Living Water

August 19, 2025

In John chapter 4, Jesus spoke these profound words to the Samaritan woman after asking her for a drink of water from the well: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10 NASB95) The woman is initially confused and perhaps a bit resistant, but Jesus continues, “… Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14 NASB95) What does this mean?  Let’s take a closer look.

We learn more about this living water in chapter 7, when Jesus stands up at the feast and cries out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’  But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive…” (John 7:37-39a) So, we see that the living water Jesus is offering is a reference to the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of God is like a fountain or a river of water that flows from our inner being.

There is a thirst within all people, modern and ancient, for something that will satisfy the soul.  There is a yearning for meaning and wholeness.  Man tries to fulfill this desire with earthly things—worldly pleasures, wealth, career, substances, and the like—but these things will never take away the inner longing.  The thirst will always return.  But what Jesus is offering is a never-ending source of life that will truly satisfy.  The Spirit of God, dwelling within us, brings satisfaction.  He brings joy and peace!  He brings true life!  With the Spirit dwelling within us, our souls become like well-watered, fruitful gardens which bring forth His beautiful fruit.  The water is a blessing not only to our own souls, but as it flows forth, it brings refreshment to those around us.

But notice that we have to come to Jesus for this living water.  We have to ask Him.  We have to believe in Him (and continue to believe).  If we spend our lives living with one foot in Jesus and one foot in the world, we will deprive ourselves of the living water.  But if we will continue to trust in Jesus and follow His voice, He will grant life and peace through His Spirit.  The living water will spring up to eternal life.

—Scott Colvin

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The Curious Case of the Samaritans

September 10, 2024

There is an unexpected, thought-provoking passage in Acts chapter eight that has caused much debate and confusion for Bible students of all generations.  In a monumental moment in history, Philip brought the gospel of Christ to Samaria.  Speaking of the Samaritan response, the text says, “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Acts 8:12 NASB95)

The Samaritans heard and believed the good news about Christ and were baptized in His name.  What then can we say about these people?  According to the promise of God, we know that at the moment of their baptism they were forgiven of their sins, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and they were added to the church (Acts 2:38-41).  These blessings that are attached to being baptized into Jesus are for all people, for all time.  As Peter said, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” (Acts 2:39 NASB95) We could look at other passages that also tell us that baptism, the reception of the Holy Spirit, and becoming a child of God occur together (Romans 8:9; Galatians 3:26-27; Galatians 4:6).

And yet, in the case of the Samaritans who believed and were baptized, we read this: “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:14-17 NASB95) Isn’t that interesting?  It appears that these people believed and were baptized, but did not receive the Spirit at that time!  What is happening here?  Was God not faithful to His promise in the case of the Samaritans?  If the Samaritans did not receive the Spirit when they believed and were baptized, then they did not become children of God at that moment, for Paul wrote, “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”  (Romans 8:9 NASB95)

So, what is going on here?  First of all, we know that God would never be unfaithful to a promise.  Baptism, as a response of faith in His name, is the moment at which God gives His Spirit.  Then what happened in the case of the Samaritans?  I believe they received the indwelling of the Spirit at the moment of their baptism, just like all believers do according to the promise of God, but that the two apostles came down to additionally bestow on these believers the miraculous gifts of the Spirit.  This was done through the laying on of the apostle’s hands.  Why did they do this?  We can reason that they did so to empower the spread of the gospel in Samaria, and to show in a very visible way to everyone that God accepted the Samaritan believers, a fact that would have been quite shocking to many Jews.

You and I can rest in His promise that when we were baptized into Jesus, we received the gift of His Spirit.  Thank God for His wonderful gift!

