Evangelical Churches Catch Suits From ‘Spirit’ Falls – ABC News

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29-32).

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry (my first impulse is to cry) at this ABC News story. It seems as if charismatic churches are the target of numerous law suits alleging they are negligent when parishioners, while being “slain in the Spirit,” uncontrollably fall during their fits of ecstasy and injure themselves or other attendees.

I know we live in a ridiculously litigious society and decry the stereotypical “ambulance chasing lawyer,” but this is outrageous. Taking a clue, I guess, from the Nebraska State Senator who sued “God” and lost (see State Sen. Ernie Chambers Sues God – Omaha News Story – KETV Omaha), these folks have decided that suing the 3rd person of the Trinity would be considered frivolous by the court system. So they take legal action against churches that practice these types of services, during which they are presumably injured.

Which takes me to our focal passage. Now I’m in no way saying that these claimants are literally “grieving the Spirit” anymore than I’m saying that the defendants aren’t. I’m thinking about the broader context of Paul’s warning to the church at Ephesus. Grieving the Spirit is serious; it’s an affront to God. But the context here has much to do with our attitudes, words, and actions toward others. The Apostle talks about building others up in grace and putting away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander. He tells us to be kind to others and to be forgivers. Doing, or not doing, these things can grieve the Spirit of God as well.

So the lesson to us? Though we may be disgusted by those would charge the church with negligence because they couldn’t litigate the Holy Spirit, we must be careful that we aren’t offending God in a different way. How do we treat others? How do we talk to and about them? Are we divisive; ones who harbor grudges? Our answers may indicate if we are potentially grieving the Spirit just as much as those who choose such senseless and despicable legal actions. Maybe the charge God would bring against us is that we grieve Him in our relationships with others, whether we file a suit against them or not.

Think about it!

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