Forty verses after Genesis 1:1 we find this word—river. It was a river of water that turned into four rivers to water the vast land. One must wonder where this powerful river came from. It came from Eden, the newly created garden of God. The source of this water was the great Creator, the importance of it being the survival of His new creation! It was a tremendous outpouring of water in mere moments to water the entire land. His original blueprint is still being carried out to this very day. Without water, there is no survival of anything. There is a fundamental law that can be seen within the subject of water which must be clearly understood. It is the simple truth that few will ever drink water without first thirsting for it. A healthy person thirsts for water.
There is a vital spiritual application that is key to going deeper with God. What we find is a similar depiction with those that deeply desire to be right with God. Being right with God is something that cannot be produced by us, therefore it creates a thirst. As we cannot create our own water, we cannot create our own righteousness. Hunger and thirst are present when one seeks to be right with God. Matthew 5:6 blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. When one is hungry or thirsty, he pursues, seeks, makes it a priority. When righteousness becomes a thirst or hunger, you will find yourself in the midst of an Abrahamic type promise in Christ. You will be filled. So, to be filled is where God’s acceptable righteousness in Christ reigns. What are we in thirst of? We might define the answer this way: we want more of God, more of Jesus. God’s answer to our need is His righteousness. This is why carnal people seek to construct their own righteousness, which God will never accept. They only produce rags of filth that hold no appeal to Him under any condition. Offering rags of filth generates no true thirst after God at all. The only thing it does produce is the envy found in Cain’s fruit basket, which God turns His face from.
Abraham is called the father of all them that believe. He received God’s righteousness by believing God’s promise. He simply became fully persuaded that what God promised, He was able to execute. Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. V.23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; V.24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Our righteousness comes by believing on Him that raised Jesus from the dead. Who raised Jesus from the dead? Was it God or the Holy Spirit? It was truly God by way of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. If the Holy Spirit of God dwells in us, he fills us with the same resurrected life that it took to bring Jesus from the dead. Many people will argue the technicalities in these verses, but the question remains in compelling display. Is the powerful resurrection of the Holy Spirit clearly activated within me? Does it repel sin within me? In this battlefield of flesh verses Spirit, we find the Holy Spirit to be the king of righteousness.
Jesus made a clear call to the thirsty in the land. John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. V.38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. What a stunning answer to our thirst! We are to come to Jesus and drink, believing the scriptures exactly the way it is written. No private interpretation, no biases, no cultural blindness, without predetermined thoughts.
We must bow down to drink of this glorious river from Heaven! Until we can drink from this river God’s way, we will not have rivers flowing from us. V.39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Many confuse other people’s rivers with being their own, but this is not belly water. Cistern water is not our fountain. When the fountain river gushes forth from within, then you can know that the righteousness of Christ is confirmed through the inner-workings of the spiritual unity of the Holy Spirit. Once we have truly received His righteousness, the flow starts. Hallelujah!
Many can speak with great doctrinal vocabulary and portray astounding theory. However, we must never be swayed by the ear ticklers that carry a message without Gods supernatural attestation. Jesus said the difference is simple. The one that truly believes God’s word as it is written has His evidence. Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; V.18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. These were the last words of Jesus before He departed.
