A Flame of Fire

Early in my Christian walk, it was common vernacular to say someone was "on fire" for God because of their overt zeal and passion for Christ.  I heard it preached if you were not "on fire" for God, something was wrong with your relationship with God.  This was a source of confusion for me because it seemed to be subjective.  Another problem was it was often determined by comparison with other Christians and was dependent on what we did.  A Christian could be deemed "on fire" because they were more enthusiastic than their peers.  Could it just be an outgoing personality?

Another issue I found difficult to navigate was the terminology concerning being "on fire" was not typically taught from Scripture.  The verses I remember people using to emphasise this need to be "on fire" quoted the words of John the Baptist who spoke of Jesus who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire.  Some might have alluded to when the Holy Spirit came upon Christian on Pentecost, how there appeared tongues of fire above their heads in Acts 2.  "We need to be on fire too," some would say.  There is mention of our God being a "consuming fire" (Ex. 24:17; Deut. 4:24; Heb. 12:29), and Jesus said concerning John the Baptist and his testimony in John 5:35, "He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light."  Despite these passages and fiery imagery, I remained unconvinced of a precise definition of what "being on fire" for God meant.  

I was reminded of all this when I read Matthew 3 this morning and considered what John the Baptist was actually talking about in context.  John pointedly addressed Pharisees and Sadducees as a brood of vipers who came to observe his baptism.  He warned them of the wrath to come and said in Matthew 3:10-12:  "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."  When John said Jesus would baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire, the context makes it clear Jesus will baptise with the Holy Spirit who gives life, and He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.  The Living Water of the Holy Spirit--a spiritual baptism that John's baptism prepared people to receive from Christ--was a contrast to the eternal fires of judgment.

John provided an example people would have been familiar with when he described a farmer who separated the wheat from the chaff with a winnowing fan.  After threshing the wheat, he would carefully gather and store it.  Chaff that was burnt to ash could easily be swept up and disposed of.  I see a two-fold judgment spoken of here.  Whilst the chaff represents those who refuse to repent of sin and trust in Jesus, chaff also used to be part of the whole head of grain.  It alludes to judgment that is intended to purify and refine God's people as well.  We read of this dynamic in Malachi 3:1-3 which says, "Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," says the LORD of hosts. ² "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like launderer's soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness."

There is a song sung in church that goes, "Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire is to be holy, set apart for you Lord.  I choose to be holy, set apart for You my Master, ready to do Your will."  All who choose Christ are first chosen by Him, and Jesus provides forgiveness of sin and eternal life to all who trust in Him.  Whether or not this is an apt description of what people mean when they aspire to be "on fire" for God--to be refined, purified and holy--it is a matter of our heart being surrendered to God and walking by faith in Jesus.  A wick in an oil lamp can be set alight without fuel, and it will burn extremely fast and turn to ash.  When oil is added, the oil is absorbed by the wick and can burn a long time because it is the oil that primarily burns.  Because Jesus is our Righteousness and laid down His life as an offering acceptable to God, it is our reasonable service as His redeemed to offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto God.  In dying to self in obedience to Jesus, we embrace Christ whose life is lived out through us.

Psalm 104:4 says of God, "...Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire."  When people hear something amazing these days, they might say:  "That is fire."  More than being "on fire," God makes His servants a flame of fire.  In the Law, fire was used to purify and cleanse (Num. 31:23), and may we lead lives marked by repentance, speak truth, give grace and walk in love.  May our lives be pure and provide a purifying influence Jesus does, for He is our life.