God's Name Spirit; Holy Spirit; Holy Ghost

The words, spirit and ghost, are derived from the Greek word pneuma.  The word, pneuma, denotes wind, breath, air, and spirit, all of which are invisible and immaterial. The words, Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit are both translated from the Greek, hagion pneuma and the word, Spirit, is translated from pneuma in the new testament.

The first mention of the word, Spirit, in reference to God is found in Gen. 1:2: "And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." In John 4:24 we read, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." While the scriptures teach us there are many spirits in the world, we find that God is "the Holy Spirit." The word holy means separate, unique, one of a kind.

There are several works of God which He does primarily under the name "Spirit:"

1. The inspiration of the scriptures.
a. II Tim. 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God..."
b. II Pet. 1:21 "For the prophesy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

2. Moved the prophets to prophecy.

a. I Sam. 10:10, 11 "And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw him, behold, he prophesied among the prophets..."
b. II Sam. 23:2 "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue."

3. Empowers the gospel ministry to preach.

a. 1 Cor. 2:4 "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."
b. Rom. 15:19 "Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."

4. Causes the elect to be born again.

a. John 3:5, 6 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
b. John 6:63 "It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
c. Tit. 3:4, 5 "But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

5. Writes God's laws in the hearts of the elect.

a. II Cor. 3:3 "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."
b. Rom. 2:15 "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another."

6. Imparts spiritual gifts to the child of God.

a. I Cor. 12:4 11 "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit...But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit...But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will."
b. I Cor. 14:1 "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts..."

7. Delivers us from the law of sin and death:

Rom. 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

8. Indwells the heart of the child of God:

Rom. 8:9, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you."

9. Resurrects our mortal bodies:

Rom. 8:11, "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

10. Leads the children of God:

Rom. 8:14, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

11. Bears witness with our spirit:

Rom. 8:16, "The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God."

12. Helps our infirmities:

Rom. 8:26, 27, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

13. Reveals the things of God to the children of God:

1 Cor. 2:9 13, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

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Sun of Righteousness

Throughout the pages of the scriptures we find that God has illustrated to us great spiritual principles and truths by using the characteristics and qualities of things in nature. Accordingly, God has used the characteristics and qualities of the sun to illustrate great spiritual principles of Jesus Christ.

In this essay we will compare ten characteristics of the sun to the person and work of Jesus Christ. First, the sun arises to drive away the darkness of the night. Several verses of scripture compare Jesus to the rising of the sun:

1. Mal. 4:2, "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings..."
2. II Sam. 23:4, "And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds..."
3. Lk. 1:78, 79, "Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
4. II Cor. 4:6, "For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
5. II Pet. 1:19, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts."
6. Rev. 22:16, "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."

A few points about Jesus compared to the rising sun are:

1. Jesus first coming into the world was at a time of great spiritual darkness upon the nation of Israel. For hundreds of years they had been in captivity (Babylonian, Medo Persian, Greece, Rome) and for nearly four hundred years they had no prophet. Their own religious exercises had been greatly corrupted both from without and from within. No wonder it was said at the coming of Jesus, "They that sat in darkness have seen a great light."

2. When a child of God begins to see his own depravity and corruptness he cries out in the darkness of his own heart and soul. It is into the darkness of this poor sinner's heart that Jesus shines as the rising sun driving away the darkness of the night.

Second, the sun shines in great strength. Ps. 19:4, 5 compares Jesus to the strength of the sun: "In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race." Jesus, as a strong man, ran the race set before him. He came to save his people from their sins. He kept the law to a jot and a tittle. He fulfilled all prophecies. He defeated all of our enemies sin, death, hell, grave, devil. He arose victorious over the grave. He is the strength of God's everlasting covenant. He has never failed and never will.

Third, the sun is consistent in its course. Jesus is compared to the consistency of the sun in Ps. 19:6: "His going forth is from the end of heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it. From the perspective of the inhabitants of the earth, the sun rises every morning and sets every evening. The sun has a set course and stays on that course. Our natural lives depend on the consistency of the sun. Similarly, Jesus, as the Son of God changes not. He cannot lie, he cannot fail or be discouraged and whatsoever he says is yea and amen. Because of this characteristic of Jesus our eternal salvation is sure.

Fourth, the sun has a set course or race as previously set forth in Ps. 19:5, 6. So did Jesus Christ, as his course is outlined in the covenant of redemption in Rom. 8:28 30. While we are to run with patience the race set before us, we have our example Jesus, "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Fifth, the sun is the brightest natural object from the perspective of an observer on earth. Jesus Christ has a brightness that is even brighter than the sun:

1. Matt. 17:2, "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun..."
2. Acts 26:13, "At midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me."
3. Rev. 22:16, "I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star."

Sixth, the sun endures throughout this timely age. In comparison we read concerning Jesus Christ:

1. Ps. 72:17, "His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun..."
2. Ps. 89:36, "His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me."

Seventh, the sun gives off heat to warm the earth. As Ps. 19:4 6 is a comparison of the sun to Christ, so Christ warms the heart of his children with his felt presence from time to time.

Eighth, the sun has healing qualities. Similarly we read in Mal. 4:2 that the "Sun of righteousness will arise with healing in his wings."  Jesus has healed the broken hearted, he causes the spiritually blind to see, he causes the spiritually deaf to hear, he heals and cleanses us from the leprosy of sin, etc.

Ninth, the sun gives us natural light. In comparison Jesus Christ is our spiritual light:

1. Lk. 1:79, "To give light to them that sit in darkness..."
2. Eph. 5:14, "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
3. II Cor. 4:6, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
4. Rev. 21:23, "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."
5. Rev. 22:5, "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."

Tenth, the sun has a brilliance or glory: I Cor. 15:41, "There is one glory of the sun..." Accordingly, "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus..."
(Acts 3:13). Also, Jesus is "the brightness of his (God's) glory and the express image of his person (Heb. 1:3). Thus, "to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."