We live in the real world and though we think about what happens to us after we die we have needs for God's help today, and we need new life in us right now. So does Jesus offer anything for me here and now?
JESUS SAID
"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:38. NIV.*
A LITTLE CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND
Many times Jesus spoke in word pictures to give power to his statements. This statement was made at the end of the feast of the tabernacles, a time of celebration where one act of worship was to draw water and pour it out on the altar as a sacrifice. Water is essential in the arid region and represented life. The act of pouring water on the altar symbolized giving one's life to God. It was also a memorial of the time that God provided water for the people in the wilderness by his miraculous powers.
WATER
Clearly, water represents life especially in such a dry region; it was sought, valued, and fought over.
RIVERS
Those who believe in the person and work of Christ are promised rivers- not just a tap, or a trickle, or a well, but plural rivers; and notice the absence of specific number given, there are countless rivers of blessing.
LIVING WATER
Water is life-giving and life-sustaining but this water is more, it is the Holy Spirit, (see vs 39). Believing in Christ is like having life itself in us and it is busy; it is trying to bless us and others; it is trying to be life.
WILL FLOW
Stagnate water is dead and even poisonous. Flowing water is healthy, it is filtered and aerated by rolling over river rocks, and purified by the UV light of the sun. Flowing water is the best.
Flowing water is going somewhere; it has a direction, it can do things and take things with it. It leaves a mark on the landscape.
Flowing water is almost irresistible.
The water metaphor speaks of His Spirit entering our lives and becoming a force of abundant blessing to us and those around us.
FROM WITHIN THEM
When we come to Jesus we become a co-worker with him in blessing others. We get his new life in us in exchange for our old life which he takes to the cross. We become the sources of blessing that Jesus spoke of when he said, "You are the light of the world," and "You are the salt of the earth." Jesus life is within us; we are his hands and his feet in this world.
ALL JESUS ASKS
His words were, "Whoever believes in me..." Jesus asks us to believe in who he is and what he did for us when he died in our place for our sins. We must believe not with an in your head knowledge way but with an in your heart and with all your soul way of believing.
Jesus offers us something now in this life; he said it like a promise that these rivers of living water will flow. It is a waste to delay coming to him and to delay the flow of blessing.
Spend time reading his words and reading the accounts of his life in the gospels to understand better who he is and what he has done for you.
To learn more about coming to Jesus click on the tab above for "The Gospel."
*There are many references in scripture to water that Jesus may have referred to such as Isaiah 58:11 Joel 3:18; Zechariah 14:8; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Isaiah 44:3; Isaiah 55:1 and Zechariah 14:8, to name a few.
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JESUS SAID
"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:38. NIV.*
A LITTLE CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND
Many times Jesus spoke in word pictures to give power to his statements. This statement was made at the end of the feast of the tabernacles, a time of celebration where one act of worship was to draw water and pour it out on the altar as a sacrifice. Water is essential in the arid region and represented life. The act of pouring water on the altar symbolized giving one's life to God. It was also a memorial of the time that God provided water for the people in the wilderness by his miraculous powers.
WATER
Clearly, water represents life especially in such a dry region; it was sought, valued, and fought over.
RIVERS
Those who believe in the person and work of Christ are promised rivers- not just a tap, or a trickle, or a well, but plural rivers; and notice the absence of specific number given, there are countless rivers of blessing.
LIVING WATER
Water is life-giving and life-sustaining but this water is more, it is the Holy Spirit, (see vs 39). Believing in Christ is like having life itself in us and it is busy; it is trying to bless us and others; it is trying to be life.
WILL FLOW
Stagnate water is dead and even poisonous. Flowing water is healthy, it is filtered and aerated by rolling over river rocks, and purified by the UV light of the sun. Flowing water is the best.
Flowing water is going somewhere; it has a direction, it can do things and take things with it. It leaves a mark on the landscape.
Flowing water is almost irresistible.
The water metaphor speaks of His Spirit entering our lives and becoming a force of abundant blessing to us and those around us.
FROM WITHIN THEM
When we come to Jesus we become a co-worker with him in blessing others. We get his new life in us in exchange for our old life which he takes to the cross. We become the sources of blessing that Jesus spoke of when he said, "You are the light of the world," and "You are the salt of the earth." Jesus life is within us; we are his hands and his feet in this world.
ALL JESUS ASKS
His words were, "Whoever believes in me..." Jesus asks us to believe in who he is and what he did for us when he died in our place for our sins. We must believe not with an in your head knowledge way but with an in your heart and with all your soul way of believing.
Jesus offers us something now in this life; he said it like a promise that these rivers of living water will flow. It is a waste to delay coming to him and to delay the flow of blessing.
Spend time reading his words and reading the accounts of his life in the gospels to understand better who he is and what he has done for you.
To learn more about coming to Jesus click on the tab above for "The Gospel."
*There are many references in scripture to water that Jesus may have referred to such as Isaiah 58:11 Joel 3:18; Zechariah 14:8; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Isaiah 44:3; Isaiah 55:1 and Zechariah 14:8, to name a few.
You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.
(c) Adron 1/25/15
