The Great Offer

In the beginning, God created the earth and walked upon it in unfettered intimacy with Adam and Eve. But they sinned, and the face-to-face intimacy they enjoyed was now broken. God no longer walked the earth in relationship with man.

But then Jesus came to earth to re-reveal the Father to sinful man. After millennia of his physical absence, as the prophet had said, God was now with us again, but this time in Jesus, our Immanuel. Jesus, the “Word”, was with God, was God and created all things that exist, now “took on human flesh and took up residence among us.” (John 1:1 & 14)

Then Jesus left earth to go back to heaven, and in the process he promised the Father would send the Holy Spirit to be in—not just with—his followers. (John 14:16-17) The Holy Spirit would represent and further reveal God in unprecedented and unconfined ways. (John 15:26-27) He would guide into truth, comfort and empower. He would fill Christ’s followers to full and overflowing with the abundance of God. They would experience “rivers of living water” filling them up and spilling over from their lives.

What an offer Jesus was making. What other leader could ever come close to that? Obviously no one could match the great offer of the Holy Spirit coming to dwell, fill and overflow the life of the believer. To have intimate fellowship with God fully restored; to have “God with us” now become “God in us”, and continually, no less; to have the guiding, comforting, empowered force of God at our disposal, permanently and profusely—this is the great offer!

So just what did Jesus mean when he referred to this as “rivers of living water” that would completely satiate the thirst of those who drank? How about this:

Satisfaction: Obviously, spiritual hunger would again, as in the beginning of creation, now be fully and forever satisfied as the Holy Spirit of God took up residence in each believer. That which Jesus promised—life more abundantly—would now become real and practical.

Significance: Not only would the Spirit satisfy, but he would enable those he indwelt with the very life force and creative power of God through supernatural gifts (I Corinthians 12:7-11) to carry out the works, speak the words, and fulfill the will of the Heavenly Father. Through the Holy Spirit, believers could not be used to do things only God could do.

Success: To know (“the Spirit will reveal and guide you into all truth” — I Corinthians 2:10; John 16:13) and do (“you will receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you” — Acts 1:8) the will of God is the height of human success. God with us is now God in us doing through us what only God can do. There is no greater, more lasting, significant and satisfying expenditure of one’s life.

That is what is possible through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That is indeed, the great offer!

“Wise leaders should have known that the human heart cannot exist in a vacuum. If Christians are forbidden to enjoy the wine of the Spirit they will turn to the wine of the flesh….Christ died for our hearts and the Holy Spirit wants to come and satisfy them.” (A.W. Tozer)

Getting To Know Jesus: John 20:21-14 tells us that after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” If you would like to be inundated with the life force of the Holy Spirit, make this bold request of God: “Spirit of God, breathe new life into me!”