—Scott Colvin

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The Work of the Holy Spirit: Help in Weakness

April 9, 2024

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27 NASB95)

It happens to all of us.  We face weakness in life.  Sometimes it is bodily weakness that plagues us. Illness, chronic pain, problems that come with advanced age—all of these physical problems can be a tremendous challenge that can leave us feeling weak.  Sometimes we struggle with spiritual weakness.  Discouragement, fear, worry, temptation, and things like these can get a foothold in our heart and weigh heavily on us. And of course, when we face these things, as Christians, we turn to God in prayer.  But have you ever faced a challenge so heavy that you don’t even know what to say to God or what to ask of Him?

In those moments it is a great comfort to know that the Holy Spirit is there to help. This is one of the reasons why the Holy Spirit dwells within us—to help us when we are weak.  This passage tells us that even when we do not know how to pray as we should, the Spirit Himself intercedes for us.  The Spirit goes to God on our behalf with groanings that are too deep for words.  Even when we do not know how to pray, still there is a communication coming up from us to God through the Spirit.  As our Father looks into our hearts, He knows the mind of His Spirit who dwells there.  And since there is perfect oneness between God the Father and God the Spirit, the Father knows exactly what we need even when we don’t know how to ask.

In all of this we see a very important reason for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  The Spirit of God dwells within us to make this inexpressible communication to God possible.  Though some teach that the Holy Spirit is the word of God, or that He works through the word only, here we see a work of the Spirit that is not through the word, but through a profound communication from our heart to God’s.

We should take great encouragement from this passage.  The Holy Spirit helps our weakness.  The Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and because of this our loving Father knows exactly what we need, even when we do not.

—Scott Colvin

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The Work of the Spirit: Sanctification

February 27, 2024

Why does the Holy Spirit dwell within each one of us who are in Christ?  When you were baptized into Jesus, you received the gift of the Spirit within your heart.  Why is He dwelling there?  What is His function?  Generally speaking, there has been a lack of teaching in the church on the role of the Spirit in our lives.  Because of this, some of our brethren would say, “I don’t know why the Spirit lives within me.”  This is an acceptable answer.  There are many things I myself do not know and we’re all trying to learn.  But sadly, some brethren have become convinced that the answer to this question is, “The Holy Spirit does nothing at all today.”  They would argue that the Spirit gave us the word of God (which is certainly true), but if pressed, they would suggest that the Spirit does nothing in the lives of Christians today.

But the Spirit of God is still at work!  The scriptures are filled with this vital truth, and to not understand this is very detrimental to our spiritual health and growth. 

One of the major functions of the Spirit today is to help us with sanctification.  Sanctification is the idea of holiness, of being set apart for God.  It is about living a life of purity and of dedication to the ways of God and abstaining from sin.  It is very important to God that we live a sanctified life.  God has said, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16b NASB95) God has said, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 NASB95) Without sanctification we will not see God! But are we alone in our pursuit of holiness?  Is it by our own strength and ability that we will overcome sin?  Has God left us alone in our struggles?

Thanks be to God that He has given us His Spirit to help us live sanctified lives.  Sanctification is the work of the Spirit!  As Peter wrote, we have been chosen “… by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 1:2 NASB95) Or as Paul wrote to the saints in Thessalonica, “… God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13b NASB95)Sanctification is an ongoing process in our lives, a process that God is empowering in us through His Spirit.  Listen to these words of Paul which carry great encouragement and hope for us in our struggle to live holy lives: “For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13 NASB95) Putting sin to death is something we must choose to do continually, but notice carefully that it is by the Spirit that we can put to death the deeds of the body.  It is not by our own power, but by the Spirit’s power.  This should give us great encouragement in our struggle against sin!  God dwells within us to help us!  We are not alone!  May God help us realize the Spirit is at work within us, and may we learn to draw from the Spirit’s power in our pursuit of sanctification.

