Thoughts on Fire for Hot Summer Nights in July

Independence Day Sunday
Where the Spirit of the Lord Is

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Corinthians 3:17

Just what makes us free? Is it a declaration of principles or a treaty of surrender that marks great victories in battle? Is it a Bill of Rights or a system of government? As glorious as these are, they are not the true source of our ultimate freedom. They are outward means for securing temporal liberty and they are highly valued and worthy of honor, but our true freedom comes from God and is activated by His Holy Spirit in our lives.

If the Lord is that Spirit, what sort of Spirit is He?

He is the Spirit that removes the veil from our hearts, which has obscured the truth for so long. He clarifies, amplifies, and signifies spiritual reality and causes us to see what is in a new and clearer way. The Spirit of God helps us to know the truth that sets us free. In a free society, the free flow of information is vital. Among spiritually liberated people, truth flows just as freely. Blindness flees. New sight is available.

He is the Spirit who liberates us from the bonds of defeat and causes us to triumph through Jesus Christ. We are no longer captivated by an attitude that limits our potential or builds fences around our desire to explore new territory for God.

He is the Spirit who puts an end to condemnation in our lives. He informs us of the redemption and reconciliation that are inherent in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He applies the work of the cross to our lives in liberating proclamation.

He is finally, the Spirit who transforms us into the image of Jesus Christ as we behold Him. That is the goal of our freedom – the freedom to become more and more like Jesus.

What better place for a liberated believer than an environment that values our freedom in Christ. We can grow spiritually without such an environment, but what a blessing it is! What a privilege we have to live in a country whose basic principles reflect those spiritual principles from which our soul freedom derives. Let us give thanks today for America.

Fired Up

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: - Matthew 3:11

Are you fired up? Water reminds us of Spirit and of fire. It is a strange paradox, for water often quenches fire. However, firefighters will tell us that there are some fires that not only cannot be quenched by fire, but grow with the introduction of water. So it is with repentance. God observes the intention of our hearts and we long for new life and yearn for change. Jesus is who we need because He has the power to do what water cannot do. The symbolic water of outward repentance signifies the inner fire of new life.

The Son of God is the worthy one. Brother John knew that he was His messenger and that all he did and said was to point the way to Jesus. Though he was as great as any man born of woman, he keenly sensed his comparable unworthiness. Jesus himself would explain that the very least in God’s Kingdom would be greater than the greatest specimen of human nobility.

All of that was because of the introduction of a new factor in the human experience: the possibility of men and women being completely immersed in the Holy Spirit and fire. Water could demonstrate repentance, but fire would burn away all the remnants of sin through a deep cleansing process within and the Spirit would empower us to face temptations, trials and challenged with unprecedented energy.

Fire grows under the proper conditions and it heats everything up. So it is with those who have been immersed in God’s Spirit. His fire rages within them and brings heat and light to a cold, dark world. It is more than enthusiasm, though it often manifests itself as such. It is more than passion, though it ignites a passion so deep that nothing can douse it. It is more than energy; it is a result of divine energy. It is God’s very presence in our lives.

Like John, we are unworthy, but we are destined for greatness – not of our own making, but of His. His Spirit within fires us up.

Consuming Fire

For our God is a consuming fire. - Hebrews 12:29

What consumables are stored in the attic of your life? What is present in your heart and soul that has no value other than to be fuel for the fire of God passing through you? What is taking up space in your thoughts, attentions, relationships, and routine that really needs to be burned away as the Spirit of God rages through your life? What are you willing to throw on His altar that He might burn it way? Our God is a consuming fire and that is not always to our disadvantage.

The other side of judgment in our lives is that once we know God through Jesus Christ, we no longer want that “old stuff” stored up in our lives. We see it as hazardous waste, no longer worthy of the storage space it occupies. It is offensive and putrefying and we want it out of our lives.

There is a problem however. While the residue of pride in our hearts whispers to us that we can handle that mess, God knows that we cannot. Jesus came to rid us of sin and only His power can burn it out of our lives. We repent, but He removes. We can turn away from sin, but only He can eliminate its hold on our lives.

It may look like we are “reforming” from the outside, but He is transforming us from the inside. And part of that process is welcoming His fire within. Judgment begins in the house of God and we are grateful for it because it is the old man of sin that is being judged and he already has a death sentence over his ugly head. He is no longer worth our effort because we have new life in Christ.

Let the fire burn. It is liberating and purifying. As a forest is often regenerated by fire, so will our lives be renewed by God as He burns away all that is unworthy and plants His seeds of newness within us.

Putting Out the Spirit’s Fire

Quench not the Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Not everyone is comfortable with the raging fire of God in the midst of His people. You cannot be neutral about fire. It is not a passive religious sentiment. It is out-of-control, destructive, and threatening from a human standpoint. But from God’s vantage point, it is controlled, regenerating, and life-affirming. We are frightened by it sometimes, because we don’t know where it is going. But if it is truly God’s fire, we don’t need to know. If we trust God, we can trust His fire.

There have always been those who would quench the Spirit. We see Him as unpredictable and impulsive. Yet, He is the one in our lives who leads us to God-ordained outcomes and produces the fruit of self-control. We look at Spirit empowered people and often judge them as unbalanced. Yet it is the Holy Spirit who knocks away the false props of our lives so that we can find true balance in Him.

We are sometimes embarrassed by the unbridled enthusiasm and unrestrained exuberance of new believers. Paul instructs us not the quench the Spirit in their lives. God is able to bring people to maturity and smooth over the rough edges of their character. Rather than dousing their fire, we ought to be throwing on more kindling and long-burning logs.

Quench not the Spirit in your own life through sin, bitterness, self-interest, or neglect. When God is at work, you will always feel slightly on edge. Learn to celebrate that and you will find yourself being weaned from false security and comfort onto the deeper nourishment of His peace that passes understanding. Quench not the Spirit.