SPIRIT FILLED BELIEVERS - Have you ever thought of yourself as an "artesian well" for Jesus? Probably not. But if you are obeying Paul's command to continually "be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18-note), you are functioning spiritually much like an artesian well functions geophysically! How so? Paul reminded Timothy "You have not been given a spirit of fear but of power and love and sound mind." (2Ti 1:7-note). The word for "power" is dunamis which gives us our English words dynamo, dynamic, etc. Dunamis speaks of power which is residing in believers by virtue of our new nature - new creations in Christ (2Cor 5:17-note). The "effecting Agent" of that power is of course the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8-note) Who dwells in us now and forever throughout eternity! (1Cor 3:16, John 14:16) Hallelujah! Paul was telling Timothy in essence "you are to live this new life in Christ not in dependence on your own natural strength, but in dependence on the power (dunamis) provided by the Spirit Who dwells in you!"
C H Spurgeon put it this way regarding our power versus God's power:
Power in the creature is like water in the cistern.
Power in the Creator is like water in the fountain.
Spurgeon's comment reminds me of the geophysical dynamics which give power to an artesian well (see diagram below). The artesian well flows freely because of the power of pressure from water at higher levels. What a practical picture of the power of the Holy Spirit flowing to us and through us "with power from on high." (Luke 24:49).
What does an artesian well have to do in order to function effectively? See diagram at top of page
TWO THINGS:
(1) Stay low! Spiritually this is not even subtle - "God is opposed to ("stiff arms") the proud, but gives grace (cp "Spirit of grace" in Heb 10:29-note) to the humble." (James 4:6-note). So the message is "Stay humble!" Understand that in order to daily experience His power to live a supernatural life (e.g., to break the chains of addiction - Ro 6:11-note, Ro 7:6-note, Ro 8:13-note, to love our wife continually as Christ loved the Church - Eph 5:25-note, to continually let no unwholesome word proceed from our mouth - Eph 4:29-note, etc, etc), we have to continually humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6-note).
(2) Stay "open!" We have to allow the flow of the Spirit to keep flowing. Sin impedes the flow of the Spirit (grieves Him - Eph 4:30-note, quenches Him - 1Th 5:19-note), so we need to be sensitive when we have offended Him by our thoughts, words or deeds, and we need to confess and repent (1 John 1:9-note). Proverbs 28:13-note says "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes (~"repents of") them will find compassion."
AND WHAT IS THE RESULT?
Amazing grace flows down from on high and as our Lord Jesus Christ promised, from our "innermost being shall flow rivers of living water" as the Spirit's flow of power is unimpeded and unhindered! (John 7:37-39-note).
Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, affirmed this axiomatic truth declaring "Depend upon it. God's work done in God's way will never lack supplies. All God's giants have been weak men (and women) who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them. God uses men (and women) who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him." (cp 2 Cor 12:9, 10-note)
THIS BEGS TWO QUESTIONS:
(1) Am I daily leaning on Him, humbling myself before God, yielding myself to Him as a living and holy sacrifice (Romans 12:1-note), fully cognizant that it is not by my power or my might, but by His Spirit (Zech 4:6), that I will be enabled to live a supernatural, abundant life in Christ? (Jn 10:10b)
(2) Am I "keeping short accounts?" We all sin daily, and just as we need to bathe daily to cleanse the dirt from our body, we need to confess daily to cleanse the sin from our soul. (cp Jn 13:10)
John promises that "if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7-note) Thank You Jesus!
Oh Father, our simple prayer is "let the river flow" through Your children so that we might experience the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, our blessed Fountain of Living Water (Jer 2:13, John 4:10). Amen
We have not because we ask not (James 4:2)...
Brothers and sisters in Christ, in light of the growing spiritual darkness in America, the Church of Jesus Christ needs to experience a flowing river of Biblical Holy Spirit power!
So take a few minutes to allow God to move and ask Him in song to "Let the River Flow."
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Ti 1:17)