Feature Story / Baptism of Fire Bringing a Holy and Powerful Life to Us
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November 18, 2012 |
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"As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Matthew 3:11)
After we accept Jesus Christ, we should be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. Only then can we achieve sanctification in our hearts and lead true Christian lives.
If you gain the right to become God's child by receiving the Holy Spirit, you then need to receive the fire of the Holy Spirit. Through it, God-given strength will be given to you and you can lead a blessed life. As you can see, the baptism of fire is inevitable for God's children. We hope by understanding it you will become sanctified and lead a life of power that leads many souls to the way of salvation.
Receiving the Baptism of Fire Is to Be Given God's Strength
As written in Isaiah Chapter 6, when Isaiah saw the LORD, who is holy, in the vision, he said in astonishment, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips…" Then one of the seraphim flew to him with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched Isaiah's mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven." It means that Isaiah became sanctified before God by receiving the baptism of fire.
This is because things in our hearts proceed out of mouth and if our mouth becomes sanctified it means our heart becomes sanctified as said in Romans 10:10, "For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
With only men's strength alone it is impossible to cast away sinful attributes in the hearts. Only when we continue to receive the baptism of fire can we pull out the fundamental root of sins and become sanctified. Then, we can dwell in the Light all the time and our families, our workplaces and businesses will be protected by the fiery wall of the Holy Spirit and afflictions and trials will be driven away. We can enjoy God's blessings and prosperity.
The enemy devil and Satan lose their strength and become as though they were dead when they are touched by the fire of the Holy Spirit. So they can't approach the place where the fiery wall of the Holy Spirit is established and they even flee from such a place. As said above, when we receive the baptism of fire, we can get rid of sinful attributes, defeat the enemy devil and Satan, and overcome the world with God's strength.
By Receiving the Baptism of Fire, You Can Lead a Sanctified and Powerful Life
John the Baptist baptized people with water because it was the symbolic expression in which sins of those who repented were washed away just as water wash away dirty things. He did so to help people repent of their sins, accept God's Son who had come as their Savior, and reach salvation. Today, Christians are still baptized with water after they hear the gospel and come to attend church. But in order to become sanctified as God's child and lead a powerful life, you must, of course, accept Jesus Christ and be forgiven of your sins and you must also be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire.
When we accept Jesus Christ and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, our past sins are washed away and we are forgiven and we become God's children. But it doesn't mean our sinful attributes that cause us to sin have been all cast away. When we still have root of sins and don't live in God's Word completely, we are sometimes faced with the enemy devil and Satan's accusation, and then diseases or problems may occur to us, our family, or workplace.
On the contrary, if we keep receiving the baptism of fire continually even after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the fire will burn our diseases and sinful attributes in our hearts and solve various problems that are both in spirit and body. That's why we ask for the work of the Holy Spirit's fire when we pray. Therefore, God's children who have received the Holy Spirit should long for the baptism of fire that brings God's power to us. Only when we keep in fullness of the Spirit and our sinful attributes in us are burnt by the baptism of fire, can we drive away the enemy devil and Satan and enjoy good health and prosperity.
In Order to Receive the Baptism of Fire, We Need to Be Full of the Spirit and Show Deeds of Faith
Acts Chapter 2 depicts people who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire by obeying the resurrected Lord Jesus. On the day of Pentecost, apostles gathered in Mark's upper room and prayed. Right then, they received the fire of the Spirit that was like a violent rushing wind and they also received the power. Through this, they became men who could boldly spread the gospel.
In order to receive the baptism of fire, first of all, we should destroy the wall of sin between God and us. Through the prayer of repentance, we can demolish the wall of sin first. And we should pray to be filled with the Spirit and His inspiration. Only then, will the fire of the Spirit come upon us and burn all our diseases. We also can cast away sins and evil and receive answers to our prayer.
Also, the baptism of fire is God's strength itself so we can receive it when we show deeds of faith. That is, we should act in the truth and accumulate God-pleasing prayer and praise. When we pile up the aroma of fiery prayer that moves the throne of God and praise everyday with faith, the baptism of fire, that is, God's strength will come upon us from above.
If you receive the baptism of fire, you can be filled with the Holy Spirit and everything will go well with you as your souls prosper. Thus, we God's children who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit should receive the baptism of fire. By doing so, we can enjoy sanctified and powerful lives and glorify God.
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