<----BACK

 

 

REPRESENTING THE HOLY SPIRIT

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (I Corinthians 3:16)

The titles and emblems representing the Holy Spirit provide knowledge of His nature and functions on behalf of the believer. Titles and emblems of the Holy Spirit are the subject of this introduction to the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

TITLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

A title is a descriptive phrase which explains a person's position and/or function. For example, if a person has the title of "President" of a country, it explains his position in government and his function as leader of the nation.

The titles given to the Holy Spirit in the Bible reveal much about His position and function. The Holy Spirit is called:

THE SPIRIT OF GOD:

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (I Corinthians 3:16)

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST:

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. (Romans 8:9)

THE ETERNAL SPIRIT:

This means the Holy Spirit is everlasting, with no beginning and no end:

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)

THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH:

 

The Holy Spirit is the source of truth which inspired God's Word, the Bible. He reveals this truth to mankind:

Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come. (John 16:13)

THE SPIRIT OF GRACE:

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace. (Hebrews 10:29)

THE SPIRIT OF LIFE:

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

THE SPIRIT OF GLORY:

If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye: for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. (I Peter 4:14)

THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION:

The Holy Spirit gives wisdom to believers and reveals knowledge of Jesus Christ:

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. (Ephesians 1:17)

THE COMFORTER:

The Holy Spirit comforts believers in times of trouble, sorrow, and loneliness:

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name... (John 14:26)

THE SPIRIT OF PROMISE:

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of promise because He is the Spirit that was sent to fulfill the promise of God:

And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:4-5)

THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS:

And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1:4)

THE SPIRIT OF FAITH:

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believe and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak. (II Corinthians 4:13)

THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION:

It is through the Holy Spirit that we are "adopted" into the family of God as the children of God:

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)

EMBLEMS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Bible uses several emblems to represent the Holy Spirit. An emblem represents something. It is a symbol which has a special meaning. The following are emblems used in the Bible to represent the Holy Spirit:

THE DOVE:

The Holy Spirit was revealed in the form of a dove at the time of the baptism of Jesus. This emblem of the Holy Spirit indicates approval, purity, and peace:

And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. (John 1:32)

Approval:

And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. (John 1:32)

Peace:

And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. (Psalms 55:6)

Purity:

My dove, my undefiled, is but one... (Song of Solomon 6:9)

OIL:

Oil is used in the Bible as a symbol or emblem of the Holy Spirit. Oil indicates light, healing, and anointing for service. All of these are given to a believer through the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. (Luke 4:18)

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Hebrews 1:9)

WATER:

Water signifies the new life and cleansing from sin that the Holy Spirit brings to the believer. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit being like water:

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)

For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. (Isaiah 44:3)

A SEAL:

A seal is a special mark indicating ownership. It also indicates a finished transaction. The Holy Spirit has sealed believers as belonging to God. It indicates their salvation is a finished work.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13)

And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (II Corinthians 1:22)

WIND:

The wind is also an emblem of the Holy Spirit. It represents the power of the Holy Spirit:

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:1-2)

You cannot see the wind in the natural world, but you can certainly see visible effects of the wind. In the natural world the wind has special functions. These functions are natural parallels of the functions of the "wind" of the Holy Spirit:

Wind Produces Life:

It scatters seeds as it blows and this brings new growth. The Holy Spirit produces life through the seeds of the Word of God as they are scattered in the hearts and minds of men. This life is not only eternal life of salvation, but mature spiritual life through spiritual fruit which result from the seed of the Word.

Wind Separates The Wheat From The Chaff:

It purifies as it blows away the debris. The Holy Spirit serves as a purifying power in the life of the believer.

Wind Fans Dying Coals And Sets Them Ablaze:

The wind of the Holy Spirit "fans" God's people in revival and makes them a flaming fire of ministry to the world.

FIRE:

Fire is another emblem of the Holy Spirit. Fire signifies:

The Presence Of The Lord: And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush: and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. (Exodus 3:2)

Approval Of The Lord:

And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat; and when the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. (Leviticus 9:24)

Protection And Guidance:

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them in the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night. (Exodus 13:21)

Purifying:

Isaiah 6:1-8 tells of the Prophet Isaiah being purified by the fire of the Holy Spirit. Read this passage in your Bible.

The Gift Of The Holy Spirit:

When the Holy Spirit was first given, fire was used as a symbol of His presence:

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. (Acts 2:3)

Judgment:

For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29)

REPRESENTING THE HOLY SPIRIT

The names and emblems representing the Holy Spirit reveal only some of His purposes and ministry.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

In the New Testament there are 261 passages which refer to the Holy Spirit. He is mentioned:

-56 times in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

-57 times in the book of Acts.

-148 times in the remaining New Testament.

Read the entire New Testament through. As you read, circle each mention of the Holy Spirit. Study these passages to increase your knowledge of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

Return To Main Menu