Living Water

This article is from Issue 7, Called to be Filled With The Holy Spirit

By Ruth Paxson

“..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: 14)

Christ’s offer to the Samaritan woman was a gift which would change her source of supplies from a water pot to a well, and then convert her life into a channel through which rivers of Living Water should flow.

On the day of Pentecost the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, and a casual comparison of their lives before and after Pentecost reveals a marvellous change. They had daily companionship with Christ; He had taught them deep truths and shared His prayer life with them; they had lived for three years under His matchless personality. Yet witness the failure, defeat and sin, jealousy, ambition, selfishness, pride, cowardice, self-will, self-love, self-seeking – all were there largely as before. But at Pentecost self was dethroned and Christ was enthroned and became the Life of their life.

The result was sevenfold. They became men of perception, purity, passion, prayer, power, persecution and praise. They knew their Lord and apprehended the deep truths of salvation. They became men of pure heart. Pride was displaced by humility; selfishness by love; cowardice by courage; and worldliness by heavenly-mindedness.

Within their renewed, satisfied spirits was kindled a passionate desire to win others to the Lord who had saved and transformed them. This sent them to God in prayer which became their chief delight and constant occupation. Prayer released power and rivers of living water began coursing through these purified channels into Jerusalem, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.

Such manifest power drew down upon them fierce persecution, but even prison cells could not restrain their songs of praise. Pentecost had changed them from carnal into spiritual believers. Has it so changed you?

“Be not drunk with wine.” Do you obey this command? Surely you do. “Be ye filled with the Spirit.” Do you obey this command? Is not God dishonoured through disobedience to one just as much as to the other? Are you despising your birth right, as Esau did his, and selling it for a mess of pottage? Do you care more for pleasure or money or position than you do for the fullness of the Holy Spirit?

“In Him a well.” The Holy Spirit, a well of Living Water, a continuously upspringing fountain, is in every Christian. There is then no need of dearth. The promise is you “shall never thirst.” The Spirit-filled life is one of satisfaction and sufficiency.

“Out of him rivers.” Satisfaction in Christ means the overflow of Christ. If there is a divine inflow, there is always a divine outflow. Is such a life yours? If not, do you desire it? It is for you if you truly thirst. “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.” Drink until you are satisfied, until you are full, yes, until you overflow. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is for everyone who thirsts and who drinks of the Water of Life.

Taken from Life On The Altar Publication
Issue 7 Winter 2022/2023