The Dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the Bible
Holy Spirit
In the temptation of Jesus we read that the Spirit led him into the desert. Who is the Spirit? He is the Holy Spirit. He is a person who is also God and Jesus. God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit make up the Godhead, three persons in one. It is hard to grasp, but there is evidence in the Bible for these facts. We will study that later. At the moment we need to get to know the Holy Spirit and His work. The Holy Spirit will make your walk with God and Jesus much more easy for you. In the third chapter of John, there is a man named Nicodemus who came to Jesus at night. He wanted to know how Jesus was performing miracles.
John 3:2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one can perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. 3:4 "How can a man be born again when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born?" 3:5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and of the Spirit. 3:6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."
In the Bible, water is the symbol for the Word of God. To be born of water is to be born from above by the Word of God. The Holy Spirit makes the Word of God real to us. This gives us a new nature, a new birth in the Spirit. So we began to understand things of the Spirit, like the Bible.
In John 3:7 Jesus declares: "Don't be surprised when I tell you that all of you must be born from above. 8. The wind blows where it pleases. You hear its sound, but you don't know where the wind comes from or where it is going. That is the way it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. "
Like the wind, the Spirit goes across the world choosing whom he might save. He convicts us of sin and we either accept his invitation to go with him or not. If we do, we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus and become a child of God.
John 3:16 says: God so loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. 18. Those who believe in him won't be condemned. But those who don't believe are already condemned because they don't believe in God's only Son.
Now, see how we have been chosen by the Holy Spirit for spiritual rebirth. That is our second birth. But you have to believe in Jesus. Now, the Bible explains how some love their sin so much, they don't want to give it up for Jesus.
verses 19-21 This is why people are condemned: The light (Jesus) came into the world. Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil. People who do what is wrong hate the light and don't come to the light. They don't want their actions to be exposed. But people who do what is true come to the light so that the things they do for God may be clearly seen. Now the Holy Spirit brought you to Jesus, convicted you of sin and Jesus forgave your sin, all your sin, past, present, and future. The Holy Spirit regenerates us too. He makes us new and renews our minds. We are no longer the same creature as before. Our lives change.
"He saved us, not on the basis of deeds we have done in righteousness (good works), but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." Titus 3:5
The Holy Spirit assures us that we are saved, that we are now a child of God. We cannot become perfect on the day of salvation. We are saved from condemnation, but we are not perfect. Remember, we are forgiven, but we still live in a fallen world, with sin all around. So the devil and sometimes people will try to tell us we are mistaken about our salvation. So the Holy Spirit gives us assurance.
Hebrews 10:15 The Holy Spirit tell us the same thing: "This is the promise, that I will make to them after those days, says the Lord: "I will put my teachings in their hearts and write them in their minds.' " Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17.If we are his children, we are also God's heirs. If we share in Christ's suffering in order to share his glory, we are heirs together with him.
Billy Graham has written a book called THE HOLY SPIRIT. It is worth reading. The Holy Spirit also helps us to keep from sinning if you ask him to, even, in the middle of a temptation. He is our comforter. He gives us wisdom. He is our teacher. He is our guide. We have been sealed by him. We are indebted to him. Amen! Amen!