—Scott Colvin

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The Consequences of the Spirit’s Indwelling

January 5, 2024

Despite the many passages of scripture that teach us that the Holy Spirit dwells within each one of God’s children, there are some today who deny this truth.  They are denying more than they realize.  The indwelling of the Spirit is intimately tied to many other spiritual truths that are absolutely critical for each of us in Christ.  Listen to the words of Paul in Romans chapter 8: “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:9-11 NASB95)

Notice first of all that in this passage Paul affirms three times that the Spirit of God dwells in you.  The Spirit of God came to dwell within each one of us when we were baptized into Christ.  His indwelling presence was God’s gift to each one of us (Acts 2:38).  Notice also that because the Spirit is in us, Christ is in us.  The Spirit is a divine member of the Trinity, and so both Jesus and the Father dwell in us through the Spirit. (John 14:16-23, 1 John 3:24)

What are the consequences of this wonderful truth?  First, because the Spirit of God dwells in us, we are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  They have a mindset that will lead to death.  But those who are in the Spirit and who set their minds on the Spirit will find life and peace. (Romans 8:5-8) Second, the indwelling Spirit assures us that we truly do belong to God, but if we do not have His Spirit in us, then the simple truth is we do not belong to Him.  Third, the indwelling Spirit makes us alive in our inner being.  Without the Spirit’s presence, we would be spiritually dead, yet because of His indwelling presence, we have been made alive.  Finally, we see that it is the Spirit who will give life not only to our spirits, but also to our mortal bodies.  The Spirit’s ongoing work of transformation within our hearts will one day culminate in a glorious resurrection of our bodies.  But if the Spirit does not dwell within us, there will be no resurrection to life. (John 5:28-29)

The indwelling of the Spirit is a profound spiritual reality that we need to believe in and trust.  To argue that the Spirit doesn’t really dwell in us today is to argue that we cannot please God, that we do not belong to God, that we’re still dead in our sins, and that we will not be raised bodily with Jesus.  But the truth is, He does dwell within us!  And because of this, we have a great hope for life with God, both now and for all eternity.

—Scott Colvin

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The Dangers of Dismissing the Holy Spirit

December 1, 2023

There is a lot of confusion in the church about the Holy Spirit.  Many questions arise, such as:  Is the Spirit a personal being or just some impersonal force?  Is the Spirit divine?  Does the Spirit help us in some way today?  What is His function, exactly?  What about miraculous gifts?  Does the Spirit actually dwell within us?  These are all important questions that should be asked, and answers should be sought. 

The scriptures make it clear that a reliance on the Spirit is critical to the spiritual health of both the church as a whole and of each individual Christian.  Despite this fact, there are some in the church today who downplay the role of the Spirit.  Some have claimed that the Spirit is not really doing anything today.  Some have claimed that the Spirit of God does not actually dwell in us today in any real sense.  We must carefully search the word of God to form our understanding of the Spirit.  Some are not forming their views of the Spirit on a careful study of the word, but on a counterreaction to certain misguided views held by the Pentecostal/charismatic movements.  Forming our views of scripture on a reaction to what others are teaching is no way to go about finding truth!   We must let the word of God speak for itself and let it shape our thinking.  Some who downplay the role of the Spirit do so because of their desire for simple, black and white teachings that can be easily understood.  But the fact is, there are some things in scripture that are difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16), and there are many, many things in the scriptures that will far exceed our ability to fully comprehend.  Afterall, we are dealing with God.  His ways are far above our ways.  Why should we think that we could ever fully understand nature of God and His Spirit?  And yet, we sometimes try to put God in a box of our own making.

The effects of downplaying the role of the Holy Spirit are devastating.  Some minimize the work of the Spirit and then wonder why there is so much spiritual weakness in the church.  But it is the Spirit who brings power into our lives (Ephesians 3:16).  It is the Spirit who brings transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18).  Some minimize the work of the Spirit and then wonder why we’re not reaching the lost like we should.  But it is the Spirit who will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:8).  Some have done their best to remove the Spirit’s presence from the church and then wonder why so many congregations are dying out and closing their doors.  But when the Spirit is pushed out of the temple of God (the church), what should we expect to happen?

May we always strive to hold fast to a biblical view of the Holy Spirit.  May the Lord continue to bless us, transform us, and impart life to us through the Spirit whom He has given.

—Scott Colvin

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