Day 28: The Holy Spirit and your eternal destination

“And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.’

So she said, ‘Drink, my lord.’ Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, ‘I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.’ Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.” (Genesis 24:15-21)

In the parable from Genesis 24, the unnamed Servant typifies the Holy Spirit who sets out to find a Bride for Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Rebekah’s response shows how the Church, but also you and I individually, needs to respond to the Holy Spirit.

One aspect of Rebekah's response was to serve the servant. I call that faith with works. She didn't just believe, she didn't say yes; but she got busy, dipped down her bucket into that well and drew something like 400 gallons of water. I believe that Christianity has got to be the religion of active faith. Faith with works. Rebekah drawing the water from the well is a good picture of what that means.

Rebekah received the gifts the servant brought her. We cannot entertain a man and reject his gifts. That is true in life. If a young man saves up to buy a beautiful engagement ring for the young woman he wants to marry, never will it happen that the young woman will refuse the ring and marry the man. Accepting or rejecting the ring is an indication of her attitude toward the man. And so it is with us in relationship to the Holy Spirit. We cannot reject the gifts of the Holy Spirit and expect to be part of the Bride of Christ.

The gifts of the servant visibly marked out Rebekah as the chosen bride. And when the gifts of the Spirit come into operation in the Church, the Church is visibly set apart as the Bride of Christ.

Rebekah made room for the servant and his camels. Taking the Holy Spirit into your life means a lot of changes. It means you have to get rid of a lot of things in order to make room for what God wants in your life. It means radical changes. It means putting the will of God before your own convenience.

Then, she followed the servant to her appointed destination. The only way we will make our way through this world and come to that encounter with our Heavenly Bridegroom is through following the Holy Spirit.

Rebekah's relationship to the servant was essential to her destiny in God. And equally so for you and me as believers in Jesus Christ. It is our relationship to the Holy Spirit that is going to determine our destiny. If we snub the Holy Spirit we cannot enter into our destiny. He is the helper sent to enable us to claim and receive our inheritance.