Over the past several decades, the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” has become a popular topic. It has been taught, debated and discussed by almost everyone in the Christian community in some fashion or another. In fact, it is difficult to find a be- liever anywhere who does not have some (usually strong) opinion about this sub- ject.
Even though this is so, it appears that there is an essential aspect of this bap- tism which has been neglected – that is the baptism of fire.
John the Baptist declared: “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thor- oughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire” (Lk 3:16,17).
Here we find a strange pronouncement. John says that God’s Son, Jesus Christ the Savior of the world, is coming and when He comes He is going to baptize men and women with fire. What is the meaning of this fire? Why is it that God would want to pour out fire from heaven upon those who believe in Him? This is what we will be investigating in the remainder of this chapter.
God desires to purify His sons. He not only wants to gather from among men those who will believe, but He also desires to purge and purify them so that when they appear before Him, they will be holy.
I believe that this baptismal fire is the same as the refiner’s fire mentioned else- where in the scriptures (See Mal 3:2,3; Zech 13:9) which is an intensely hot, glowing bed of coals. It is this kind of fire that a gold or silversmith would use to purge all the impurities from the metals with which he is working. In this same way God is baptizing us with His fire to cleanse us, to purify us and to make us ready for His appearing.
Author: David W. Dyer