹⁰ If left unchecked, worldly desires can cause us to grieve God’s holy spirit by disregarding it, taking a course contrary to its leading and setting our heart on objectives other than those toward which the spirit would impel us.

 9. What is the relationship between faith and holy spirit?

⁹ The truth upon which faith is based is found in the Bible, a product of God’s holy spirit. (2 Samuel 23:2; Zechariah 7:12; Mark 12:36)

 9. How are we not to grieve the spirit, and of what help is it to us when studying God’s Word?

⁹ Because of the important part the spirit performs in us as Christians, we should not grieve it by working against its operation or by living contrary to that which it seals us as being, namely, God’s possession, children belonging to him.

Jesus realizes that they want to question him, so he explains: “Most truly I say to you, You will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice; you will be grieved, but your grief will be turned into joy.”

The next afternoon, when Jesus is killed, the worldly religious leaders rejoice, but the disciples grieve.

 7. (a) What important ‘order’ is here given? (b) Having received God’s spirit, why must we never let down our guard?

⁷ The first ‘order’ relates to good morals.

Paul states forthrightly: “This is what God wills, the sanctifying of you, that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you should know how to get possession of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in covetous sexual appetite such as also those nations have which do not know God.”

This may not be a pleasant task, but his withholding reproof where it is required may indicate that he is taking sides with the one sinning, thus becoming a partner with him. (Prov. 29:24)

The reproof administered is a kindness to one who may take a false step unawares. (Gal. 6:1)

● How is it possible for one to “grieve” the holy spirit, since it is not a person?—H.