HOW THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US LIVE AN EXAMINED LIFE
INTRODUCTION
I want to pick up on last week’s blog post and continue looking at the John the Baptizer. I use the term “baptizer” for clarity. John was not a “Baptist” in the sense that he belonged to a church with that title in its name. John is the “baptizer” of those who turned from sin and toward God.
John had a very simple message: “Repent, or the kingdom of Heaven has come near” (Mt 3:2). John employed his prophetic gift to announce a new king and kingdom. He called men and women to turn from sin and trust God for salvation. He challenged them to turn from dead works and religion unto the living God who sent His own son Jesus into the world.
But who is this powerful preacher known as John?
A VOICE THUNDERS OUT OF SILENCE
Let’s consider the time in which John is preaching. It takes less that one second to turn from the last verse of Malachi to the first verse of Matthew. But that one second flip of a page or two represents 400 years of God’s silence. That does not imply God was not working. Simply that we do not have writings that reflect God-speech between the end of the Old Testament
However, the end of Malachi prepares us for Matthew’s gospel and the introduction of John the Baptizer. Malachi informs us:
“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction” (Mal 4:5-6).
Key to this verse is the name Elijah. Jesus tells us the John the Baptist is the fulfillment of Malachi’s word (Mt 17:12-13). In the power of Elijah, John bursts onto the scene and suddenly the prophetic voice of God booms forth from this wild-eyed preacher.
The Jewish people believed when Messiah appeared then prophecy (God’s word to them) would reappear. In other words, when the savior of the world came into the world, God’s prophets would once again speak for God to His people. John the Baptist is a powerful voice announcing the Messiah in this new prophetic age.
There is a problem though. Some believed that John, because he was so powerfully used by God, was himself the Messiah (anointed one of God). That is where we pick up in Luke’s gospel.
THE PEOPLE
The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah (Luke 3:15-18).
The people of the day were hungry for a move of God. Their world was a mess. They lived under an oppressive and hostile government. Sexual sin and perversion were considered normal. Human life had lost its value. Corruption in the religious and business world ran rampant.
Sound familiar? That does not mean there were no hungry hearts longing for Messiah to come. Some wanted a government destroying Messianic King. Others wanted a nationalistic Messiah exclusive to Israel. No matter their motivation, there was, in this day, a people who were looking for God to come on the scene as deliverer and savior.
Some mistakenly think that Messiah is John the Baptizer. This problem is not lost on John, so he responds.
JOHN’S RESPONSE TO THE PEOPLE
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (Lk 3:16).
John seems to know what the people are thinking about him, and he answers, “them all.” Notice John’s answer clearly points to another who “is more powerful than I.” I believe these words give us a snapshot of John’s character. When given the opportunity to take center stage, he doesn’t take it. Instead he makes Jesus the center of it all.
Think about this: people by the hundreds are coming out to hear John preach. People are repenting of sin. They are being baptized in water. John is powerful and “anointed.” Nevertheless, John understands who he is: the one preparing the way for another.
Bear with me for a short rant. John is showing us the job of every preacher, pastor, minister, and church leader. I don’t care how spiritually powerful someone seems or how anointed they appear. If they are pointing people to themselves, their personal power, and their capabilities then they are, by action, making themselves a messiah. Our job as preachers, teachers, and church leaders is preaching repentance from sin and dead works. It is our responsibility to point others to the only one who can redeem them from the curse: Jesus! OK, rant over.
John desires that people turn their attention away from him and to the Messiah. When John says he is not worthy to untie the Messiah’s sandals, he is making a culturally relevant statement letting his hearers know that he is aware of his position as the forerunner – nothing else.
In the days of Luke when a guest came to your home the lowest slave in the household untied the guest’s sandals and washed their feet. John is saying, “You think I am powerful? I am nothing compared to the One who is coming. You think I am great? Compared to the One who is coming, my greatness is less than the lowest household slave. I am not even great enough to untie His sandals! The One who is coming is so powerful that He will baptize you with fire!” (Come on all my Pentecostal friends, give me a hearty, Amen!)
