Spirit-Filled Living: An Overflowing Life
Jesus explained the Holy Spirit in our lives by using the image of a strong river of water flowing out of us. Rivers of water is the way Jesus describes the normal life of believers, His children. John 7:37-38
- Rivers of water would mean that when we were saved He flowed out of our lives making us joyous and thankful.
- He flowed out of our lives making us so excited about all our sins being gone.
- He flowed out of our lives so that when we read the Bible it seemed just like God was talking to us.
- He flowed out of our lives making prayer was so natural and uncluttered. It felt like the stars overhead had parted and we were walking right into Heaven before God’s Throne. We just talked and walked with the Lord through. And each day it seemed like all of life was brand new.
And that is life as God made it to be with that mighty river of water flowing out of our lives. We were refreshed, we were victorious, we were rejoicing, we were serving joyfully. That is the life of a believer as God intended it to be.
Then slowly something happened. It seemed that we didn’t find God's Word so exciting, and soon we hardly understood what we read each day. We also experienced troubles in prayer, it seemed we talked to ourselves and all those words just bounced around inside our heads.
That is exactly what happens when the water valve of our spiritual lives is twisted shut by sin. And that is what the Bible describes as Quenching and Grieving the Holy Spirit. We are left with the command to keep our lives filled with the Holy Spirit. We are to walk in Him, live through Him, bear fruit by Him, and overcome sin with Him as our Sword of the Word.
For all of our earthly life it is God’s Holy Spirit that is our lifeline for all that we need to make it. Because of this vital supply line that we share with Him we must protect our relationship. Why? Listen to Paul the great training coach of the winning lifestyle believers are to share. We must not hinder the Holy Spirit in our lives.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify (aorist active imperative) God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
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