In John 10:10 Jesus says that “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”. This is a great promise and encouragement for all the disciples of Jesus Christ at all times. It is true that Jesus came to this world and died for all our sins so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John. 3:16).
Many of the believers are spiritually satisfied with their born again experience, thinking that their seat is reserved in heaven. They think that the whole purpose of God for them is just to have this minimum spiritual life. This may be one of the greatest deceptions in the present Christian world.
First of all, we should realize that Jesus finished His work perfectly on earth so we can have abundant life always. This was the life that Jesus had. Jesus always had an abundant heavenly life so earthy things could not affect Him however great it was. When we examine our life and compare it with what Jesus did for us, we will understand that we are very poor in spiritual things. Realizing our poverty in Spirit is one of the primary conditions for our spiritual growth (Mathew 5:3).
If we are thirsty for the life of Jesus, then the invitation of Jesus is waiting for us. John 7:37-38 ‘Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”‘ Here Jesus invites everyone to have an abundant life – a life where rivers of living water flows from the innermost. This is a great promise; but it is conditional. To have this experience, which is as per scripture, the thirsty one has to come to Jesus with faith. Depending on his thirst and faith, he will experience the life flowing out of his innermost.
We may think or try to understand what actually is this thirst, drinking, rivers of living water from innermost etc? Holy Spirit explains this in the next verse – John 7:39 “But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified”. For conviction of sin and repentance we need the help of Holy Spirit (John 16:8). To believe in Jesus Christ we need the help of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). But this is not the complete experience of the Holy Spirit. Jesus makes it clear about the next level of experience from the Holy Spirit after the born again experience. This is different from the manifestation of Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, Holy Spirit came to the man to carry out certain job but never dwelled within that man. So even though we can see many mighty miracles in the Old Testament there was no experience of living waters flowing from the innermost. Everything was external and temporary.
Here (v 39) the Holy Spirit is making it clear that this manifestation of Holy Spirit (living waters flowing from innermost) in believers (after becoming born again) did not happen till that time because Jesus was not yet glorified. We know that this manifestation of Holy Spirit literally happened on the earth on the day of Pentecost for the first time; and is continuing till the second coming of Lord Jesus Christ.
If we are thirsty for the life of Jesus, then the invitation of Jesus is waiting for us
John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the baptizer of the Holy Spirit (Mathew 3:11) and Jesus told His disciples to receive the power of the Holy Spirit through Him from the father (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:5, 8). Jesus also told His disciples just before he ascended to heaven in Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” So the power of Holy Spirit will transform the believer to a true witness of Lord Jesus Christ at all time and circumstances. The power of Holy Spirit will strengthen and equip the believer to carry out the work of God through him with joy and without any burden. So the primary mark of this power is the freedom from sin and to carry out the will of God for him like Jesus Christ.
Jesus said in John 8:12 “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” To follow Jesus Christ we need the power of the Holy Spirit and when we follow Jesus Christ we will have the Light of life and will become the Light to the world (Mathew 5: 14).
Every disciple of Jesus Christ is having the privilege and assurance of experiencing an abundant life in this world itself. So each disciple should have the thirst and faith to experience such a life from Jesus Christ.
May God bless all of us with the abundant life as He promised.
