CAN WE PROVE THAT THE BAPTISM OF FIRE IS NOT A POSITIVE OUTCOME?
Many believe that this baptism is also one of spiritual fire within the believers. They say it will ignite a fire within the believer. Is this the primary meaning of Mathew 3:11? This may appear at first glance, to be a desirable thing.
Matthew 3:11, ““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.” (NKJV)
Before we assume this fire is one of fiery enthusiasm and a good outcome, let us review the context of this statement on baptism.
Matthew 3:9-10, “And do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
However, Jesus is warning primarily the corrupt leadership, that their behavior better lead to repentance and baptism or they will get baptized in consuming fire. They would receive the fate of unwanted branches and weeds on a farm, which is to be burned up. Note what the Apostle Peter says about future fire:
2 Peter 3:10-13, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
Peter describes the cleansing of the Earth with fire where only the converted sons of God will remain, who are now righteous because of the salvation work of Christ.
WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE FATE OF DEFIANT, UNREPENTANT SINNERS?
What is the ultimate fate of the unrepentant who fail to grow and overcome sin? What happens to those who refuse to change?
Malachi 4:2-4, “But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3 You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant,
Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With the statutes and judgments.”
God is very merciful, so we can be certain He will give all mankind a chance to repent with correct information as to what to repent of. All people will learn why the laws of God are good for us individually and for our society as well. Defiant sinners will eventually become ashes in the fire after having a chance to repent. Probably this will only be a small percentage of men.
Matthew 10:28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Jesus will decide our future, whether we live with Him in glory or become ashes in a cleansing fire. Unquenchable fire as used in the Bible simply means a fire that burns until it has consumed the fuel. Then it goes out and only ashes are left.
Revelation 20:13-15, “The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Near the end of the salvation process God will have all resurrected to receive closure on their life. These verses describe the fate of those who did not repent and grow and thereby not get into the book of life. They will be cast into the fire and be gone forever.
John 5:27-29, “…And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
Christ has the final authority to decide who is saved and who is erased forever. All mankind must eventually learn to fear and obey Christ. God has given Him the ultimate authority.
Ezekiel 18:23, “‘Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord GOD, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live?’”
Jesus wants all of us to turn away from evil for He has no pleasure in ending the life of the wicked. God, using the holy spirit, will help us to turn our lives around. Believe it and act accordingly.
WHAT ABOUT THE PENTECOST FLAMES OF FIRE ?
Some Bible writers have used the first Pentecost to back their interpretation of “baptism by fire” as just meaning the fiery enthusiasm and power of being born again. Let us look closely. First, the people of the city heard a sound (this is the audio special effects). It was of a mighty storm but there was no storm only the audio special effect.
Acts 2:2, “When suddenly there came from the sky a sound as of a strong rushing blast of wind. This filled the whole house where they were sitting;” (WNT)
What about the tongues of fire? The same thing applies: there was no fire but only a visual special effect to attract the crowd and point out those receiving this power of the holy spirit.
Verse 3, “And they saw tongues of what looked like fire distributing themselves over the assembly, and on the head of each person a tongue alighted. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages according as the Spirit gave them words to utter. 5 Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every part of the world.”
When Jesus speaks of fire as one of the potential alternatives of our lives, He means the real thing –– fire that turns what it is consuming to ashes, period.
ISSUES: DO PEOPLE KNOW WE MUST BOTH FEAR AND LOVE CHRIST?
