Water and the Spirit

2024-07-13

Three passages comparing water and the Spirit according to Ridout’s observations:

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). We have first the rebirth by this water.

“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). We also have the well of everlasting life.

“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:38-39). Finally, we have the rivers flowing out from us.

This last one shows us that these be no effort of our own. There is no more place within us to be filled, so these waters must find an outlet. These rivers gush out and flow, evident to the world, bringing water to all those around us. So is the filling of the Spirit.

This is a part of a series summarizing thoughts while reading Samuel Ridout’s The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit: Seven Lectures. Return to the summary home page here.