“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price,” Isaiah 55:1

1. All may come, but only those do come to Christ for whom HE has paid the debt, with His own precious blood, and been given life to hunger and thirst after Him and His righteousness earned, established, accomplished and imputed in His obedience unto death for His people. How gracious the words of the hymn writer: ‘There is a Fountain opened for my cleansing, Where sin’s remission by my Lord was made; He was the Lamb that was led to the slaughter, His BLOOD the FOUNTAIN where my debt was paid.”

2. Those satisfied with the world see no need of Christ, and therefore do not thirst after Him. How many there are who have no uneasiness about their lost estate! Worse yet, they presume themselves safe and secure in a false sense of supposed morality which is nothing but filthy rags before a Holy God, Isaiah 64:6.

3. Where God has in His sovereignty purposed and given grace, HE gives a thirst after Christ; and where he has given a thirst after Christ alone, He has given grace. Who do heed the call to come to Christ? All that the Father has given Him from eternity, John 6:37. HE is the Fountain opened and the Rock smitten, Zechariah 13:1, Exodus 15:22-26.

4. The summons is specific to everyone that thirsteth! Come to the healing waters; come to the living waters, Re 22:17. Come, and buy, not with personal effort, or works of the flesh, but with the effectual grace that the LORD free gives to sinners He draws, John 6:44. This grace is freely bestowed because the debt is already paid, Romans 8:32. Christ purchased them at the full price of his own blood, 1 Peter 1:19.