IV. THE NAMES OF THE HOLY GHOST
A. The Spirit
I Cor. 2:10 “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
1. The word means "breath" or "wind." Both thoughts are in the word as
applied to the Holy Spirit.
a. Breath
John 20:22 — "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost."
Genesis 2:7 — "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
Job 33:4 “"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life."
Taken together, these passages show the idea of the Spirit as the breath of Christ and of God.
b. Wind
Acts 2:2 “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.”
The wind is powerful to change the landscape. In the life of the believer
the wind of the Spirit can do monumental landscaping. Derickson’s Notes
2. The full significance of this name as applied to the Holy Spirit may be beyond us to fathom, but this much seems clear:
a. The Spirit is the outbreathing of God, His life going forth to quicken.
Possibly we should note the fact that the breath is itself the vital principle, and some have thought that the Spirit is therefore the inmost life of God.
b. The Spirit, like the wind, is: (Invisible, Powerful)
John 3:8 “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.”
B. The Spirit of God
1 Corinthians 3:16 — "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"
This name includes the same essential thought as the former, but emphasizes His divine origin, character and power. R. A. Torrey
He is not named “Spirit” because He is spiritual in essence, for that may be similarly predicated of the Father and the Son. Nor has the adjective “Holy” special reference to His nature as being more holy than the Father or Son. God is called “Holy Father”. Jesus was called “Thy holy Child”. He is no more holy than either of the other Persons
of the Godhead. The word has reference to His official character, and conveys the thought of that He is Author of all holiness. J. Oswald Sanders.
C. The Spirit of His Son
Galatians 4:6 — "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying, Abba, Father."
D. The Spirit of Jesus Christ
Philippians 1:19 — "For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ."
The Spirit is not merely the spirit of the eternal Word, but the spirit of the Word
incarnate, Jesus Christ. It is the man Jesus exalted to the right hand of the Father who receives and sends the Spirit. R. A. Torrey
E. The Holy Spirit
Luke 11:13 "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
F. The Spirit of Holiness
Romans 1:4 "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
G. The Holy Spirit of Promise
Ephesians1:13 “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, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
H. The Spirit of Truth
John 16:13 "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."
He is so called because it is His distinctive work to communicate and impart truth to us. All truth is from Him, and only as we subject ourselves to His teaching can He lead us into all truth. As Defender of truth, He is opposed to the “spirit of error.” J. Oswald Sanders pg 31
I. The Spirit of Grace
Hebrews 10:29"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?"
This name brings out the fact that it is the Holy Spirit's work to administer and to apply the grace of God. Not only is He gracious, but He is making ours, experientially, the multifold grace of God. R. A. Torrey
As we allow Him to show through, we will become gracious acting people — we will have grace toward others. I have met some believers that are so very caustic in their dealing with other people. I often wonder how they are related to their God. If God is full of grace, and He indwells us, then how can we not be gracious, if we are in a proper relationship with Him? Derickson’s Notes
The grace of God which is always potentially ours, becomes ours in experience only as
We receive it through the ministry of the Spirit of grace. J. Oswald Sanders, pg 31
J. The Comforter
John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in
My name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
John 15:26 "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."
The word translated "Comforter" means far more than just that. It means literally "one called to another's side," the idea being one is at hand to take another's part. The thought is that the Holy Spirit is one who is called to our side, one who is ever ready "to stand by us," to take our part. It is a wonderfully tender name for this Holy One. R. A. Torrey
K. The Holy Ghost
Matthew 1:18 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”
Matthew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:”
He is holy, He is our Holy guide, He is our Holy Leader, He is our Holy teacher, He is
our Holy Comforter. He is holy at all times. Any ministry He has with us is a holy
ministry, one that is free from sin, free from error, and free from all possibility of error.
A ministry and minister to trust. Derickson’s Notes
Romans 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
His presence should result in the love of God flowing out through us. This will automatically result as we walk with Him and allow the Spirit to work in and through us. This love of God is not something that we must struggle to produce, it is not something that we should concentrate on doing, it is something that will automatically become a part of our daily life, if we are in a proper relationship to Him. Loving the unlovely, befriending the friendless and ministering to the miserable, is not something that
we as humans automatically do, but it is something that we as believing humans will automatically do — if we are correctly related to God. Derickson’s Notes
