Continuing our Names & Titles of the Holy Spirit series in this article we are going to look at the term Holy Spirit in the Bible. I am using the KJV which uses the term Holy Ghost more often than Holy Spirit…
Take Not Thy Holy Spirit From Me
The first time we see this title used in the book of Psalms after David has done some very bad things and in repenting, he is pleading with God to create within him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him. (Ps 51:10). You can imagine the helplessness.
How could I have sinned so badly? Please Lord fix this dark heart of mine. Create a clean one I don’t like what I have done with this. How could I become so evil? Please Lord renew the right spirit inside me. Please erase this badness inside me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. (Psa 51:11) And so here is the Holy Spirit mentioned.
In all of my sins, please Lord don’t cast me away from your presence. The thought of it is more than he can bare as the consequences of the evil he has committed are hitting home. And then he said, take not your holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Psa 51:12) – Sin has cost him his joy. He is yearning to be restored. To be liberated from depths of despair that he is now in all through his own doing.
You can feel the sincerity and the yearning in this Psalm as you read it and I certainly feel it when we sing it as a chorus. Put yourself in David’s shoes and see where he is coming from when he is writing this Psalm.
Perhaps you have done something that you are not proud of and it is weighing heavy on you but you still love the Lord just like David and want restoration. This is a song/prayer of hope for you as well.
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. (Psa 51:13)
Once you are restored you can teach other transgressors God’s ways and convert sinners to God. You can relate to them now, maybe once you thought you were bulletproof. Maybe you were a little like Peter who bragged I’ll never deny you, Jesus.
But at some stage, you don’t measure up as high as you thought. Now you can teach transgressors with understanding, compassion, and humility.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. (Psa 51:14)
Oh my… can you feel this from David? Because he has shed innocent blood. You can sense he is in sin’s prison pleading with the Lord to release him.
O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psa 51:15-17)
God doesn’t want sacrifice. You can’t buy your way out of wrongdoing. We need to be like David and offer to God the sacrifice of a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart.
He said, Open my lips Lord so that my mouth can praise thee. Praising the Lord is something we do all the time and it is so fabulous to do so. You don’t know what you are missing until you can’t do it anymore – don’t take praising the Lord for granted.
Of course, we know the Lord did hear David’s heartfelt cry as will hear yours. And we are told in the New Testament that he will never leave thee or forsake thee. (Heb 13:5)
Israel Vexed The Holy Spirit
But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit. (Isa 63:10) Oh Israel, the Lord is telling them he delivered them out of Egypt.
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. (Isa 63:9)
But despite such a great deliverance they rebelled and vexed the Holy Spirit. And how often do we see this pattern with Israel throughout the Old Testament? A lot!!
Grieve Not The Holy Spirit
The word vex means to cause grief, hurt, and pain. This is a good lesson for us because we are also asked not to grieve the Holy Spirit. (Eph 4:30)
The Holy Spirit has changed our lives. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit. The benefits of the Holy Spirit are limitless. Why would we want to hurt him? Why would we want to cause him grief?
Let’s not be unfaithful.
Given To Everyone Who Asks
How often have you heard, knock and the door shall be opened, seek and ye shall find, ask and it shall be given to you? (Luk 11:9-12)
But sadly, you don’t often hear in the context of what you are knocking, searching, and asking for which is outlined for us in the next verse.
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? (Luke 11:13)
It is all about knocking, seeking, and asking for the Holy Spirit. And to be clear Jesus said… your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them ask him. Therefore… ASK!!!
Sealed By The Holy Spirit
We are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise (Eph 1:13). There is so much in this statement I need a separate article to cover it all but for now…
Seal means to mark with a seal. I always say that people are so busy looking for, guessing, speculating, and making wild claims about the mark of the beast that they miss the fact that there is a mark of the Lord they need.
And if they don’t have the mark of the Lord knowing about the mark of the beast isn’t going to help them any. You need to be sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
The word seal also means to confirm authenticate, and place beyond doubt. When you receive the Holy Spirit you are receiving confirmation from God himself that you are an authentic, certified Christian so that both you and anyone else can have no doubt that it is so.
God Has Given Us The Holy Spirit
He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. (1Th 4:8)
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. (1 Cor 2:12)
How wonderful it is to have received the Holy Spirit from God. Nothing compares. Amen
You may also be interested in… Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit Names Series)
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