When God Gives His Gift...

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17).

What is this “free gift of the water of life”?

And why would others refuse or reject it? Is it because of the so-called human free will?

Is God’s Gift not so appealing, because it’s free and we can just afford to ignore it?

Of course, God who creates Beauty will not offer anything below His standard of Perfection in Beauty. We read in James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

We also read in Revelation 21:6, “He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.’”

If we have this “water of life,” we will have satisfaction as a thirsty man is satisfied in drinking from the spring of water. What He gives will truly satisfy us.

Remember the “prodigal son” in Luke 15? He suffered so much after he left his father. “He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything” (verse 16). But when he returned to his father, the son received not just an ordinary meal – but a feast (verse 23)!

His father gave his son more than his need. “But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate’” (Luke 15:22-23). The son was more than satisfied from what his father gave him.

What the Heavenly Father will give is more appealing than any favor that a human father can give to his son!

Then, why would others could afford to refuse God’s offer?

Does it mean that man’s free will to reject what is appealing is more powerful than his freedom to choose what attracts him?

Jesus told the Samaritan woman, who would draw water from the well:

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14).

Water and other physical things will only give us temporary satisfaction. But if we have the “water of life” given by Jesus, we “will never thirst” – we will enjoy complete and eternal satisfaction! What He gives will benefit us not only for a certain period of time, but will even transcend this age.

Unfortunately, there are those who reject and will continue to reject this very precious and perfect gift.

Why? Is man’s freedom of choice “at fault”?

Or, do they react negatively because they fail to perceive the worth of the gift?

First, let us identify this “water of life.”

We read in John 7:37-39, “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By THIS HE MEANT THE SPIRIT, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

Jesus Christ was referring to the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God – His Spirit.

Peter said in Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.”

Also, we read in Acts 10:44-45, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT had been poured out even on the Gentiles.”

No gift in this world could satisfy our heart as the exceeding joy of the Spirit of Christ could give us. And it’s free, because it is priceless. During the time of the apostles, someone tried to buy the Spirit, as we read in Acts 8, “When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit’" (verses 18-19).