From verse 39 it is evident that one can be a believer and yet not have the Holy Spirit. Such was the case with all the saints of the Old Testament. Although true faith be distinct from the gift and indwelling of the Spirit, and that the first may exist in a person without his having the other, still, now that the Spirit is on earth, there is no reason why He should defer coining to dwell in the believer. But it is possible that a soul really converted, still be not sealed with the Holy Spirit. It would seem, judging from the case of Cornelius and Acts 2, that this seal is given when one believes on the work of Christ for the pardon of sins. When, therefore, the Gospel is clearly preached, so that the work of Christ as well as His person be fully presented to the soul, there is no reason for believing that the Holy Spirit delays; and if a soul has not fully apprehended these truths, it is possible that he be converted —without being sealed by the Spirit. In this respect the passage cited above (Acts 10:43-4443To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. (Acts 10:43‑44)) is remarkable; when Peter comes to the pardon of sins, the Holy Spirit descended upon those who heard him and believed.
Verse 38. He that believeth on Jesus, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; but first he must have drunk himself from the fountain. “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” One drinks first, because one is thirsty for oneself; and if this be not the case, one may be busily occupied with the Holy Spirit as to his works—as in the case of Balaam and of Judas—but one soon sees that such a soul is a pipe for water which he has never drank for himself.
The apostles and all Christians differ from the prophets of the Old Testament in this, that they are witnesses of things which they have received for themselves, and not for others; and it is therefore that it is said that the water flows from their belly (as a figure, of course), because the most intimate feelings of their heart rejoice in the things of which they speak. Now that everything belongs to the Christian, it is not possible that He should receive any revelation that is not primarily his own, although it is possible that he may not realize it. I do not speak of profession for time to come.
We have already found in this Gospel that the Holy Spirit is spoken of in three ways. In chapter 3 the new birth is wrought by the Spirit. In chapter 4 the power of the Holy Spirit, which is as a well springing up unto life eternal: the spring is in us because we have Christ, and the eternal life in the believer that mounts up to heaven because it has come from heaven, and at the last will be definitely in heaven. And in chap. 7 it flows as a river for others.
In verses 40, 41 we have the opinions of men in respect of Jesus. How different these opinions a are from faith! Here we find Nicodemus, who seeks to bear witness for Christ, but his position is false-he wished to preserve a position in the world. The Pharisees say, “Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed on him?” For them it was not a question of truth or hot truth. Their conscience was hardened, and their fixed purpose was not to desire Jesus. In verse 53 that each went to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” The Creator of the world had not a home. He was born in a manger and died on a cross, while the world had all its own amusements.