The Holy Spirit is perhaps the most mysterious member of the Trinity. Just the word “Spirit” seems vague and nebulous. The biblical word for “Spirit” is a translation of the Hebrew ruach and the Greek pneuma, which mean something like spirit, breath, or wind. At first blush, this makes the Holy Spirit seem like a force. But in reality, the Holy Spirit is a He, not an It.
How do we begin to describe this mysterious Spirit? The Bible gives many names to the Holy Spirit including comforter, helper, teacher, guarantee, etc. It also uses metaphors such as wind, breath, fire, and water. Throughout history, several Christians have sought to synthesize these names and metaphors, offering titles that explain the identity and role of the Spirit. These titles are an attempt to summarize the truths that the biblical names and metaphors reveal. In this article, I want to highlight three of these summarizing titles: Giver of Life, Perfector, and Uniter. These titles teach us essential aspects of who the Spirit is and what he accomplishes in our lives.
1. Giver of Life
This title comes straight from the Nicene Creed, and it synthesizes multiple biblical images. Scripture describes the Spirit using the images of (1) breath/wind and (2) water, to powerfully convey that He is the Giver of Life.
- Breath and Wind
The word “Spirit” is a translation of the Hebrew ruach and Greek pneuma. Stephen Gurthrie points out that these words can also mean “breath” or “wind,” which communicates a mysterious, unquantifiable wildness.1 In other words, the Spirit is untameable. We cannot control him. Why this imagery of breath and wind?
We utterly depend on the Spirit for our spiritual life. Without this life-giving Spirit, we are dead and enslaved to our own sin, and cannot have fellowship with God. John 3:5-8, “Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’”
The untameable Spirit breathes new life into sinners, so they can enter the Kingdom of God. The Old Testament has a vivid example of the Spirit’s life-giving power, in Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones. Ezekiel 37:9-10, “Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Without the Giver of Life, we have as much hope as those dry bones. Just as God breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7), so the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, makes people who are dead in their sin spring to life anew.
- Water
Scripture also uses the imagery of water to describe the life-giving power of the Spirit. In Isaiah 44:3-4, God declares, “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams.” When God pours out his Spirit like a river of life, a parched desert becomes a vibrant paradise.
This river of life flows from the Father and Son and will continue so for all eternity Revelations 22:1 describes the paradise that awaits believers, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Though the Spirit is not explicitly named, the passage does mention the first two members of the Trinity (God and the Lamb). Given that the Spirit is often associated with water in Scripture, many theologians have interpreted this river of life as the Holy Spirit, who will give life and joy to the new creation forever.
2. Perfecter
The Spirit perfects all the works of the Triune God. This does not mean the Spirit corrects some fault in the works of the Father or Son; it simply means the Spirit completes those works. According to the puritan John Owen, “In every great work of God, the concluding, completing, perfecting acts are ascribed unto the Holy Ghost.”2
The Spirit completes the work of creation as he hovers over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:3). The Spirit is poured out in the last days when he brings God’s ordained plan of redemption to completion (Acts 2:17). Even Christ says “it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.” (John 16:7) It was better for Christ to depart because his departure paved the way for the Perfecter to arrive.
Practically speaking, the Spirit perfects believers by making them progressively more like Christ. Scripture uses the imagery of fire to portray this perfecting process. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a baptism of fire.(Matthew 3:11). Fire is a means of purifying, cleansing, and sanctifying (making us holy). The process is painful, yet this pain is necessary to rid us of the sin that lies within us. The apostles often speak of this sanctifying role of the Spirit.
- 1 Peter 1:2, “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood.”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13, “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.”
- Romans 15:16, “to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”
A holy life requires walking according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:13, Galatians 5:16) The sanctifying work of the Spirit is centered around Christ because the meaning of sanctification is to become more like Christ. (Romans 8:29) The Spirit stirs believers to behold Christ, and in doing so transforms them into the image of Christ “from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
3. Uniter
The Spirit unites all believers to the life of the Triune God. He unites us to the Son, and this union is so intimate that the Holy Spirit is commonly called the Spirit of Christ (1 Peter 1:11, Galatians 4:6). Therefore believers can exclaim, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) When Christ gives us his Spirit, “we abide in him and he in us.” (1 John 4:13) The hope and glory of the gospel is “Christ in you.” (Colossians 1:27) If anyone is united with Christ, they are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Just as the Spirit was involved in creating the world, and just as he breathed life into the valley of dry bones, so he breathes life into those who are spiritually dead. But he does not simply give new life. He unites that new life to Christ. We can have fellowship with God as our loving Father, who delights in us just as he delights in his own Son. In this way, through the work of the Spirit, Christians are inseparably united to the eternal life and love of the Triune God.
When we consider these three titles of Life-Giver, Perfecter, and Uniter, we see a picture of the Spirit’s role in our lives. The Holy Spirit gives us life, indwelling us and causing us to be born again. Then this indwelling Spirit perfects us with his sanctifying fire, causing grow more like Christ until we see him face-to-face as perfect creatures. Lastly, the Spirit unites us to the very life of the Triune God, causing us to experience the love and joy of the Trinity for all eternity.
As we wait for this day, let us worship and trust this Holy Spirit, allowing him to shape us as he pleases.
