My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. (Jeremiah 2:13)
Do you see the difference between these two sins? The first is forsaking an artesian well, a flowing well of life-giving water. There is no end to the supply. God is this life-giving spring. To forsake this source is evil and foolish.
The second sin is salvation by effort. It recognizes the need for water but wants a cistern, a reservoir of water. The sin is in digging the cistern. That itself does not provide the water for the cistern. If there were a provision of water to put into this reservoir, the result would be stagnant water. However, we have another problem: it is a broken cistern, a leaking reservoir. Soon there is no water, not even stagnant water. To dig this cistern is evil and foolish. It is a works effort for life and does not provide life.
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).
Written January 1995.
Do you see the difference between these two sins? The first is forsaking an artesian well, a flowing well of life-giving water. There is no end to the supply. God is this life-giving spring. To forsake this source is evil and foolish.
The second sin is salvation by effort. It recognizes the need for water but wants a cistern, a reservoir of water. The sin is in digging the cistern. That itself does not provide the water for the cistern. If there were a provision of water to put into this reservoir, the result would be stagnant water. However, we have another problem: it is a broken cistern, a leaking reservoir. Soon there is no water, not even stagnant water. To dig this cistern is evil and foolish. It is a works effort for life and does not provide life.
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).
Written January 1995.
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