Scripture: "He that believeth on Me, out of him shall flow rivers of living "water."—JOHN vii. 38.
Our Lord, in His conversation with the Samaritan woman, said: "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." In our text the promise is even greater: rivers of living waters flowing from him, bringing life and blessing to others. John says further that this refers to the Holy Ghost, who should come when Christ had been glorified, for the Holy Spirit was not yet poured out. The Spirit of God was mentioned in the Old Testament, but the Holy Spirit had not yet been given. Christ must first be offered through the eternal Spirit (on the cross) (Heb. ix. 14), and raised from the dead by the spirit of holiness (Rom. i. 4), and receive from the Father power to send forth the Holy Ghost. Then only would the Christian be able to say: Now the Holy Spirit of Christ is in me.
What do we need in order to experience these two wonderful promises of the well of water and the rivers of living water ? Just one thing—the inner attachment to Christ, and the unreserved surrender to fellowship with Him, and the firm assurance that His Spirit will work in us what we cannot do. In one word: He that believeth on Me. We need a faith that rejoices in the divine might and love, and depends on Him day by day to grant us grace that living water may flow forth from us.
If the water from a reservoir is to flow into a house all day, one thing is necessary,—the connection must be perfect, then the water passes through the pipe of its own accord. So the union between you and Christ must be uninterrupted; your faith must accept Christ and depend on Him to sustain the new life.
Let your faith rejoice that Jesus Christ gives us the Holy Spirit, and may you have the assurance that the Holy Spirit is within you as a fountain of blessing.
