He that Believeth on Me
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John 7:37-52
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink.…
I. THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IS INTIMATELY CONNECTED WITH THE WORK OF CHRIST. It is a great pity when persons preach the Holy Spirit's work so as to obscure the work of Christ — e.g., by holding up before the sinner's eye the inward experience of believers, instead of lifting up the crucified Saviour, to whom we must look and live. It is an equal pity when Christ is so preached that the Holy Spirit is ignored, as if faith in Christ prevented the necessity of the new birth. The two works are so joined together that —
1. The Holy Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified. The original has it simply "was not." Of course this does not mean that He was non-existent, for He is eternal; but that He was not in fellowship with man to the full extent He now is, and could not be till the redeeming work of Christ was finished. You read of the prophets, etc., that the Spirit of the Lord came upon them and moved them, but He did not dwell in them. His operations were a coming and a going. They knew not the "communion of the Holy Ghost." But since Christ's glorification, the Spirit is in His people, and abides with them for ever.
2. The Holy Spirit was given after the ascension of Christ unto His glory, to make that ascension more renowned. "When He ascended on high... He gave gifts to men." Those gifts were men in whom the Spirit dwelt, and who preached the gospel to the nations. The shedding of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was the glorification of the risen Christ upon earth. What grander celebration could there have been?
3. The Holy Spirit was given as an evidence of our Divine Master's acceptance, the gift being a consequence of Christ's finished work.
4. It is the Spirit's work to bear witness of Jesus. "He shall take of Mine." Hence He comes to convince of sin, to reveal the sacrifice for sin; of righteousness, that we may see the righteousness of Christ; of judgment, that we may be prepared to meet the Judge. He has not come, and never will, to teach a new Gospel.
5. It is by the gospel of Jesus that the Spirit works in the hearts of men. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
6. The Spirit's work is to conform us to the likeness of Christ, not to this or that human ideal.
7. Evermore it is for the glory of Jesus that the Spirit works — not for the glory of a church, or a sect, or a man "He shall glorify Me."
II. THE HOLY SPIRIT'S OPERATIONS ARE OF MARVELLOUS POWER. They are —
1. Inward. The rivers are to flow out of the midst of a man, from his heart and soul, not from his mouth; the promised power is not oratory, talent, show.
2. Life-giving "living water." When the man speaks, prays, acts, there shall be going out of him emanations which are full of the life of grace and godliness.
3. Plentiful Not a river, but "rivers."
4. Spontaneous. "Shall flow." No pumping is required — the man does not want exciting and stirring up. Does the sun make a noise that men may be aware of his rising? No, he shines and says nothing about it. So does the Christian.
5. Perpetual: not like intermittent springs.
III. THESE OPERATIONS ARE EASILY OBTAINED.
1. By believing in Jesus. It is faith which gives us the first drink and causes us to live, and the more abundant blessing of being ourselves made fountains come in the same way. With Christ is the residue of the Spirit.
2. By prayer. "If ye being evil," etc.
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