Drinking of the Spirit

 John 7:37-39; I Corinthians 12:3b-13

 Jesus in our John passage cries out to all who are spiritually thirsty to come to him. If they believe in him, they will be able to drink. He quotes Zechariah 14:8 about rivers of living water flowing out of the believers’ hearts. John writes that this was to come from the Spirit in which they didn’t have access to yet since Jesus had not yet died and been glorified in his resurrection having conquered sin.

This Sunday was Pentecost Sunday where we celebrate the birthday of the church when the Holy Spirit was given to all believers who were then empowered to drink of the Spirit and have this living water flow through them.

In I Corinthians Paul tells about gifts of the Spirit. Though now all have the same Spirit, each one has a different Spiritual gift. They are listed as the utterance of wisdom and knowledge (teaching and preaching), healing, prophecy, miracle workers, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues.

All gifts are said to be activated by the one same Spirit. The Spirit allots to each one individually the particular gift the Spirit chooses. Spiritual gifts though many have one fountain – that being the Spirit. Paul emphasizes the diversity and interdependence of members who form one body.

Paul ends by saying that by the one Spirit we were baptized into the body of Christ and were made to drink of one Spirit.

By drinking of the Spirit, we can fully exercise the gift the Spirit has given us. May we drink boldly of the Spirit. Amen.

 

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