Called Unto Holiness # 15

Fullness of Christ (continued)

You recall that the Samaritan woman went to the well with a waterpot, but she left it there. There are some people who come to church with a little waterpot to be filled with living water, hoping it will last until they the following Sunday. Did you do that? Leave your little waterpot there  and go away knowing that you have a well of living water within you springing up into everlasting life. Then you can go back to the most drab, difficult circumstances in home, in business, or in your social circle and carry Christ into every situation. Each of us may do that if we drink of this living water until filled. It is not God's desire to give us merely a waterpot full of blessings, just victories, but rather, to give us a well, the fullness of Him who is the Blesser and the Victor.

Then, may I also have this fullness for power? Some of us are conscious of lack, not only in the realm of Christian character, but also in the sphere of our spiritual service. We have to acknowledge a lack of passion and of power to win souls to Christ. Let us hasten again to the words of our Lord.

"If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).

"Rivers of living water." It is not a rivulet, or stream, or even a river - but "rivers," the Amazon, the Mississippi, the Yangtze, the Thames, all put together into one.

"Shall flow." This is not a dead sea that receives and retains the blessings, but the river Jordan that refreshes and renews every life it touches. Rivers of living water flowing out into every village, town, city, and country, so that "everything shall live whither the river cometh."

Plenitude of power in the Spirit-filled Church! When in the United States last year I passed through the midwestern states which had suffered so terribly from drought. The train crossed over a very long bridge beneath which was a very tiny stream of water twisting its way through a wide dried-up riverbed. What a parable it was of many of our present-day churches! Expensive buildings, magnificent pipe organs, big programs, countless organizations, something on almost every day of the week, yet so few souls saved and so few Christians filled with the Holy Spirit. Why is it that with the Church better organized and equipped than ever before in its history, it has so little power? What would it mean if 5,000 people went forth with rivers of living water flowing from the life. It would mean revival that would extend to the uttermost part of the earth.

Plenitude of power in each Spirit-filled Christian! A woman attending a conference in Holland last summer was filled with the Holy Spirit. And during the week of the conference, while she attended all the meetings, she won four people to Christ. Two women went home filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time and within six weeks they had brought six other women to share that same wonderful experience. Will this happen in some lives here?

"From within him." An inflow demands an outflow. Christ is enough and to spare. And for whom is this plenitude of power?

"He that believeth on me." This is not only for some great preacher of Bible teacher, not even alone for someone employed in Christian service, but for him who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you believe? Then this promise is for you. Not even the youngest or the weakest or the least gifted believer is excluded from this blessing.

A missionary came home from China on furlough last year. On the boat she met a young woman who was unsaved but troubled over her spiritual condition. She sought help from the missionary and was open to know the way of salvation. But the missionary could not lead her to Christ. This caused desperate discouragement and led the missionary to determine not to return to the mission field. Then a glorious thing happened: She was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then the Lord did such a gracious thing, so like Him. He brought that young woman across the missionary's path again and gave her the power to win her to Christ. Filled with the Holy Spirit, then able to win souls to Christ! Are you doing it? Are you able to do it? If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then those rivers of living water will flow through you into other lives.

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 16 - "Is Such Fullness Optional?")