Today as we reflect
on the Holy Spirit who was sent as our Comforter as Jesus ascended into heaven,
we will come to understand that our beloved Holy Spirit has many names. The various names of the Holy Spirit in respect tells of the many functions he is
able to do for us. Let's take a look at
some of his names and meditate on his marvelous attributes, and as we become
more aware of his abilities the more we will be able to understand who he is in
us and for us.
Author of Scripture: (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16) The
Bible is inspired, literally “God-breathed,” by the Holy Spirit, the third
Person of the Trinity. The Spirit moved the authors of all 66 books to record
exactly what He breathed into their hearts and minds. As a ship is moved
through the water by wind in its sails, so the biblical writers were borne
along by the Spirit’s impulse.
Comforter / Counselor / Advocate: (Isaiah 11:2; John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7) All three words are
translations of the Greek parakletos,
from which we get “Paraclete,” another name for the Spirit. When Jesus went
away, His disciples were greatly distressed because they had lost His
comforting presence. But He promised to send the Spirit to comfort, console,
and guide those who belong to Christ. The Spirit also “bears witness” with our
spirits that we belong to Him and thereby assures us of salvation.
Convicter of Sin: (John 16:7-11) The Spirit
applies the truths of God to men’s own minds in order to convince them by fair
and sufficient arguments that they are sinners. He does this through the
conviction in our hearts that we are not worthy to stand before a holy God,
that we need His righteousness, and that judgment is certain and will come to
all men one day. Those who deny these truths rebel against the conviction of
the Spirit.
Deposit / Seal / Earnest: (2 Corinthians 1:22;
5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14)
The Holy Spirit is God’s seal on His people, His claim on us as His very own.
The gift of the Spirit to believers is a down payment on our heavenly
inheritance, which Christ has promised us and secured for us at the cross. It
is because the Spirit has sealed us that we are assured of our salvation. No
one can break the seal of God.
Guide: (John 16:13) Just as the
Spirit guided the writers of Scripture to record truth, so does He promise to
guide believers to know and understand that truth. God’s truth is “foolishness”
to the world, because it is “spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Those who belong to Christ have the indwelling Spirit who guides us into all we
need to know in regard to spiritual matters. Those who do not belong to Christ
have no “interpreter” to guide them to know and understand God’s Word.
Indweller of Believers: (Romans 8:9-11; Ephesians 2:21-22; 1 Corinthians 6:19)
The Holy Spirit resides in the hearts of God’s people, and that indwelling is
the distinguishing characteristic of the regenerated person. From within
believers, He directs, guides, comforts, and influences us, as well as
producing in us the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
He provides the intimate connection between God and His children. All true
believers in Christ have the Spirit residing in their hearts.
Intercessor: (Romans 8:26) One of the
most encouraging and comforting aspects of the Holy Spirit is His ministry of
intercession on behalf of those He inhabits. Because we often don’t know what
or how to pray when we approach God, the Spirit intercedes and prays for us. He
interprets our “groanings,” so that when we are oppressed and overwhelmed by
trials and the cares of life, He comes alongside to lend assistance as He
sustains us before the throne of grace.
Revealer / Spirit of Truth: (John 14:17; 16:13; 1 Corinthians
2:12-16) Jesus promised that, after the resurrection, the Holy Spirit would
come to “guide you into all truth.” Because of the Spirit in our hearts, we are
able to understand truth, especially in spiritual matters, in a way that
non-Christians cannot. In fact, the truth the Spirit reveals to us is
“foolishness” to them, and they cannot understand it. But we have the mind of
Christ in the Person of His Spirit within us.
Spirit of God / the Lord / Christ: (Matthew 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17;
1 Peter 1:11) These
names remind us that the Spirit of God is indeed part of the triune godhead and
that He is just as much God as the Father and the Son. He is first revealed to
us at the creation, when He was “hovering over the waters,” denoting His part
in creation, along with that of Jesus who “made all things” (John 1:1-3). We see this
same Trinity of God again at Jesus’ baptism, when the Spirit descends on Jesus
and the voice of the Father is heard.
Spirit of Life: (Romans 8:2) The phrase
“Spirit of life” means the Holy Spirit is the one who produces or gives life,
not that He initiates salvation, but rather that He imparts newness of life.
When we receive eternal life through Christ, the Spirit provides the spiritual
food that is the sustenance of the spiritual life. Here again, we see the
triune God at work. We are saved by the Father through the work of the Son, and
that salvation is sustained by the Holy Spirit.
Teacher: (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13)
Jesus promised that the Spirit would teach His disciples “all things” and bring
to their remembrance the things He said while He was with them. The writers of
the New Testament were moved by the Spirit to remember and understand the
instructions Jesus gave for the building and organizing of the Church, the
doctrines regarding Himself, the directives for holy living, and the revelation
of things to come.
Witness: (Romans 8:16; Hebrews 2:4; 10:15) The Spirit is
called “witness” because He verifies and testifies to the fact that we are
children of God, that Jesus and the disciples who performed miracles were sent
by God, and that the books of the Bible are divinely inspired. Further, by
giving the gifts of the Spirit to believers, He witnesses to us and the world
that we belong to God.
Names shared from: www.gotquestions.org
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