John baptized those who turned from sin (repentance) in water. Baptism in water is a public symbol of God’s washing away of sin. John’s baptism did not save anyone. It did send a loud and clear signal to those watching that the allegiance of the baptismal candidate is changing. God granted them repentance cf. Acts 11:18) and in doing so empowered them for a kingdom coming.
In a real way, John’s baptism in water is preparing the person for another baptism – a baptism of fire. What does that mean?
BAPTISM OF FIRE
Fire, in the Scriptures, often refers to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. John links Jesus’s ministry with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
“Fire can give light, warm us, and cook our food. Fire can also purify. The Holy Spirit, like fire, purifies [us] in a number of ways. He shines light on [our] hearts and in [our] minds, disclosing areas that need to be confessed, repented, and brought under the leadership of Christ. He uses the heat of conviction from God’s Word to prompt [us] to deal with [our] sins. [The Holy Spirit] illuminates the path before [us], guiding us into all truth. Like a laser in the hands of skillful surgeon, the Holy Spirit helps bring healing and wholeness to [us].”[1]
This baptism of fire prunes and purges. It breaks shackles and energizes the saints to live out a vibrant faith. It creates opportunity to for us to show the glory of God’s goodness to the world. It also stands as a judgment against those who refuse to repent and submit themselves to the Lordship of Christ.
THE BAD NEWS & THE GOOD NEWS
The same fire that purifies also burns! Listen to John’s words…
His [the one who baptizes with fire] winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them (Lk 3:17-18 emphasis mine).
This is a reference to the chore of threshing wheat. Threshing is a process where the usable kernel of wheat is separated from the “chaff” (that which is typically unusable). The winnowing fork is similar to a pitchfork. Farm hands would plunge the fork into the pile of wheat, throw the wheat into the air, and the wind would carry off the useless chaff. Farmers then piled the wheat for grinding into flour and burned the chaff with fire.
Throughout the Bible “winnowing” refers to God’s judgement (see Jer 15:17, 51:2; Is 41:16; Mt 3:12). John the Baptizer called people to repent but he also tells them about judgement for those who refuse to turn from sin and to God. I realize that is not a real popular message today – but whether it is popular or not is not the point – the God of love and mercy is also the God who judges sin. REFUSING TO REPENT OF SIN PUTS US IN A DANGEROUS PLACE. A PLACE WHERE THE FIRE NO LONGER PURIFIES BUT TORMENTS FOR ETERNITY.
To the best of my understanding, we have two choices when it comes to dealing with sin.
We can turn from it (repent) and trust that when Jesus went to the Cross that He took the judgement of my sin on Himself, or,
We can refuse to turn from sin (repent) and, when we meet God in eternity, He will let us carry the infinite weight of our own sin into an infinity of fiery torment.
It is not God’s will that any should perish. It is His will that all should come to repentance (2 Pt 3:9). Ultimately, you and I are given the freedom to choose our destiny. In doing so, we also choose the consequences. Before every human being past, present, and future sits the choice between eternal life and eternal death (Deut 30:19-20). I beg you to choose life! Choose to allow the Holy Spirit of God to help you. His power is always available to comfort and support you as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.
APPLICATION
As believers in Christ we can get so good at playing church and doing “religious” things that we drown out of the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I am thankful for the power of the Holy Spirit. But I am also thankful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I am thankful that when I sin and make mistakes the Spirit calls me to repent. He helps me ask for and trust in the forgiveness of Christ. And He helps me to get back up after I’ve fallen and move forward toward the calling of Christ on my life.
Don’t think that because we have repented at salvation that it is no longer needed. All of us are fighting a spiritual battle. Sometimes we fall. Sometimes we mess up. Sometimes we sin. God says that if we will confess that sin Jesus is just and faithful to forgive us (1 Jn 1:9).
So here is my challenge for you: are you letting the fire of the Holy Spirit examine your heart today? Are you letting Him light up those areas of your life in need of restoration or reformation? I pray you are. I pray you will.
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[1][1] Application Bible Commentary: Luke, p. 71
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