Water Works

Sometimes we get into interesting discussions at online poker tables.  And once in a while, we don't even have to provoke them.  Here's one recent example from National League of Poker....

CoolMedic:  come down to the river
CoolMedic:  my favorite hymn
Studmaster8:  Too cold
Me:  But there's a Man\
Studmaster8:  I like when his
Me:  Walking on the water
Studmaster8:  warm love surronds me
CoolMedic:  amen
Me:  Amen for that!

We may have our hymn idea mixed up with CoolMedic's here.  But a popular Southern gospel song has the chorus, "Let's all go down to the river - there's a man walking on the water."  Only one problem: it's not quite Biblically accurate.

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. - Matthew 14:25

The King James Version calls this body of water a "sea."  No Bible passage indicates Jesus walked on a river -- although based on this account mentioned in three gospels, we suspect that would have been no problem for Him. Instead, Jesus used a river for another purpose:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.... As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.... - Matthew 3:13, 16

(Mark 1:5 confirms this refers to the Jordan River.)


"The river" can be the most dramatic card in a poker hand.  You can make a winning flush, or watch an opponent eliminate you by completing a full house.  Jesus's river illustrates an even bigger life-changing moment - becoming baptized.

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2:38

Jesus was sinless, so He had no need to repent.  But He set an example for all of us to follow, by going into the river.  The entrance of the Holy Spirit into your life can transform you, moving you away from a worldly path onto a godly one.

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. - Galatians 5:16-18

To "live by the Spirit" requires asking God to renew His Spirit in you -- day by day, and if necessary even hour by hour.  Read farther in Galatians 5 and you'll get two lists of standards to check yourself.  One list shows sinful acts, the other "fruit of the Spirit."  Which list do you think is better?


(NOTE: This online chat had other Biblical points; we'll get to those in a future post.)