BAPTISM WITH FIRE
The baptism with fire is not a common subject spoken of in most Christian churches these days. Both John and Jesus also spoke about a baptism with fire. However, the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the baptism with fire are somehow linked according to the words of John. I want to discuss this in order to reveal it’s deeper meaning and how these two actually work together.
Luke 3:16 John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Luke 12:49 Jesus continued speaking: "I came to bring fire to the world. I wish it were already burning! 50 There is a kind of baptism that I must suffer through. I feel very troubled until it is finished.
The baptism with fire refers to the Holy Spirit’s work as the purifier of evil, because of the exhortation “Do not quench the Spirit” found in 1Thessalonians 5:19. This means the casting out of evil spirits happens first and then the baptism with the Holy Spirit, in other words the first in preparation of the next. The command to the believer is to not put out the Spirit’s fire by suppressing His ministry, because the “Fire of God” consumes all evil in the invisible/spiritual realm.
Matthew 12:28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
For this reason a person should not confuse the physical fire of hell with the fire of God’s presence, that is, when the pastor says “Holy Spirit fire!” when he casts off some evil spirits. The pastor is merely preparing the peoples by casting out/off the evil spirits and strongholds.
Malachi 3:2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.
Hebrews 12:27 This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken--that is, things that have been made-- in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
However, one should also not assume that people are being baptized with the Holy Spirit when the pastor says “Holy Spirit fire”. No one can baptize a person with the Holy Spirit but God Himself from heaven, and this only happens to a born again person who came to faith and received the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. For this is the very reason why Paul said what he said in the following verses:
1Corinthians 1:14 I thank God that I didn't baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius. 15 Not one of you can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 I did baptize the family of Stephanas, but I don't remember if I baptized anyone else. 17 Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the good news without using big words that would make the cross of Christ lose its power.
In the book of Exodus the Angel of God appeared to Moses as Fire in a burning bush, but the Fire of God did not consume the physical bush (Exodus 3:2)
Also in the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was thrown into the oven of physical fire but with the presence of Jesus with them, the fire did not consume their physical bodies and they miraculously came out unharmed. (Daniel 3:23-26)
In the book of 1 Kings, Elijah prayed to God to reveal himself to the people as the true God by means of fire (1Kings 18:24)