Holy Water

Isaiah 12:3 “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

Water is vital to life. Without water we would perish. Plants need water as well as every other living thing on earth. Water can be a blessing or a curse.

When rains come upon the land, it was looked at as a blessing, (unless you ask my wife), it rains a lot in Washington. During the days of Noah, water became God’s form of judgement upon the land. There was good and bad water, some that brought life and others that brought death. In the book of Exodus, Moses struck the rock and water poured forth as a blessing. There were also the waters of Meribah that became symbolic to Israel for their rebellion and doubt.

Water has been central to most of history, it can be used to help explain the way God interacts with His people and symbolize the form of purity that comes with salvation.

Once when Jesus was traveling through Samaria He came across a woman at the well of Jacob. When Jesus asked her for a drink, the conversation that ensued was one of prophecy and revelation. Jesus revealed knowledge of her past just as God knows each of us by name and the water was symbolic for what Jesus was preparing to accomplish.

John 4:10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

The woman was confused, she didn’t understand what living water was and so Jesus explained it further in verses 13-14: Jesus said to her, “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 fount of water springing up to eternal life.

The concept of the life of the Spirit was related to something she could understand—water. Water was necessary for life just like the Spirit of God is necessary for eternal life. Jesus is the only One who can supply this water.

As you search the scriptures and grow in understanding, you’ll begin to see that whenever an element of Holiness is reflected in the Word, it always points to Jesus.

John 7:38 “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

The reality of who Jesus is, was hidden from many who met Him. The revelation of God was made manifest in the Son, who has always been, is and will always be. Jesus is God. We see that creation was His idea and it was made by Him and for Him. When He created mankind, He knew man would eventually sin and He knew He would need to redeem us from sin. He still chose us! Jesus was there walking with Adam in the garden, met with Abraham before Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed, appeared to Moses on Mt. Sinai, appeared to Joshua after Israel crossed the Jordan river and walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire.

Isaiah 44:3 “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.”

Jesus became the incarnate Word of God and supplied the water of life that is necessary for us to live. Jesus fulfilled the promises made to Israel long ago.

Born of Water

John 3:5 “Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Receiving the water of life is essential to salvation. The regeneration that occurs is the cleansing of sin. The Spirit of God becomes the seal by which our salvation is confirmed but it is the life that is in Christ that ultimately saves us. Baptism is not necessary for salvation but becomes a symbolic gesture of this regeneration in Christ. This cleansing was depicted in the the temple sacrifice as a foreshadow of what was to come.

Ezekiel 36:25 “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.”

Some churches still practice this sprinkling today. It should be looked upon as symbolic only since it mimics a practice that was done away with when Jesus fulfilled the law.

Revelation 7:17 “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The future of all saints leads to Jesus. Jesus is the one doing the guiding and a final purification will take place when the curse of sin is completely removed.

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

The cleansing effect that Jesus has on us when we accept His death on the cross and the new life that He gives victoriously is symbolized in part in Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

The old sacrifice was a foreshadowing for the perfection of Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself for us.

Titus 2:14 “He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

Jesus was perfection in human form. His life was marked by great miracles and great revelation. His atoning sacrifice was perfect love revealed as His own blood and water poured forth upon that cross.

1 John 5:6 “This is the one who came by water and blood–Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.”

The spiritual significance of Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecy was displayed literally for everyone to see.

John 19:34 “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.”

The blood of Christ heals, it is represented in the sacraments of communion and is remembered continually by His people.

The water that purifies makes us acceptable to the Father, we can now receive His life giving Spirit as a seal of our devotion to God. He guides us, brings conviction of sin, sanctifies us and makes us Holy.

Come and Receive

Revelation 22:17 “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”

This water of life comes from only one source. There are many false religions that attempt to mimic the life that is in Christ but the feeble attempts become the measuring rod for their condemnation.

Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

Jesus offers His water up freely—It cost Him everything so that you can take it without cost. There is no greater gift that man has ever known. To forsake His life to accept a counterfeit is punishable by death.

Daily Water

God’s people can be refreshed each day by dwelling in the Word of God. The life of Christ is revealed and made known by the Spirit of God and we can partake through daily devotion.

Ephesians 5:26 “That he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word”

At the end of the age, water will still be present but in a fusion of life that brings spiritual significance to the reality of those who are redeemed.

Revelation 22:1 “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb”

Do you have this water? If you do, you’ll know it, it will be like a fountain springing up in you. You’ll want to share this Water with the world, that they too may come and drink of the life that only Jesus can give.