Fruitful Living
The symbols of the Holy Spirit
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
Warning: Trying to access array offset on false in /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
&description=The symbols of the Holy Spirit', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
Warning: Trying to access array offset on false in /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
&description=The symbols of the Holy Spirit', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” – Acts 2:1-3 (NIV)
The symbols of the Holy Spirit tell us more about His nature and mission. Symbols are used by all cultures as visible signs or representations of ideas or the quality of certain people or objects. Thus, in the Akan culture the Okyeame (linguist) in the chief’s palace is identified by the symbol on his staff. Also, the various clans of the Akan are represented by certain symbols, usually animals that are supposed to tell us more of the character or nature of that particular clan. In schools and colleges, various houses may be identified by certain symbols or colours or some element in nature and in the arena of games – football, basketball, hockey, we find teams identified by certain symbols. In scripture, symbols are used to teach us deeper spiritual truths and enable us have a clearer understanding about what is being taught. For example, the symbol of a Lamb is used to depict Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of His life on Calvary’s cross for our sins. The Holy Spirit is depicted by certain symbols such as Dove, Water, Oil, A Seal, Wind and Deposit.
Let us take these symbols one by one.
1. DOVE: A dove is used to symbolises purity, peace, meekness, gentleness and modesty. In John 1:32 we read: “Then John gave this testimony: ”I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him” (NIV) We all know that Jesus Christ lived a sinless, gentle and meek life. He was not haughty but rather modest in all He did. He was the very epitome of peace – the kind of peace that is of God. This is because the Holy Spirit was with Him all the time and imparted God’s very nature and character into the man Jesus. We too have the Holy Spirit indwelling us and must therefore allow Him to manifest His qualities of purity, peace, modesty, humility and gentleness in us.
2. WATER: water symbolises life and one of its many other uses is for cleansing. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Life in Rom. 8:2 and little wonder that water should be used as His emblem. He is the Spirit of Holiness and Spirit of Promise by whom through Christ we are cleansed from our sins and made righteous in God. “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” – Isaiah 44:3 “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” – John 7:37-39 (NIV)
3. OIL: Oil indicates light because at that time oil was put into lamps to provide light. Now, kerosene or paraffin is used in lamps. Oil indicates healing. The base of most healing balms such as Mentholatum, Robb, Deep Heat and Vegebum is oil. Oil symbolises also anointing for service. Right back in the Old Testament, we find that priests, starting from Aaron were anointed with oil as, indeed, were kings such as David. Jesus, therefore, announced His public ministry by reading from Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.” Hebrews 1:9 also says “You loved righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore, God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” In 1 John 2:20, the apostle John also says of faithful Christian “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” The Holy Spirit is available to us today to endue us with power for service with Himself as the anointing oil and it is my prayer that we will all yield to Him as He does this so that we, too, can do what Jesus did as it is written in Acts 10:38 “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him.”
4. A SEAL: A seal is a device bearing a design, a name or some other words which is able to impart some impression of itself on a substance. This was used in the past as marks of authenticity and authority to letters and royal commands as well as a mark of the formal ratification of a transaction or covenant. In fact even now we occasionally see letters sealed with some reddish seemingly soft substance as a way of ensuring that no one tampers with the letter. Certificates are usually authenticated with an embossed stamp with the name of the school or university. The Holy Spirit of God is also a seal from God indicating God’s ownership of us indicating a finished transaction between God and us. We are thus, identified by this seal as genuine, authentic and bonafide children of God – people of great value to God and, therefore, secure in Him because He has stamped us with His own authority. Ephesians 1:13 and 4:30 say “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Knowing this should make us live as those who belong to a God who is loving, merciful, excellent in all His ways, faithful and compassionate. We should feel secure in His love and in His promise and live each day to His glory by giving of our best in whatever endeavour we find ourselves. We should not succumb to the terrors and fears of the devil nor should we slip back into our old sinful ways as if the One to Whom we belong cannot take care of us. Please read Daniel 6:16-17; Esther 3:8-12 and Matthew 26:66 for more explanations on what a seal is used for.
