HOLY SPIRIT: Purified By Fire

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11

The Spirit’s fire is not just power; it’s also purification. When the fire of the Holy Spirit fills your life it burns away fear, compromise, ego, and self-reliance. You learn of a complete surrender and dependence on Him that is necessary. That fire also brings a passion for God’s presence and for seeing lives changed. The Spirit wants to fill you with a fire that cannot be quenched, a boldness that rises even in the face of opposition.

In Acts chapter 4 we read that Peter and John are arrested for preaching the Gospel and when they stand before the Sanhedrin Peter boldly and confidently says “You want to know who healed this man? It was Jesus, whom you crucified but God raised from the dead” and left the room speechless. They ordered the Apostles to stop preaching, but they kept going.

In chapter 5 they are arrested again for preaching and when in court, Peter says in verse 29: “We must obey God rather than people. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging him on a tree. God exalted this man to his right hand as ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:29-32)

This is the boldness The Holy Spirit produces in our lives. We are given this increasing desire to only see, do, and say what God desires. It is the pure, peaceful, and driven Spirit that looks to live like Jesus and see His spirit touch every aspect of this world.

When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on him as a dove and rested him. It never left. If a dove rested on you, how would you walk? Carefully so that the dove isn’t scared away and flies off. When the Holy Spirit rests on you, you recognize the privilege and responsibility to live in a such a way that is pure, holy, righteous in order to keep it. This world will notice that and will typically have two different responses: They will either be captivated by the Presence and gravitate to it or be offended by it and try to silence you, antagonize you to get you “off your square” as I say, or get you to react in a way that is not aligned with the Spirit’s character. Being purified by the Holy Spirit and mature in your faith means that even when they antagonize you, you don’t give in to their demands and instead you give them Jesus.

FOUNDATION PROMPTS:

• What areas of your life need to be refined by the Spirit’s fire?

• When was the last time you felt a burning passion for God’s presence?

• What are your rhythms of life that help you sustain that fire and not let it be extinguished?