The Holy Spirit and his symbols

What do you imagine when you hear the words ‘The Holy Spirit’? It’s easier to think about Jesus, God the Son, because he took a human body. But how do we understand God the Father and God the Holy Spirit when both have no physical form? The Bible uses symbols - pictures - to teach us about the Spirit’s work. As we consider some of these symbols, remember that the Holy Spirit is a real person - the third Person of the divine Trinity. Biblical writers place the Holy Spirit alongside the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Ephesians 2:18).

Sin makes us dirty - the Spirit washes us clean. Speaking to Nicodemus, a Jewish teacher, Jesus said, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). By using the word ‘water’, he is not teaching that we become Christians in baptism; rather he is speaking about the cleansing activity of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ words are rooted in Old Testament passages such as Psalm 51:7-11 and Ezekiel 36:25-27. David prayed, Wash me and I will be whiter than snow … create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Ezekiel tells us God’s promise, I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your iniquities … I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. … I will put my Spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

At conversion, the Spirit leads us to Christ whose blood washes away our sin and then he gives us a new heart and comes to live within us. The Spirit continues to wash us from sin by his work of sanctification. Paul writes about regeneration and sanctification in Titus 3:5, He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus compares the Spirit’s work to wind in his conversation with Nicodemus. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (John 3:8). The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost suddenly like the blowing of a violent wind (Acts 2:1). The Spirit’s work is both mysterious and powerful. He breaks the sinner’s stubborn will. He changes sinners into saints.

The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, not only like wind, but also as tongues of fire resting on the heads of each believer (Acts 2:3). Anticipating Pentecost, John the Baptist spoke about Christ who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). Fire speaks of purity and power. The Spirit convicts of sin; he burns the rubbish of sin to make us more like Christ. Revival begins with a deep sense of sin among believers. The Spirit-anointed preaching of the apostles turned the world upside down; similar things have happened, through preaching, in times of revival (Acts 17:6, NKJ).

In the Old Testament, prophets, priests and kings, were anointed with oil when they took up public duties. The Holy Spirit came on Christ - the word means ‘anointed’ - at his baptism just before he began his ministry. Shortly afterwards, he read in the synagogue in Nazareth, from Isaiah 61, The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor (Luke 3:21-23, 4:14-21). The word Christian comes from Christ; the Holy Spirit who anointed Christ, anoints his followers too. The apostle John calls the Spirit, the anointing. You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth (1 John 2:20). He equips us to serve the Lord.

All four Gospels describe the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on Christ at his baptism (Matthew 4:16). The dove is a symbol of purity, gentleness, harmlessness and tenderness – we see all these qualities in Christ’s life. Jesus said, I am sending you like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves and I am gentle and humble in heart. The gentle Saviour invites the weary and burdened to come to him (Matthew 11:28-30).

Disciples of the gracious Saviour should pray …

Gracious Spirit, dwell with me!
I myself would gracious be,
And with words that help and heal
Would thy life in mine reveal;
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ, my Saviour, speak.

Just as a shepherd brands his sheep with his own distinctive seal, so God puts his mark of ownership on believers. The Holy Spirit himself is the seal. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). No one can snatch God’s sheep from his powerful hands or from the nail-pierced hands of Christ (John 10:28-30). The seal also shows that we are authentic believers. The seal is the Spirit of adoption who assures us that we belong to God and are part of his family forever (Romans 8:15-16). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is the deposit guaranteeing entrance into our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14). We cannot lose the inheritance nor can we be lost on the way to the inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-5). The best is yet to be!