Yes, whoever comes to Jesus and believes in Jesus will experience “rivers of living water,” which He said “about the Spirit.” The Spirit is, to the believer, refreshing, thirst-quenching, satisfying, and like a river, ever fresh and ever new. There are new gospel stories (Luke 24:27) and fresh gospel insights (2 Timothy 2:7) just waiting for you to discover under the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit.
And further, the Spirit of God flows out of us to be a river of refreshment to others. Contained within us will be a river of life, a river of joy! “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells” (Psalm 46:4).
Now, I want us to think for a moment about merely “trying to stop” sinning. What would happen if we would try to give up pornography? How about if we would just stop turning to that illicit relationship, to quit sexual impurity altogether? Wow, would we ever thirst! Right? We would soon be craving and yearning like parched people in the desert. We would have nothing to quench this kind of deep soul thirst, this craving within us that comes from the very depths of our hearts.
But, friend, when we come to Jesus and drink of His Spirit we are not only satisfied and refreshed, not only filled to overflowing with the Spirit-river, but we also end up worshipping and rejoicing in Jesus (Revelation 5:9-10), and then sharing Him with others (John 20:21)!
The woman at the well began drinking the living water Jesus provided to her, and immediately wanted to discuss worship (see John 4:20-24) and then went and shared Jesus with others (John 4:28-30).
The Spirit so fills us with Christ that we become immersed in Him, and worship flows into our hearts. Just like when someone drinks an ice-cold bottle of water on a hot summer day, and then says, “Ahhh,” so when we experience the thirst-quenching work of God’s Spirit we begin to worship Jesus from the depths of our hearts. Worship is like the "Ahhh", as our thirst is being quenched by the Spirit at the cross.
What a difference this way is from merely trying to stop a behavior, where we become grumpy, get self-focused, go through some form of withdrawal, and are overall miserable! Drinking in the Spirit, we are quenched and drenched in God’s Holy Spirit river, satisfied and satiated with Christ Himself, and we experience a fullness of God’s presence.
So, come to Him, friend. Come and kneel at the foot of the cross, come and drink up the amazing love of Jesus for you (Galatians 2:20). Drink in your forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7) and satisfy yourself in His declaration of a full pardon for you (Romans 5:8). Quench your thirst in the righteousness Jesus purchased for you through death (2 Corinthians 5:21). Content yourself in the blood He shed to atone for your sins (1 Peter 4:8); be refreshed in the gift of eternal life your Savior died to give you (John 3:16). This water will be fresh and new for you, like a river, as often as you come to drink.
Question 5. Why is it essential for us to “drink” of the Holy Spirit at the cross, to find freedom from impurity?
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