Tke Christian Life—O verjlowing A Vital Message for Christians. One of a Series of Consecration Messages Given by
Evangelist Wm, P . Nicholson Bible Institute Evangelist
“In th e la st d ay th a t g re a t d ay of th e feast, Je su s stood an d cried, saying, If a n y m an th irst, le t him com e u n to me, an d drink. “H e th a t believeth on me, a s th e S crip tu re h a th said, o u t of h is belly shall flow rivers of living w ater. (" B u t th is sp ak e he of th e sp irit, Which th ey th a t believe on him should receive; for th e H oly G host w as n o t y e t given; because th a t Je su s w as n o t y e t glorified.” )—John 7:37-39. I w ant to speak about “The Over flowing C hristian L ife.” This is our Lord’s ideal as well as H is desire for every regenerate child of His. It is not an ideal placed before us merely to fill us With desire, or to mock us. It is not an ideal th a t you and I are to merely look forw ard to a t some fu tu re date, bu t no t to expect under our present cir cum stances or present conditions. I came across th is sentence the other day: “ If you can’t realize your ideal, idealize your rea l.” T h at is not th e Lord’s way of th ink ing ; the Lord never raises an ideal before a hum an being merely to mock him or fill his h eart w ith a longing hope. No, th e ideal the Lord has set before us may become a real, living experience in our lives. Its realization is not an attainm en t, but an obtainment. I t is not of works bu t of grace. In the gospel according to John we have a three-fold revelation of th e work of th e Holy Spirit. In th e th ird chapter of John you have H is regenerating work: “Marvel not th a t I said unto you, ye must be born again.” I w an t to ask you th is question: Are you born again? I am no t asking if you belong to the church (if you are
born again I know you will belong to th e c h u rc h ); I am no t asking if you are moral. You may be moral and not sp iritual, bu t you can n o t be sp iritual and no t moral. There is as much differ ence between m orality and sp iritu ality as th e re is between death and life. Any body can be moral, b u t it is only a new creature, born of the Spirit of God, th a t is spiritual. Are you born again? Have you th e w itness of th e Spirit? Can you say from your own h eart, “ I know whom I have believed and I am per suaded th a t He is able to keep th a t which I have comm itted unto Him ag ain st th a t day,” or do you only have a knowledge of th e historical Christ? Is your faith m erely trad itional, or have you only a mere external religion; or, on the o ther hand, have you a vital relation to your Lord and Master? Does Christ dwell in th e h e a rt by faith? Do you know He dwells in your h eart? Are you born from above? “Once born, twice die; twice born, once die.” If we are not born again we may be very religious, very moral, very respect able, very zealous in good works, but we are still dead in trespasses and sins. So th e Christian life m ust always begin w ith th is— born from above. Then in the fou rth chapter of John, verse 14, we have His indwelling and sanctifying work. “The w ater th a t I shall give him, shall be in him . a well of w ater springing up into everlasting life.” The Spirit of God dwelling in you; etern al life as a well of w ater bubbling up in your h ea rt and life. We
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