I presume that scarcely any one will deny that our version weakens the
force of John's words by translating '_with_ water, _with_ the Holy
Ghost,' instead of 'in water, in the Holy Ghost.' One of the most
accurate of recent commentators,[2] for instance, in his remarks on this
verse, says that the preposition here 'is to be understood in accordance
with the idea of baptism that is immersion, not as expressing the
instrument with which, but as meaning "in," and expressing the element
in which the immersion takes place.' I suppose that very few persons
would hesitate to agree with that statement. If it is correct, what a
grand idea is conveyed by that metaphor of the completeness of the
contact with the Spirit of God into which we are brought! How it
represents all our being as flooded with that transforming power! But,
apart from the intensity communicated to the promise by such a figure,
there is another important matter brought distinctly before us by the
words, and that is Christ's personal agency in effecting this saturating
of man's coldness with the fire from God. This testimony of John's is in
full accord with Christ's claims for Himself, and with the whole tenor
of Scripture on the subject. He is the Lord of the Spirit. He is come to
scatter that fire on the earth. He brings the ruddy gift from heaven to
mortals, carrying it in the bruised reed of His humanity; and, in
pursuance of His merciful design, He is bound and suffers for our sakes,
but, loosed at last from the bands by which it was not possible that He
should be holden, and 'being by the right hand of God exalted, He hath
shed forth this.' His mighty work opens the way for the life-giving
power of the Spirit to dwell as an habitual principle, and not as a mere
occasional gift, among men, sanctifying their characters from the
foundation, and not merely, as of old, bestowing special powers for
special functions. He claims to send us the Comforter. We know but
little of such high themes, but we can clearly see that, while there may
be many other reasons for the full bestowment of the Spirit of God
having to be preceded by the gift of Christ, one reason must be that the
measure of individual and subjective inspiration varies according to the
amount of objective revelation. The truth revealed is the condition and
the instrument of the Spirit's working. The sharper that sword of the
Spirit is, the mightier will be His power. Hence, only when the
revelation of God is complete by the message of His Son, His life,
death, resurrection, and ascension, was the full, permanent gift of the
Spirit possible, not to make new revelations, but to unfold all that lay
in the Word spoken once for all, in whom the whole Name of God is
contained.
[2] Meyer.
However that may be, the main thing for us, dear friends, is this--that
Christ gives the Spirit. In and by Jesus, you and I are brought into
real contact with this cleansing fire. Without His work, it would never
have burned on earth; without our faith in His work it will never purify
our souls. The Spirit of God is not a synonym for the moral influence
which the principles of Christianity exert on men who believe them; but
these principles, the truths revealed in Jesus Christ, are the means by
which the Spirit works its noblest work. Our acceptance of these truths,
then, our faith in Him whom these truths reveal, is absolutely essential
to our possession of that cleansing power. The promise is of 'that
Spirit which they that believe on Him should receive.' If we have no
faith in Jesus, then, however we may fancy that the gift of God can be
ours by other means, the stern answer comes to our fond delusions and
mistaken efforts, 'Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter.' Oh!
you who are seeking for spiritual elevation, for intellectual
enlightenment, for the fire of a noble enthusiasm, for the consecration
of pure hearts, anywhere but in Christ your Lord, will you not listen to
the majestic and yet lowly voice, which blends in its tones grave and
loving rebuke, gentle pity, wonder and sorrow at our blindness, earnest
entreaty, and divine authority--'If thou knewest the gift of God, and
who it is that speaketh to thee, thou wouldst have asked of Him, and He
would have given thee living water'?
Here are we cold, foul, dark, dead: there is that fire of God able to
cleanse, to enlighten, to give life. How is true contact to be effected
between our great need and His all-sufficient energy? One voice brings
the answer for every Christian soul, '_I_ will send the Comforter.'
Brethren, let us cleave to Him, and in humble faith ask Him to plunge us
into that fiery stream which, for all its fire, is yet a river of water
of life proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. '_He_
shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and in fire.'