The life of God within
The very life of God is within those who believe. The Holy Spirit Himself comes to dwell within us.
Not only does He dwell within, He issues forth from within, in the same way that a mighty river flows, He flows through and from Jesus’ followers.
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “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.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 7:27-37
The rivers of living water referred to by Jesus flow from the Holy Spirit. One translation says ‘out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.’ This is undoubtedly speaking of the inner man. This is the regenerated spirit of the born again believer (Titus 3:4-5).
The reference to water is deliberate. Water flows. Water is fluid and goes into places untouchable by other elements. Water is one of the essential ingredients for life.
This, though, is a different kind of water. This is the water of the Holy Spirit.
New life
Earlier, Jesus had said that the new birth would be like a fountain springing up to everlasting life.
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
John 4:13-14
Jesus told them that, “he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” He was speaking of the new birth. When we are born again we receive the Holy Spirit. He comes to live with us and is in us.
He manifests the fountain into a supernatural river of life with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Isaiah prophesied the water that would spring up to salvation.
Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 12:3
This living water is synonymous with salvation, with the new birth, with new life that springs up like a fountain.
In Revelation God says to John, “And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts (Rev 21:6).”
Wait on the Spirit
Before He ascended into heaven Jesus told His disciples to wait until they were endued with the Holy Spirit from on high.
“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Luke 24:49
He said they should “wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now (Acts 1:4-5).”
Then He said,“you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).”
The baptism with the Holy Spirit would empower the disciples to minister the gospel to the ends of the earth beginning where they were.
On the Day of Pentecost, when they were all in the Upper Room praying, the Holy Spirit fell upon them all and filled them all and they all began to speak in tongues, glorifying God with heavenly languages, as the river began to flow through them and out into the street below whereafter many were saved at the preaching of the gospel (Acts 2:1-4).
And He empowers us, who are at the uttermost, to reach our generation with the love of God. Speaking in tongues is like drinking in the Holy Spirit. He gives the utterance, we speak.
This is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is the river of life flowing through believers.
Our very prayers are impacted by this baptism, as we receive divine languages that edify our spirit and build us up in our most holy faith. That river flows within and from us.
Its outworking is with the love of the Holy Spirit which has the dynamic to impact the whole world around us as we step out in faith bring the life of God into the lives of others around us, from close family, to friends to those we have not yet met (Rom 5:5).
The rivers will flow from you when you step into the deepest water of life in the Holy Spirit by faith.
