JOH 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

>>In our text the Saviour of men has summed up the whole gospel message in three simple words, "thirst," "come," and "drink."

>>Our Saviour's doctrine so clearly tells us His revealed will—and where the only limitation is found in the salvation of men's souls—"If any man thirst."

>>Can we govern our lives by the secret will of God as though there is some constraint upon us to continue in sin until God fulfills what we read in PHI 2:13?

PHI 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

>>This word "thirst," identifies an inner need—it is like hunger, it is something which accompanies an acute, or penetrating consciousness.

>>Hungering and thirsting are an inner craving for something which is not in our actual possession—so it is with spiritually hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

MAT 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

>>Our text tell us wherein they shall be filled—in the very person of Christ—"If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

>>What a sad commentary to see the multitudes who thirst after the things of this life—pleasure—money—fame—ease, and self-indulgence;

>>Over all these Christ has written with indelible ink, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again," JOH 4:13.

>>Our text speaks of thirsting for something infinitely more noble, and of greater value—even for the person of Christ Himself, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

>>Our text speaks of the intense longing a truly quickened soul has for the imparted, and imputed righteousness of Christ—

>>Any poor sinner who has become convicted of his pollution through sin will thirst after the cleansing power of Christ's blood—

>>Any poor sinner who longs to become acquitted before the tribunal of God's justice will hunger for that broken body of Christ which was broken for him.

>>Our text calls out to any man who so thirsts after Christ that he can say with the Psalmist in PSA 42:1-2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

>>The inner affections of the heart hold unbroken sway over a man's will—The Lord calls out unto the sons of men in EZE 18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit [or attitude]: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

>>Our Saviour's invitation to each of you is, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

>>This word "come," expresses action!—It implies that the will is put into operation—

>>Christ's invitation for you to come unto Him is a directive to do with your heart and will, what you would do with your feet if He were standing physically before you saying "come unto me" — It is an act of the obedience of faith.

>>Why do the multitude go on in their own ways of sin even though the voice of the gospel speaks so loudly from Calvary in such tenderness and love?

>>The fault is found in their will, see what Jesus said in JOH 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

>>Can we plead inability as an excuse for not coming unto Jesus? Can we say that our will is forced or constrained to continue in sin?

>>Would you accept such an excuse from your child if he said he was required to disobey because he was a fallen son of Adam?

>>But what if he would argue that therefore you may not chastise him for deceit, cheating, or swearing because his will was constrained to disobey?

>>Would you accept such an excuse? Or would you not rather say your stubborn will must be broken—your life of disobedience must be altered.

>>We know that in God's secret will Joseph must go to Egypt to save much flesh alive—but did that excuse the sin of his brothers in selling him as a slave?

>>Did not his brothers act on their own voluntary will when they cast him into the pit? Was it not a willing, voluntary act we read of in GEN 37:27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

>>Was there anything in that which indicates that they did so against their will? The guilt it left upon their conscience confirms that their acts were entirely voluntary.

GEN 42:21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

>>Even though we know it was Gods secret will that Christ should die upon the cross, yet those who nailed Him there were accountable for their deed.

ACT 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

>>Was Judas' will forced? He went to the Pharisees and Chief Priests and covenanted—An agreement, and yet forced?

>>We can see what an absolute deliberate act it was in his confession,

MAT 27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

>>God's Word tells us in DEU 29:29 "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God [that is to tell us we are not to attempt to pry into God's secret will with regard to our salvation—so as to govern our lives after His secret will]: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."

>>The revealed will of Christ in our text is, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

>>Does this teach that the Atonement is limited? Our Saviour's expression "any man" is not subject to any deficiency in the atonement!!!! The atonement is sufficient to encompass the whole world.

1JO 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

JOH 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

>>The atonement or reconciliation from God's side is unlimited.

ROM 5:18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

>>It is salvation, not the atonement that is limited—that limitation is found in our text, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

>>Those who's affections are still set upon the things of this world have no desire after the knowledge of God's ways—They are not willing to come unto Him that they might have life.

REV 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

>>Coming to Christ is turning your back upon the world—abandoning all confidence in self—to come empty handed at the feet of Christ.

>>Beware you don't become satisfied with any substitutes to the very person of Christ!!!—

>>Our text does not say, come to the Lord's table, or come to the waters of baptism, or come to your pastor, or come into membership with the body of Christ—all these may serve as a means of coming to Christ, but are not an end in themselves—

>>Our text says, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

>>Our text not only says, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me [but it also says], and drink.

>>It is here that so many fail! There are so many who seem to speak of the things which accompany salvation—i.e., an awakened conscience, an exercised heart about God's will, and even a conscious need of Christ, and yet stop short of drinking.

JOH 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

>>This word "drink" in our text is synonymous with the word "believing" in Christ, or i.e., it signifies appropriating Christ to yourself—or making Him your own.

>>As we hold our text in its context we can see who it was Jesus was talking to.

JOH 7:31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

>>Even though it says, "...many of the people believed on him," this was not a saving faith. They still would not come unto His that they might have life— This seems to be synonymous with

JOH 2:23-24 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,

>>It seems as though the confusion over Jesus' miracles was more a murmuring than an actual placing of their trust in Him for salvation.

JOH 7:32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

>>In its context, our text is teaching the need of our will being broken, and dissolved in the Father's will.

JOH 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

>>The open rebellion of those who sought to slay Jesus were not acting out of blindness, but out of envy and rebellion against coming to Jesus, that they might have life.

>>Jesus cautions that the call of the gospel is not forever,

HEB 3:13-15 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

>>In context with our text says, JOH 7:33-34 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

>>This was equal to saying—"To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." How solemnly this applies to our present day.

MAT 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

>>We know not the day nor the hour of His coming, but we know Jesus said, "Yet a little while am I with you, "i.e., we still have the trumpet of the Gospel today—

>>We may still hear our Saviour's blessed invitation today—tomorrow may be forever to late.

JOH 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

>>Notice this cry of salvation was proclaimed right up to the very last—even while they were conspiring to take Jesus, "In the last day, that great day of the feast."

>>Even though the chief priests, and the rulers of the people "...sent officers to take him," V:32, yet our loving "Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

>>Where Jesus told the leaders of the people "Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me," V:33, it is equal to what we read in

PRO 1:24-28 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

>>Today is the invitation extended to each one of us, "Jesus stands and cries, saying, "If any man thirst [He does not say if you are elect, but if you thirst—`if any man thirst'], let him come unto me, and drink."