"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water."How many times we have read this passage, or heard it used to fortify the saints? Yet again, I find renewed sustenance in this message. So let us journey through it in pieces, which when put together can become such a rich vision of the faithful one.
Experiential faith is what led us to the Lord, and the Eternal King now lays forth the expectation of that faith. Here it is useful to restate phrases so the context becomes clear. With that in mind, lets look at the first part. We may hear within our spirit "One having entered into trust in me", "That (you) credit to me", or "You (pl.) that have come to believe me now". All contain the essential intent that indicates the state of the faith that was first seeded into the disciples. It was grown and strengthened to where trust in Jesus beyond what could be seen physically now existed inside the followers.
That same faith that was placed in you actively engages the life inside of Jesus. The collective faith, the practical faith of believers knit together in a community, releases the power of the King upon the world. That same faith was active collectively among the disciples even at this point in Jesus ministry, before the Assention or Pentecost. How awesome is our God!
With that faith in this saying comes a mystery. There are many passages that Jesus refers to in his ministry. Yet which one does He refer to now? The natural man will look for some exact matching passage. But I believe in something higher. Speculation concerning the scriptures, and how they are communicated to us, leads to confusion. What is written guides us on the path. But the Spirit is our energy for walking that path, our light to see ahead, our strong shield against confusion. Call out now for the Spirit to guide us in the word.
Isaiah speaks of rivers coming forth on the barren high places. A glorious picture of God's intent to make a covenant, a new contract, with all the peoples of the world. Jeremiah speaks of Jehovah as the fountain of living waters. Zechariah reveals living water going forth from Jerusalem to the east and west. All are amazing revelations of God as our source of eternal life.
Yet the Lord now tells us that the scripture shows that source is inside of us! The spiritual truth of that revelation, in the context of the Old Testament, will explode your mind! Remember, it is in believing that Jesus is the Messiah. It is in the revelation of God providing the sacrifice. The ones who believed are there throughout, and they were a source of life to the people of God from age to age, a picture of the spiritual reality we enjoy now. Indeed, "as the scripture hath said", our King is exalted above all knowledge and wisdom!
We have reached the proof now. The display of faith. The evidence that I, and we as a body, believe and place our existence in Christ. From within us, a current, a stream will come out. A river of living water. It does not stop. You can not turn it on, then off again. The flow is there, ever moving outward. To emphasize, the brook is a description of moving water in itself, yet it is stated as a 'flow' as well. No question that the intent is that we are a continuous source of living water.
We are a source for the body. A source for the world around us. A constant flow of refreshing eternal life to everyone we contact. That is the proof of faith. To believe is to be a source. To know Christ as your sacrifice, your replacement in judgment, even unto death, means you become a source of life. It is so simple, so spiritually rich, confounding the natural man and our self centered lives. We are to be sources of spiritual life for others. That is His expectation, His plan. Look to the Spirit within you for acknowledgment of this word.
Lord make us fountains. Spring forth without bound in our being. Release the dam that prevents us form flowing your life into each other and the lost. We believe this word You have brought forth. We believe You are going to gush forth out of us as living water! Let praise upon praise be on my lips.
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