ABUNDANT LIFE

" . . . I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

IT IS THE LORD'S MANNER to prepare men for a blessing of magnitude – abundance. This Divine propensity was revealed to Amos. "Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7, NIV). Therefore, it should not surprise us that the prophets spoke of God copiously pouring out His Spirit upon men.A

FRUITFUL FIELD PRODUCED
"Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest" (Isa 32:15). The context of Isaiah's prophecy involved the coming Messiah. He was the "Man" who would "be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land" (v 2). With the government upon His shoulder, and men being reconciled to God, "the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly" (vs 3-4). This is a description of "abundant life."

THE BACKGROUND OF BLESSINGThe background of the blessing of the Spirit would be trouble, desolation , and lamentation (vs 10-14). Suddenly, the Lord would break through the clouds of impossibility, pouring His Spirit upon the people from "on high." The result would be a superabundance of fruit and stability. Where desolation once dominated, fruitfulness would break forth on all sides.

ROBUST LIFE
"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring: and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses" (Isa 44:3-4). Sin brought barrenness and dissatisfaction on both personal and collective levels. Nothing having its genesis with humanity could eliminate these conditions. However, God Himself would relieve the oppression produced by transgression. He would do this by pouring His Spirit upon the people. Note, the purpose realized by this outpouring would not be a specialized ministry, like that of an Apostle. Nor, indeed, would it be the feelings of euphoria or the endowment of spiritual gifts. Instead, robust spiritual life would be realized. Sudden and stable growth would take place, as individuals would become as flourishing trees planted by the waters. There would be rich satisfaction as the human spirit, likened to parched and dry ground, would drink in of the abundance of the Holy Spirit. This outpouring is also called God's "blessing."

EXPANDED SPEECH AND INSIGHT
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit" (Joel 2:28-29). Here is the prophecy with which Peter correlated the events on that memorable day of Pentecost. While other prophecies might have been viewed as provincial or regional, Joel spoke of an outpouring of the Spirit upon "all flesh," or "all mankind" (NASB), or "all people" (NIV). The effects would dwarf all previous human experiences. Both sons and daughters would prophesy, speaking forth unto edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Cor 14:3). "Old men" would "dream dreams," something ordinarily experienced by "young men." Young men would "see visions," something normally associated with "old men." A certain spiritual freshness would be experienced that would honor God and edify the people. Even the socially deprived would be swept into the blessing: "servants" and "handmaids."

JESUS SPEAKS
"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39, NKJV). During the feast of Tabernacles, the general harvest festival, the Jews drew water and poured it out before the Lord as "drink offerings" (Num 29:35-39). In the last day of this feast, the Lord Jesus stood and cried out of a superior pouring – the pouring forth of the Holy Spirit. He spoke of it in terms of the effects of the outpouring. Rather than pouring out a small supply of water or wine before the Lord, a gushing river would erupt within the inmost part of men. A river of living, or fresh, water would not flow into man, but out of him. The rich resource of Divine supply would be placed within the redeemed, as Jesus declared to the Samaritan woman. "But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ABUNDANCE of the Holy Spirit, which "those believing in Him would receive," is vividly described. It would be like the torrent of a rushing river, flowing out from the redeemed, bringing refreshment and hope to a race bludgeoned by sin. This blessing is centered in the New Covenant, not a specialized ministry. It is inherent to salvation, and is in no way extracurricular. All of this and more is involved in Jesus coming that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. Nothing about salvation is meager!

– Given O. Blakely