The Spring of Living Water

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 NIV)

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 NIV)

(An excerpt from On Being a Christian by Jim Wilson)

Comments

Anonymous said…

What the the Lord brought you through is a tremendous testimony of his love. I can honestly say, it was his protective hand that has kept us, until we came to him. Your blog is a blessing. We have one too: http://runner4jesus.blogspot.com. Just started it recently. The emphasis is marriage, for the glory of God...

In His Harvest, Margie

Heard about your blog from Timothy Ministry.

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