Baptism of Fire
John the Baptist said that Jesus will baptize with both the Holy Spirit and fire. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a mental and spiritual immersion into the authority, power, and presence of Jesus. But what is the baptism of fire?
John was the final prophetic forerunner of Jesus and the last prophet of the pre-Kingdom age. When the Jews asked him if he was the Messiah they were expecting, he responded with the following:
Luke 3:16-17 (NIV) “John answered them all, ‘I baptize you in 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 in the Holy Spirit and fire. His 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.”
In this passage, John is referencing a prophetic promise of Isaiah concerning the coming of the Messiah and the future of God’s people.
Isaiah 4:2-4 (NIV) “In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.”
In the culture of the Hebrews, fire is a cleansing and purifying agent. Spiritual fire is used by the Lord to test us, purify us, and refine us. This process not only conforms us to the image of His Son, but prepares us for our purpose and destiny. Spiritual fire burns away the chaff - ungodly beliefs and identity paradigms - lodged in the inner man. It clears away mental and spiritual blockages that hinder the flow of His power and life through us. The baptism of fire is an immersion in the Lord’s purifying process which leads us into greater and greater spiritual freedom.
Often, we associate fire with supernatural power and miracles, but it is the person of the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live like Jesus did. By the Holy Spirit’s baptism, we are immersed into God’s authority, presence, and power. By His fire, we are purified, tested, refined, and made like Him.
