BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE

 ANCHOR OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

THURSDAY, 19TH MAY, 2022

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE

General Overseer

BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE

MEMORIZE: “"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.” Matthew 3:11. 

SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 3:11-12.

"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. "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."

EXPOSITION:

I found this discovery which is very good for our spiritual consumption and worth sharing. Hermeneutics is one of the subjects I desire so much. If you may ask me, what is Hermeneutics? 'It is the science of interpreting the Bible (scripture).' Well, I am worried about the usage of one particular passage in the Bible which is Matthew 3:11c that says: "He (Jesus) Himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" [CSB]. Many preachers assume today that, it is right to always ask for the 'baptism of Spirit and fire' altogether.

It is true that fire is sometimes used as a symbol of God's consuming holiness or purifying trials in the Bible but lucidly, it must be observed that whenever fire is conjoined with the image of baptism in the New Testament, it refers to "judgment". Here, Jesus' assignment was defined by John as someone who will baptize the righteous ones in the Holy Spirit and baptize the wicked ones with fire. The wicked are baptized or immersed in fire (Matthew 3:10,12). The context is a call to repentance, and much of the audience promised this fire baptism was unwilling to repent. John warned the Pharisees about God's coming wrath (Matthew 3:7), and that unless they bore fruit (Matthew 3:8) God's ax judgment would cast them into fire (Matthew 3:10; cf. Matthew 12:33). The summary of this fire is given in verse 12 as "unquenchable or eternal fire." Therefore, using this fire baptism in Matthew 3:11 to pray for ourselves is an ignorant curse. Let us apply scripture correctly and avoid unnecessary evil.

Did you know that some people believe that "white throne judgment is a good thing for them?" Just because it is called 'white' then, it must be something good for the believers. No! White throne judgment is for the unbelievers while "bema seat judgment" is for the righteous ones or believers. 

PRAYER POINT:

Lord, give us the understanding of your word that it may benefit us to the fullness in Jesus name.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR – Job 18-21.

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