5. WIND: Wind indicates an unseen power. Just think of the power of winds. Wherever the weather man tells us that there are going to be storms we get jittery because we know that the power in the wind is strong. The Holy Spirit is very powerful but like the wind we do not see Him. Jesus used this symbol of the wind to tell Nicodemus about being born again by the unseen power of the Holy Spirit – John 3:8 and in Acts 2:1-2, the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost as a mighty windstorm or a rushing mighty wind. We do not see the Holy Spirit but He is very real and with us just in the same way we do not see the wind but know it is there and feel its power.
6. FIRE: Fire indicates the presence, approval, protection, purifying gift and judgement
of God:
– Exodus 3:2 talks about the presence of God in the burning bush;
– Lev. 9:24 tells us about fire consuming the sacrifice on the altar as a sign of God’s approval of the offering;
– Exodus 13:21 talks about the pillar of fire that gave light to the children of Israel in the wilderness to guide and protect them;
– In Isaiah 6:1-8 we read of Isaiah who saw God in a vision and was purified from his sin with coals of fire from the throne room of God;
– In Acts 2:3 we find tongues of fire settling on the disciples as God’s gift of special
utterance.
– In Heb. 12:29 we are told that our God is a consuming fire of judgement who deserves to be worshipped with reverence and awe.
7. Last but not least, the Holy Spirit is symbolised as a DEPOSIT indicating down payment, pledge, guaranteeing or an assurance of the eventual complete payment. Indeed, God has bought us at a great price and sealed the transaction with His Holy Spirit who acts as the down payment or deposit of God while we are still here on earth. This is our assurance that the eternal life that God has promised us – our being with Him in eternity will, indeed, be completed – “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” – 2 Cor. 1:22 “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” – 2 Cor.5:5. We should feel secure in God because He has given us His Holy Spirit as the assurance that we are His and He is ours because of what Jesus Christ has done.
Stay blessed!
For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0243588467 or 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
By Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
Matthew 6:33. Notice Jesus said, “His righteousness”, not our own righteousness. We have to seek and understand God’s righteousness. Isaiah 54:14 says, “Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” God’s righteousness comes from God, not from within us. Humans cannot make themselves God’s righteousness, as all humans have sinned and are therefore inferior to God. God’s righteousness is a gift from God: “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
Righteousness, or right standing with God, has been attained for us through the exchange Jesus made on our behalf. Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness. God’s righteousness is imparted to us when we are made a new creature in Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:17. This righteousness is a gift from God and undeserved by us: “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”- Romans 5:17
Through our faith in Jesus’ blood, shed to remit our sins – Romans 3:25, God imparts righteousness to us by His grace. We actually become a new righteous creation, fully identifying in Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension. This is the foundational miracle we need to understand and have established in our heart. All the other miraculous promises of God come the same way, by God’s grace through faith. Righteousness must be established in our heart for us to truly have faith to receive our rich inheritance in Christ. Jesus has been made unto us righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). We are now “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us”. – 2 Corinthians 1:20
Establishing our minds in righteousness
God expects that, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we will be radically changed. In Romans 12:2 He tells us, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
This transformation is to be a metamorphosis, of a magnitude at least comparable to that by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. He expects us to become totally different.
Scripture uses many different images to express the change that should occur: We become “a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Cor 5:17. It is almost as if we become a new species. Scripture speaks of the “first Adam” who was earthly and fell into sin, and the “second Adam” (Jesus Christ) who was sinless and holy – Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:44-49.
We are “made new in the attitude of our minds” – Eph. 4:23.
We “put off our old self” and “put on the new self” – Eph. 4:22,24; Col 3:9-10.
We “live by the Spirit” and not by the flesh – Gal. 5:16; Rom 8:13.
We become “instruments of righteousness” rather than “instruments of wickedness” – Rom. 6:13.
Each of these metaphors, in a different way, emphasizes the magnitude of the change that is expected. Each is dramatic and astonishing in itself; their cumulative effect is even more powerful. We are talking about a tremendous transformation. It should be visible to others, but its internal effect should be far greater than what others can perceive.
The goal of this transformation
What is the goal of this metamorphosis? Scripture states it in a number of different ways, which overlap and can be seen as different ways of expressing the same basic concept. Scripture often does this, because our minds are inadequate to comprehend, and our language inadequate to express, the full scope of God’s revelation to us.
To be continued!
Stay blessed!
