Drawing Water from the Springs of Salvation

Last winter I learned for sure that I’m not cut out for pioneer life (as if there had ever been any doubt). This revelation came as our well pump bit the dust and we had to go without water for a few days.

Before you picture shades of Laura Ingalls Wilder, know that our circumstances weren’t really so bleak. We had jugs of water for life’s necessities—toilet flushing, tooth brushing, and face washing—and some drinking water (so I didn’t have to go without coffee). However, in just those few hours I learned that running water is indeed a modern convenience I’d rather not go without. No shower, no laundry—no thank you.

This mercifully brief experience gave me renewed respect for those whom God did not see fit to bless with the gift of running water. They knew the hard work of going to the stream a couple of times a day to draw water for the family. And, of course, this chore had to be done every single day, rain or shine, holiday, birthday, or sick day. Drawing water from its source is vital to life.

Springs of Salvation

In describing life after the return of the King “on that day,” Isaiah appealed to his readers’ understanding of the constancy of drawing water:

You will joyfully draw water
from the springs of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3)

Life in the kingdom will be continually drawing upon the springs of salvation. In other words, life in the kingdom will be truly gospel-driven, a term that, because of its ubiquity, has fallen on hard times of late. However, it captures a truth we should not quickly discard.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ does more than merely provide “fire insurance.” The gospel is not a quaint story that we appreciate as children but leave behind as we age in pursuit of better, meatier things. My friends, we must draw from the springs of salvation every day—not in order to be “saved” over and over again but because the gospel is for every day. We need its truths to renew, liberate, motivate, and cultivate our spiritual growth.

Freedom

The moment you embraced the vicarious sacrifice of Christ on your behalf, accepting Him as your Savior, your only hope in life and death, you received your letter of emancipation. Your sin no longer has the power to hold you captive. Paul makes this crystal clear:

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:6–7, emphasis added)

However, while our Liberator’s work was complete and sufficient to loosen the bonds of sin forever, we know from experience the ease with which we return to our enslaver and slip the chains back on our wrists. While we truly are free, we willingly subject ourselves to slavery again.

This could look like a life of lawlessness and licentious living—trampling on the grace of God as if it means nothing (see Romans 6). On the other hand, a return to slavery may look like a life of legalism and rule-keeping—heaping laws on top of the gospel and thus trampling the grace of God as if it means nothing (see the book of Galatians).

How do we avoid these two extremes? Draw water from the spring of the gospel on a daily basis. Live with your eyes fixed on the cross, reminding yourself daily of the depth of your sin and the wonder of Christ’s perfect sacrificial death on your behalf.

Fruit

Imbibing the gospel each day not only helps us walk in freedom, but it also helps us to bear genuine fruit. Often, like the Galatians, we can believe the fallacy that though we were saved by grace alone, we now must sanctify ourselves according to our own white-knuckled effort (whether consciously or unconsciously). In other words, we must try really, really hard to be good enough to stay on God’s good side. Paul calls this foolishness (Gal. 3:3).

Only after explicating the gospel in the first eleven jam-packed chapters in Romans does Paul then turn to the imperatives, the how-to-live section of his book. That should tell us something. We cannot put in enough effort to just “be good” according to our own strength. The fruit, at best, will be a waxy facsimile exposed as false at the first bite.

We need a better way.

Jesus addresses our very problem in His farewell discourse to His disciples in John 14–16. Nestled in the middle of this long address, we find the very crux of the sermon:

“Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:4–5)

There it is. We must remain—abide, dwell, endure—in the Vine. Because we have been united with Him in His death (Rom. 6:4; Gal. 2:20), we also live in Him.

In other words, His righteousness is now our own (2 Cor. 5:21). His forgiveness has become ours (Eph. 4:32). His compassion, His wisdom, His strength, His love—all of these we can enjoy because we are united with Christ. However, if we allow our gaze to slip from His atoning death and victorious resurrection, we will lose sight of these glorious truths and easily slip into the foolishness of Galatia.

But How?

As with many spiritual disciplines, no one-size-fits-all answer will adequately cover every person’s unique situation or circumstances. How I draw water from the springs of salvation each day may not work for you. However, here are a few suggestions:

Pray Ephesians 1:17–19 for yourself.

This prayer of Paul on behalf of the Ephesians is essentially a petition that they would know and live in light of the gospel. Make this prayer your own as you seek to drink deeply from gospel waters each day.

Sing the gospel.

Try turning to some of the classic hymns of the faith, rich with gospel theology and steeped in wonder: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” “And Can It Be,” “Arise, My Soul, Arise,” “Before the Throne,” or “In Christ Alone.”

Linger with the gospel.

Return to the gospel accounts of the crucifixion, memorize Isaiah 53, or meditate on Hebrews 9–10 or Ephesians 1–2. Of course, gospel truth can be found on every page of Scripture, but some are more direct than others.

Talk about the gospel.

Recently my family and I have been memorizing a GOSPEL acrostic to help my kids know and articulate the gospel. Despite its simplicity, it’s been a balm for my own heart to return to the simple truths of the gospel night after night.

So, how will you draw from the springs of salvation? This list is far from exhaustive, but hopefully it will help get you started (or encourage you) in meditating on the gospel each day. Developing (or furthering) this practice will help ground you in the freedom and fruit that the Good News delivers. Drink deeply, drink daily, and drink joyfully from the springs of salvation.

At True Woman ’25, join thousands of women hungry for truth, revival, and a deeper walk with Christ. Through powerful teaching, heartfelt worship, and unforgettable moments in God’s presence, you’ll be challenged to live surrendered and anchored in His Word. Don’t miss this gathering of women who long to behold the wonder of the Word. Make plans to join us October 2–4, 2025, in Indianapolis.
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