Read John 7:37-39. Jesus here introduces the idea of believers having rivers of living water flowing from inside us. He references the book of Jeremiah in which God claims to be a spring of living water, so by saying we have rivers of living waters inside of us means that we have God inside of us. We can have God inside of us because of the Holy Spirit, who is God dwells inside believers when we put our faith in God.
In 1 Corinthians Paul talks about this change as a Baptism into the Body of Christ. This Baptism into the Body of Christ is what God does within individuals as soon as they are saved, by repenting of their sins and putting their faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit covers over their sin and their sinful nature is buried with Christ’s death and they are raised to a new resurrected life with Christ.
After receiving the Baptism into the Body of Christ the Scriptures tell us to then receive the Baptism of Believers, in which a believer is immersed in water, if they are physically able, by another in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is an outward expression of the inward change that occurred when we were saved and received the Baptism into the Body of Christ.
The third type of Baptism described in the New Testament is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This was Jesus’ promise to his disciples that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit and that they would receive power to be his witnesses. People receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit after their salvation can be seen throughout the New Testament and is normative today as well. I believe that all Christians who desire to be fruitful should strive to receive this gift so they can be better equipped to build up the church.
Will you ask God to save you? Will you be baptized in water to show your faith? Will you ask for the Holy Spirit to baptize you and eagerly desire the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
