So what do rivers do? They cleanse....
Here's one analogy of how this river works.
Some people take off their clothes before going into the water. How a person enters into this river is like that. The person must take off their old garment, which was in sin, and go as you are. So that you can be cleansed and sanctified. Sanctified meaning set apart from the world...
The clothes that are to be taken off are located in Colossians 3:1-11...
Colossians 3:1-11
Living the New Life
3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
The "clothes" that you are to take off are the things that you partake in that is listed above. "Malicious behavior, slander, rage, sexual immorality, impurity, greed, lust, and evil desires" are some things to take off.
This next thing isn't the only way that it can operate, and it's certainly not something that will hinder the river from being poured out if God so chooses, but it's a type of picture that can help a person to focus on what it really is.
The river is mixed with the love, mercy, trust, grace, forgiveness, and you should even find your identity in it...
When you spend time in those things, through repentance and faith, you can be washed and cleansed. When you repent, you are to "forsake" sin and confess it. So when you enter into this river it's very important that you "forsake", or in other words "take off", the garment of your old nature. When you repent by forsaking and confessing you receive mercy from God.
Proverbs 28:13,
13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper,
but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
"and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" that, my friend, is an awesome thing to have. You can be cleansed from ALL of the things that you are ashamed about. You can be cleansed and forgiven from all of those things as well as receive mercy from God when you forsake those things. Abandon them and you will receive mercy. God wants you back into a relationship with Him.
1 Timothy 2:4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God desires "Everyone" to be saved. Not just you but your relatives as well as your boss. Grace is unmerited favor and you are not the key holder...
When you spend time in this river you can be cleansed and also be built up in the truths of God's word. Your faith ought to increase and so should your trust. When you read the psalms and you come across something that is powerful then spend some time thinking about it. Or just be still and praise Him.. Enjoy the Bible, enjoy the love letter that is written in it. Soak it in and be washed by it...
Try not to be so quick in reading it. Sure you may of heard about certain things before but ask God to refresh it for you. Ask Him to make it personal or more alive to you. I asked for a different vocabulary and now I have one. He does do those types of things. He enjoys His work.. You are "not" a burden to Him...
So spend some time in the river. Spend time in His love. Spend time in His grace. Accepting and believing truth is how you can receive peace of mind and heart. When God's word says, "He will" that is a promise. Those promises are of value and they can not be overruled. God is a God of His word. He is faithful and His promises are true. Now and forever...
So spend some time being loved by God. Spend some time being washed by the tenderness of God. He's not going to smite you with lightning if you ask a question that you may think is "too small". He is not going to insult you or call you stupid for asking. He loves His children....
Some people may spend all of their time on earth hearing about the warnings of God's word without really getting more. The warnings are drunkards will be in Hell. Homosexuals will also be in Hell if not repented from. Sexual immorality, slanderers, gossipers, witchcraft, and the disobedient to parents will also be in Hell if not repented from.
When a person repents, believes in Jesus, and makes Him the Lord and Savior of their life they can be cleansed by the blood. The blood is what purifies and cleanses the person from a guilty conscious. It "purges" the conscious of the guilt that comes from the shameful things that they did in their past. Post the Hebrews verse about the blood...
Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Did you read that? Did you catch what it said? It's saying the blood of Christ has the power to purge your conscious from the "dead works", in another words sin, so that you can serve the living God without having to be bound by your past failures. The blood of Jesus sets you FREE from those past mistakes. You are Forgiven...
So when you come out of the river don't put on the old garment but put on the new. Which is to be more like Jesus.
Colossians 3:12-17
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
There's also another robe that one puts on but that's later. We are to do good works so that the robe can be made by those good works of obedience but the putting on of it is later. I believe it's for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb that happens "after" Babylon is destroyed. Revelation 18,19.
Notice the words of Jesus in John 7:38, 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart'...
Just like the river that washes, this river will flow from their heart. To go out and heal others. To go out and encourage the brokenhearted. To go out and be Christ's hands and feet to those who don't know Him...
Isaiah 55:1 "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if you have no money! Come,
Some extra scriptures...
Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Psalm 103:10-14 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
Thank you Lord Jesus.. for making this possible!
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