Do You Have Living Water Within You?

Do you have living water within you?

In John 7: v 37-38 NLT it says; “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.”

To give some background on the above Scripture Jesus was at the Festival of Shelters and about midway through the Festival Jesus went to the temple and started to teach.

 Prior to this in chapter 6: v 53-58 Jesus was in Capernaum in the synagogue and had preached what many at that time considered a hard teaching on the bread of life and because of this teaching many of His disciples deserted Him.

 Many of the disciples and people who heard this teaching thought that when Jesus said in verse 53 “I assure you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you cannot have eternal life within you,” that he really meant that you had to actually eat his flesh and drink His blood, of course that is not what he was teaching.

In Matthew Henry’s Commentary it teaches us that it is said to be given for the life of the world, that is, First, Instead of the life of the world, which was forfeited by sin, Christ gives his own flesh as a ransom. Secondly, in order to the life of the world, to purchase a general offer of eternal life to all the world (the entire world). So that the flesh and blood of the Son of Man denote Christ and Him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by Him. The promises of the covenant, and eternal life; these are called the flesh and blood of Christ. 1. Because they are purchased by the breaking of His body, and the shedding of His blood. 2. Because they are meat and drink to our souls.

 He was teaching all our human effort accomplishes nothing. We will not get eternal life from our works. It is the Spirit who gives eternal life (see v63) and the words that He spoke to them and we as born again believers are spirit and life. Many people still did not believe that He was the Messiah or came from our Father in Heaven as evidenced in chapter 7: v28-29 “Yes you know me, and you know where I come from. But I represent one you don’t know, and he is true. I know him because I have come from him, and he sent me to you.”

So what then is Jesus teaching us when He says’, “If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.” This is a gospel invitation to come to Christ, and a gospel promise of comfort and happiness in Him. When did He give this invitation: On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, that great day. According to Matthew Henry’s Commentary; many people (mostly likely thousands) were gathered together, and, if the invitation were given to many, it might be hoped that some would accept of it. The feast was over and the people were now returning to their homes, and He gave them this to carry away with them as His parting word. This means that we may not see them again in this world, and therefore, if we can say or do anything to help them get to heaven then now is the time. Christ made this offer on the last day of the feast. In other words He would try them once more, and if they would yet hear His voice, they shall live. “Behold now is the accepted time.”

How did Jesus give this invitation: Jesus stood and cried (He shouted it, He did everything He could to get their attention); Jesus did not want anyone to be lost, He loves us all, and if you can be saved, He wants to save you. In the NKJV it says it this way; “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

The invitation itself is very general: If any man thirst, whoever he may be, he is invited to Christ. It is also very gracious: “If any man thirst let him come to me and drink.”  If any man desires to be truly and eternally happy, let him apply himself to me.

                                     

Who is invited, all of us are invited and what does thirst imply? It can be understood as, [1] Of the indigence (a level of poverty) their cases; either as to their outward condition (let his poverty and afflictions draw him to Christ for that peace which the world can neither give nor take away), or as to their inward state: “If any man wants spiritual blessings, he may be supplied by Me.” Or [2] Of the inclination of their souls and their desires towards a spiritual happiness. If any man hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Christ is the fountain of the living waters. The promise is: Let him come and drink, he shall have that which will not only refresh, but, replenish. In v 38 “He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow”: here is what it means to come to Christ: It is to believe in Him as the scripture has said. We cannot make up a Christ according to our fancy, but believe in a Christ according to the true scripture, not as is today with so many made up and false gospels that is being taught out there such as chrislam (it is a mix of Islam and Christian), it is blasphemy (the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God: the act of claiming the attributes of deity.) There are other new age religions out their just as bad and many ministers are teaching and preaching this garbage. Stay away from it! If you walk into a church that is teaching false teachings run away from it as fast as you can lest you get caught up in it. The only true teaching is the one and only gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You want to be in the light not the darkness. Make sure that if you are buying a new bible that it is the tried and true gospel there are some publishers now who have long been publishing the true Gospel are now selling the false Gospels.

As I was saying: We cannot make up a Christ according to our fancy, but believe in a Christ according to the true scripture. See how thirsty souls that come to Christ shall be made to drink. Israel drink of the rock that followed them, but believers drink of a rock in them, Christ in them. Provision is made not only for their present satisfaction, but for their continual perpetual comfort. Living water, running water, which the Hebrew language calls living, because still in motion. The graces and comforts of the Spirit are compared to living (meaning running) water, Rivers of living water. The comfort flows in both plentifully and constantly as a river; strong as a stream to bear down the oppositions of doubts and fears. A holy heart will be seen in a holy life; the tree is known by its fruits, and the fountain by its streams. Do you have living water within you? If you have the Holy Spirit you have streams of living water within you. When Jesus was referring to living water He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in Him. But at that time the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.