For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0243588467 or 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Fruitful Living
Environmental Stewardship Is an Act of Worship: The Islamic response to climate change and environmental degradation (Final part)
The Role of Faith Leaders and the Way Forward
Addressing climate change and environmental degradation requires more than legislation, technological innovation, and financial investment. It also demands a transformation of attitudes, values, and behaviours. While governments formulate policies and enforce environmental regulations, faith leaders possess a unique moral authority to shape public conscience and inspire responsible stewardship. In Ghana, where religion plays a significant role in public life, religious institutions can become powerful partners in advancing environmental sustainability.
Islam assigns Imams and religious scholars the responsibility of guiding society toward righteousness and preventing harmful practices. Allah instructs, “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best” (Qur’an 16:125, Sahih International). This responsibility extends beyond matters of ritual worship to encompass every aspect of life that affects human wellbeing, including the protection of the environment.
Environmental stewardship should therefore become an integral part of Islamic teaching, preaching, and community engagement.
Mosques, as centres of learning and social transformation, have enormous potential to cultivate environmental consciousness. Imams can regularly incorporate environmental themes into Friday sermons, Islamic lectures, marriage counselling, youth programmes, and educational activities. Teaching congregants that protecting rivers, forests, wildlife, and public spaces is an act of worship that helps bridge the perceived divide between religious devotion and environmental responsibility. Such education can inspire lasting behavioural change rooted not merely in fear of legal sanctions but in consciousness of accountability before Allah.
Religious institutions can also lead by example. Mosques can organise community clean-up campaigns, tree-planting exercises, and public awareness programmes on sanitation and responsible waste disposal. They can adopt environmentally friendly practices by reducing unnecessary waste during religious gatherings, encouraging water conservation during ablution, and promoting the proper maintenance of mosque facilities and surrounding communities. These initiatives demonstrate that Islamic values are best communicated through practical action as well
as words.
Meaningful environmental protection also requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders. Government agencies should continue strengthening the enforcement of environmental laws while addressing corruption and enhancing institutional accountability. Environmental governance must be guided by transparency, fairness, and the consistent application of the law. At the same time, sustainable economic alternatives should be developed for communities that depend on environmentally destructive activities, particularly illegal mining. Investments in vocational education, climate-smart agriculture, responsible small-scale mining, and entrepreneurship can provide dignified livelihoods while reducing pressure on fragile ecosystems (UNDP, 2023).
Traditional authorities equally have an indispensable role to play. As custodians of customary lands, chiefs and community leaders possess considerable influence over land use and natural resource management. Their collaboration with government institutions, faith leaders, and local communities is essential in protecting forests, water bodies, and communal lands from unsustainable exploitation. Community ownership of environmental conservation initiatives often produces more enduring outcomes than enforcement measures alone.
Educational institutions should integrate environmental ethics into their curricula from the basic to the tertiary levels. Beyond teaching scientific concepts, schools should cultivate a sense of environmental citizenship, encouraging young people to appreciate the interconnectedness of ecological health, economic development, and human wellbeing. Parents likewise bear the responsibility of nurturing environmentally responsible habits within the family by teaching children the values of cleanliness, moderation, conservation, and respect for public property.
Individual citizens cannot be absolved of responsibility. The Qur’anic concept of Khalifah reminds every believer that stewardship begins with personal conduct. Conserving water, disposing of waste responsibly, planting and protecting trees, reducing unnecessary consumption, respecting public spaces, and reporting environmental offences are practical ways through which every Muslim can fulfil this sacred trust. Environmental stewardship is not reserved for governments or
environmental experts; it is the collective duty of every member of society.
The environmental challenges confronting Ghana should also be viewed as opportunities to strengthen national unity. Climate change, pollution, and environmental degradation affect people irrespective of religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, or social status. They therefore call for collective action grounded in shared values of justice, responsibility, and compassion. Islam’s
ethical framework complements national development efforts by reminding believers that service to humanity and protection of creation are integral dimensions of worship.
As Ghana strives to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection must cease to be regarded as a peripheral concern and instead become a national moral priority. The combined efforts of government, traditional authorities, religious institutions, civil society, academia, the private sector, and citizens can restore degraded ecosystems and build resilient communities. Through wise leadership, sound governance, and unwavering commitment to the divine trust of
stewardship, the nation can preserve its rich natural heritage for generations yet unborn.
In conclusion, protecting the environment is not merely an environmental obligation—it is an act of worship, a fulfilment of humanity’s divine trust, and a legacy of justice for future generations.
Thank you.
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
