Waters to the Knees

Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. . . . (Ezekiel 47:4)

Ezekiel's "waters" represent the Holy Spirit made available to those who receive Christ as Lord and Savior. When the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to the waiting disciples.

Throughout history there have been workings and outpourings of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the saints. Needless to say, the Holy Spirit always has been associated with the Church of Christ. There is no working of the Holy Spirit in any of the world's religions or in the secular affairs of men. The Spirit's role is to bring the things of Christ to us and to convict the world of sin.

The Spirit of God created the world, carried Enoch into the Presence of God, warned Noah, called out Abraham, and dwelled among the sons of Jacob. The Spirit of God rested in His Fullness on Jesus of Nazareth and since that time has been active in the churches of Christ. None of this Divine activity constitutes a religion. Rather, it is the revelation of God to mankind. All of the religions of the world are inspired by demons. Only the Judaic-Christian revelation is of the Holy Spirit, of the one true God.

The pursuit of education is becoming one of the principal activities of the peoples of the world. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and apart from Him it is impossible to attain truth.

Ezekiel's waters are a scriptural portrayal of the fact that the Presence of the Holy Spirit is increasing in the people of the Lord and that the time is coming when—through the Body of Christ—the whole earth will be full of the Holy Spirit.

The future will bring a fullness of the Holy Spirit that will regulate all conduct on the earth. The Holy Spirit is the only acceptable environment for the people whom God has created. Jesus always dwells in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and we also are to dwell forever in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit comes down to us from Heaven, from the Throne of God, as we learn from the second chapter of the Book of Acts. Now it is the will of God that the Throne of God be constructed in the Body of Christ—in each member of the Body.

As soon as the construction of the Throne of God in the members of the Body of Christ has been completed, the Holy Spirit will flow from the Christian people. The Holy Spirit always proceeds from the Throne of God. From each member of the Body of Christ will flow rivers of living water.

As the man with the "line in his hand" moves toward the east, that is, toward the morning of the Day of the Lord, he is taking a more accurate measurement of the Body of Christ. The judging of sin and self-will in the Church is becoming increasingly strict, increasingly exact as to the image of Christ.

The judgment of the sin in the people of the world is not being pursued with such exactness in the present hour. Rather, it is the sin in the members of the Body of Christ that is coming under intense scrutiny. "The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God" (I Peter 4:17; see also Revelation 11:2).

Notice that as the judgment increases the water becomes deeper. There is no way to obtain more of the Holy Spirit of God other than to go through the judgment of God. The more of the Holy Spirit we are to receive the more holiness we must attain. We attain holiness by the work of the Spirit.

He is the Holy Spirit and He cannot abide and work in circumstances that continue to be unholy. If we are to stride into deeper levels of the waters of eternal life we must submit to increasingly precise measurement of our deeds, words, motives, and imaginations.

In our study we are employing the waters to the "ankles" to portray the salvation experience; waters to the "knees" to portray the sanctification experience; and waters to the "loins" to portray the conquest experience—the area of accomplishment and rulership.

After we have progressed through the three levels we have access to the "waters to swim in." "Waters to swim in" tells us that one day, provided we follow Christ to the end, we will be immersed forever in the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God.

We have stated that the waters to the "ankles" is our first "dip" in the ocean of God. We have gotten started in the way of Christ but we still are close to the shore. We may run into the surf and then run back up on the beach because the temperature of the water is not to our liking.

Many believers are like that. They charge out into the surf and then they run back up on the beach. Back and forth they go. The problem with living too close to the shoreline is that we can fall from the will of God too easily. When the Day of Judgment closes in on us we may be forced from His will altogether. Remember Lot's wife!

When first we are saved we are "sealed" with the promised Holy Spirit. We are marked as belonging to the Lord, and the touch of the Holy Spirit on us is God's pledge of a greater fullness to come.

As soon as the atonement has been made for our sins the Holy Spirit is desirous that we be transformed into the image of Christ in personality and behavior. He desires to govern our way of life—the things we do, say, and think.

When the Presence of the Holy Spirit is "ankle deep" in our life, to speak figuratively, our ability to move about in our flesh is relatively unhindered. When we get in water up to our knees it is not as easy to proceed along according to our own inclinations. It is difficult to run fast when we are in water up to our knees. It still is possible to walk about as we will, but our movements are sluggish and tiring being hindered by the resistance of the water.

When we become "knee deep" in the Holy Spirit of God we begin to "slow down." We are not the same wild person as before. We still do, say, and think many things that are of sin and the flesh. The Holy Spirit is resisting every move that we make that is not from Him. Our spirit, soul, and flesh slowly are being brought under the dominion of the Spirit of God.

If we keep moving toward the "east," toward the Person and appearing of the Lord Jesus, we become less and less able to think, speak, and act according to our impulses. We grow increasingly willing to seek the mind of the Holy Spirit in our daily behavior. The "water" is beginning to decrease our weight so that our grip on the ground under our feet is not as solid. We are coming under the control of the water.

When we first are saved there is an initial surge toward righteousness as we realize that the Kingdom into which we have come is a holy and righteous dominion. The King, Jesus, is holy and the wickedness of the world has no place here. Now we discover a conflict in our life as the sin dwelling in our flesh and the self-centeredness of our soulish personality attempt to determine the way we will behave as a Christian.

As we press forward in our discipleship we learn to dwell under the control of the Holy Spirit. One of the major end products of such dwelling is the fruit of the Spirit. Instead of the hatred, misery, and passionate confusion of our previous life in the world there is the love, joy, and peace of the Spirit of God.

Although we come into conflict as our flesh attempts to continue in the old ways of behaving, the nature of the Holy Spirit gradually gains the upper hand. All we are required to do is keep ourselves in Christ each day by prayer and obedience. The Holy Spirit is in charge of the change in our conduct. He accomplishes what all the efforts of the flesh can never do. He achieves in us the moral character of Christ.

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