FIRE: LUKE 3:16

(Message by Tanny Keng)

1. Fire 

a) Fire is a necessary part of life, and it has many uses — heating, lighting, protection, cooking, purifying, and destruction among others. It is one of the first techniques that survivalists try to master in order to stay alive in a crisis. Likewise, fire is mentioned in the Bible many times, and it is also associated with various purposes. 

b) Fire is a powerful tool that brings life, or it is a destructive weapon that destroys everything in its path. It has many uses and purposes, but in God’s word, it frequently represents the powerful presence of the Lord. We often think of fire as destructive or painful, but when we become Christians we see the fire of the Holy Spirit as life-giving and helpful. We no longer fear it or the fires of hell. Instead we pursue God, and his all-consuming fire that purifies and cleanses us and brings us into a new realm of relationship with him.

c) Here is one of the Bible verses about or related to fire.

2. Bible Verses 

Luke 3:16 
“John answered them all, saying, ‘I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’” 

a) Fire becomes more symbolic in the New Testament as exemplified here in this verse. John the Baptist is announcing the coming of the Messiah, while explaining that his own baptism is an outward washing of the body for repentance. He goes on to explain that this is in contrast to the baptism of the Christ, because that will be with the Holy Spirit and fire, an inner cleansing of the heart, mind, and soul of a person who repents of their sins and turns back to the Lord. 

The End ...