I Have Come to Set Fire (Luke 12:49)

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! - Luke 12:49

When people began to question John the Baptist as to whether he was the Messiah, he responded emphatically saying that he was not even worthy to unstrap the sandals of he who would come after him. He declared that he baptized with water, but that the Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Speaking of Jesus, John said, "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.”

What is this fire? Should we avoid it? Should we embrace it?

If Jesus is going to baptize with it, then true Christians must long for this fire.

It will no doubt be uncomfortable at first, but what it will produce in us will be nothing short of spectacular.

God wants to burn away and purge everything in us that does not produce life. He wants to remove all causes of sin, anxiety, fear, and depression.

This fire is meant to purify us.

But every day we must say yes to it.

We cannot rely on a powerful encounter we had with God 7 years ago, 6 months ago, or even one day ago. We must be hungry for the white hot fire of God's love every day of our lives.

We must spend so much time in this fire that our very nature is transformed into its likeness.

Only then will we be able to carry this flame everywhere we go, and assist in Christ's mission of setting the world ablaze with His love.

For our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:29