THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Fire an emblem of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11)
When we come in contact with Christ and the Person of the Holy Spirit we come in contact with fire.
Fire also symbolizes zeal, purifying, moulding and cleansing. We have the nature of the sun above us and spiritually divine fire blazes above us, beneath us and all around us. In Hebrews 12:29 tells us that God is a consuming fire.
FIRE IS MENTIONED OVER 500 TIMES IN THE WORD OF GOD
Matthew 3:11 - I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.
Difference: Offering that have been burnt with fire and died down and one which is on fire almost daily. One of the symbols of the Holy Spirit is fire.
“Stir up the gift of God which is in you”. You have the gifts but you need to stir it up. (Like a cup of tea need to be stirred up with sugar at the bottom) We need the fire of the Spirit to stir us up. What does fire do?
1) Fire Consumes – Isaiah 4:4-6
4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.
6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
Once you invite the Holy Spirit comes into your life you must expect fire to come and burn your whole being – Penetrating any moral rottenness, cleaning all sinful desires, burning the imagination clean. Isaiah describes as ‘spirit of fire’ and it deals with dross of pride, rags of self- righteousness and roots of bitterness. (see Matthew 13:40-42)
You are saying “Spirit come and burn me with your fire to my whole being – have your own way. Go on burning until there’s nothing left to consume”.
Let me tell you IF WE ARE TO SEE A MIGHTY MOVE OF GOD IN OUR LIVES TODAY WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ALLOW THE FIRE OF THE HOLY GHOST TO DO A WORK IN US.
A WORK OF PURIFYING, A WORK OF SEPARATION, A WORK OF PURGING, A WORK OF CLEANSING.
2) Fire Softens or Melts – Psalms 68:1-2
Hebrew 4:12 says, “The Word of God is living and active sharper than any double edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit … it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Wax can be written on but bring it near the fire it melts all. Likewise, when we come close to the fire of God He melts all our rebellious nature – words of iniquity or any sinful inscriptions will disappear. In the Welsh/Wales Revival “the fire fell upon them” and people hard hearts were wonderfully softened. The God of fire and His Words can burn inside a person and melt their hearts. Hebrew 4:12 says, “The Word of God is living and active sharper than any double edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit … it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
3) Fire Get Things Moving
Isaiah 32:15 – “Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.”
Acts 1:8 – says “like tongues of fire”
A secretary once said, “we have everything you would expect a church to have, except the fire”. Sometimes churches have everything – offices, staffs, computers, finances except the Holy Ghost fire and grace.
Isaiah 32:15 tells us “till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high and the desert becomes a fertile field and the fertile field seems like a forest vs 16 Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of righteousness will be peace (blessings) and the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence (faith) forever. Until the Spirit of God is poured down upon us blessings would not flow down.
4) Fire Aspires – Isaiah 43:21
“This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.”
The meaning of aspire is “direct one's hopes or ambitions towards achieving something.”
Fire natural desire is to aspire upwards and reach its arms to the sky. The more the fire burns within us the more our hearts will be lifted up in praise to God. The more fire of God consumes us the more we are drawn towards heaven.
Worship is like that – our worship must have fire (pray in the Holy Spirit - Jude 2). Every altar in the Old Testament must have fire and an offering to bring. Sometimes it is better that fire comes down from heaven like Elijah did. The fire of God consumes all his sacrifices inclusive of the water he poured into.
5) Fire Releases Zeal – Leviticus 9:23
For zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. - Psalms 69:9
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. - Romans 12:11
The fire is from God and it consumed the altar of burnt offerings and fats. It was no ordinary fire. It was from God and it was holy. The fire of God then begins to burn in our hearts and we will have the zeal to serve Him. This fire must not die down. Fire speaks of zeal. The zeal of the Lord must consume us. Strange fire was offered to the Lord by Nadab and Abihu but instead fire came and devoured them and they both died. The zeal must come from God not human zeal. Human zeal never lasts.
Prayer: “O! God everything about the Trinity speaks of fire. The Father is a consuming fire. The Son Jesus came to baptized us with fire and Your Spirit is the Spirit of fire. So Lord set us on fire that the world will see we are burning for You. We want to be burned with holy fire from above. The Zeal of the Lord will build Your Kingdom and Your church. Amen.” May God bless you.
