I am currently writing a blogpost about the body of Christ. Before I publish that, I want to share something from John’s Gospel. It’s about the Holy Spirit.
In John chapter 4,13-14, Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman by the well says:
“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”” John 4,13-14
Jesus is here talking about salvation, eternal life!
Then in chapter 7, again talking about water, and talking about the Holy Spirit:
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7,37-39
Here there is not talk of a spring welling up to eternal life, but of rivers flowing out of our (those who believe) lives. They are THE SAME waters, from THE SAME SOURCE – that SPRING in our innermost beings (the Greek word is κοιλια/koilia- bowells in English, but here translated heart – κοιλιά means the centre of Man); where the Spirit dwells! These waters are to BLESS other people.
“As the scripture has said”; what scripture was Jesus referring to? Many point to Zachariah 14,8 e.g. – and there are others, Isa. 33,21; Joel 3,18; Ezek. 47. Maybe we can discuss this later this year when we study themes in John´s Gospel.
RIVERS OF LIVING WATER FROM OUR INNERMOST BEINGS!
This is the Spirit working through us to touch the lives of others. JESUS PROMISED HE WOULD!
How is this experienced in our lives? It is different for each one of us, because God never violates us, or our personalities, but works through them. He is LOVE!
But these waters come from the Spirit! They encourage, they bless, bring comfort and help
– and they are to be distinguished from other helps and comforts which the world may provide, in that they are accompanied by the presence of God – and directly or indirectly point to Jesus!
I think of Psalm 46:
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.” Psalm 46,4-5
HE IS IN OUR MIDST!
Let us take this with us, as we start talking about the body of Christ!
See also my blogpost BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT! – there is a connection!
