Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Quenching the Spirit

What are the "wiles of the devil" that Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses in his sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the "wiles of the devil" manifest in various ways, particularly in attacks upon the individual Christian's experience. He mentions how the devil attacks the mind, our feelings, and our experience in general. One of the most significant ways the devil works is by persuading Christians to "quench the Spirit." Since the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ (whom the devil hates) and mediates salvation to believers, the devil's strategy is to somehow get Christians to quench the Spirit's work in their lives, thus hindering their spiritual growth and effectiveness.

What does it mean to "quench the Spirit" according to the sermon?

To "quench the Spirit" refers to suppressing or hindering the Holy Spirit's work in a believer's life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones references 1 Thessalonians 5:19, "Quench not the Spirit," and explains that quenching the Spirit means diminishing the fire, power, and life-giving energy that the Holy Spirit brings. When believers quench the Spirit, they lack the light, understanding, warmth, joy, power, and vigor that should characterize the Christian life. The result is a Christian who is lethargic, lacking in spiritual vitality, and ineffective in their witness.

What are the tests to determine if we are quenching the Spirit?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several tests to determine if we are quenching the Spirit:

1. The test of light and understanding - Do we know what we believe? Do we understand the way of salvation?
2. The test of warmth and heart - Is there warmth, fellowship, and love in our Christian life?
3. The test of praise, joy, and radiance - Are we experiencing the fruit of the Spirit?
4. The test of power - Are we aware of the power of the Spirit working in us?
5. The test of life and vigor - Is there energy and liveliness in our spiritual life?
6. The test of ability - Do we have ability to live, witness, and pray effectively?
7. The test of boldness - Do we have courage in our Christian testimony?

If these qualities are lacking, we are likely quenching the Spirit.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the power of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the power of the Holy Spirit as like fire - energetic, unstoppable, and transformative. This power is manifested in:

1. Prompting and urging believers in their spiritual walk
2. Leading believers (Romans 8:14)
3. Creating life, vigor, and liveliness in contrast to spiritual deadness
4. Providing energy that moves believers forward rather than having to drag themselves
5. Giving ability to live the Christian life and to witness effectively
6. Enabling effective prayer
7. Producing boldness and courage even in difficult circumstances

He cites examples like the transformation of the apostles after Pentecost and Paul's testimony about "striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily" (Colossians 1:29).

What are the ways Christians quench the Spirit according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several ways Christians quench the Spirit:

1. Limiting in their thinking the possibilities of life in the Spirit - especially by identifying the baptism of the Holy Spirit with regeneration
2. Believing the Spirit's special work was only for the first Christians and not for today
3. Thinking the Spirit's power is only for certain exceptional Christians, not ordinary believers
4. Formalism - allowing services and Christian life to become mechanical, dignified, and predictable without room for the Spirit's freedom
5. Fear of excesses - being so afraid of spiritual enthusiasm that they avoid all manifestations of the Spirit
6. Not responding to the Spirit when He speaks, prompts, or convicts
7. Not stirring up the gift that is in them - allowing spiritual laziness and failing to fan the flame of the Spirit's work

What is Dr. Lloyd-Jones' view on the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones strongly argues that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not identical with regeneration (being born again). He calls it "a terrible heresy" and "wrong teaching" to identify the baptism of the Holy Spirit with regeneration. He points out that the apostles were regenerate before the day of Pentecost, demonstrating that baptism of the Holy Spirit is something separate from initial conversion.

He states: "Baptism of the Holy Ghost is not identical with regeneration. It is something separate. I don't care how long the interval. There's a difference. There is an interval. They're not identical." In his view, this baptism is a distinct experience that brings power, assurance, and effectiveness to the believer's life. He believes that Christians who deny this possibility are unintentionally quenching the Spirit and missing out on the fullness of spiritual life.

How does formalism in the church quench the Spirit according to the sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, formalism is "the greatest curse of the church." Formalism manifests in:

1. Services that are rigidly structured with everything "worked out to the minute as detail"
2. Excessive focus on ceremony, processions, and ritual
3. Congregations merely watching rather than participating
4. Overemphasis on dignity and decorum at the expense of spiritual life
5. Christians being produced "like postage stamps in a pub" - uniform and lacking individuality
6. A Christianity that has its set place in one's program but doesn't disturb or challenge

He suggests that formalism leaves little room for the Spirit to work freely and spontaneously. While acknowledging that "the Holy Spirit can even use a liturgy," he notes that "he has to break through it." Dr. Lloyd-Jones believes that the Christian church "is dying of dignity, dying of decorum with our beautiful, perfect services" while lacking "the breath of the Spirit" and "the power and the fire of the Spirit."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the relationship between the Holy Spirit and revival?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones affirms that the work of the Holy Spirit is directly connected to revival. He refutes the idea that Pentecost was a one-time event, citing Peter's words that "the promise is unto you and to your children and to as many as are afar off" (Acts 2:39). He states that "every revival is a repetition of the day of Pentecost" where "God, blessed be his name, has poured forth his spirit many times since the day of Pentecost."

He describes revival as experiences where people are "meeting together, not expecting anything in particular" when "suddenly the Holy Spirit comes down upon them. They're aware of a power and a presence filling the whole building. They're taken up and out of themselves." He notes that in revival, "people start praying who've never prayed in public in their lives. And they pray in private as they've never prayed in their lives. It's the spirit coming in power."

Lloyd-Jones believes the church's ineffectiveness and the world's condition are directly related to the absence of this revival power of the Spirit.

How should Christians properly respond to the Holy Spirit according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christians should respond to the Holy Spirit by:

1. Having correct doctrine about the Spirit and His operations
2. Coming to church expecting to meet with God and experience "the gracious influences of his spirit"
3. Being open to the Spirit's leading and promptings
4. Responding immediately when the Spirit convicts, urges, or moves
5. Not resisting the Spirit out of fear, comfort, or laziness
6. "Stirring up the gift" within them - actively fanning the flame of the Spirit
7. Making room for the Spirit and yielding to His influences
8. Being willing to be disturbed and moved out of comfort zones
9. Avoiding formalism and rigid structures that limit the Spirit's freedom
10. Seeking the fullness of what the Spirit offers, including assurance, power, and joy

He warns against the tragic experience described in Song of Solomon 5, where the bride delays responding to her beloved and then finds he has withdrawn. Similarly, believers who ignore the Spirit's promptings may find themselves unable to sense His presence when they later seek Him.