Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!
How is the Holy Spirit like fire?
The Bible describes God as a "burning fire" (Hebrews 12:29), so it is not surprising that fire is often presented as a symbol of God's presence. Examples include the burning bush (Exodus 3: 2), the pillars of the cloud (Exodus 14: 19), the clouds over the tabernacle of martyrdom (Numbers 9: 15-16) and the attitude of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1: 4). Often fire is the instrument of God's judgment (Numbers 11: 1 and 3; 2 Kings 1: 10 and 12) and is a sign of His power (Judges 13:20; 1 Kings 18:38).
For these obvious reasons fire was very important for Old Testament sacrifices. The fire on the altar of burnt offering was a divine gift that was primarily illuminated by God Himself (Leviticus 9:24). God commanded the priests to keep the fire which God had kindled always burning (Leviticus 6:13) and made it clear to them that fire taken by any other means would be unacceptable (Leviticus 10: 1-2 verses).
The altar can illustrate our commitment to the Lord Jesus in the New Testament. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are required to offer our bodies as "living and pure" (Romans 12: 1) sacrifices that are entirely dedicated to the divine gift, the unquenchable fire of the Holy Spirit. ۔ At the very beginning of the New Testament, the Holy Spirit was attached to the fire. John the Baptist prophesies that Jesus Himself will "baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11). When the Holy Spirit began His ministry in the early church, He chose to dwell on every believer in the form of tongues "bursting like a flame of fire." And on this occasion "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with tongues, as the Spirit gave them power to speak" (Acts 2: 3-4).
Fire is an amazing picture of the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like fire in at least three ways; It brings God's presence, God's passion and God's holiness. The Holy Spirit is an expression of God's presence because it resides in the heart of the believer (Romans 8: 9). In the Old Testament, God revealed His presence to the Israelites through the appearance of the cloud at the tabernacle. The presence of fire provided light and guidance (Numbers 9: 17-23). In the New Testament, God guides and comforts His people through the Holy Spirit, who dwells in our bodies - in the "tabernacle" and in the "Holy of Holies" (2 Corinthians 5: 1; 6:16).
The Holy Spirit creates God's passion in our hearts. Two disciples who traveled on the road to Emmaus after Jesus' resurrection talk to Jesus and later say, Weren't you? " (Luke 24:32). After receiving the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the apostles developed a zeal that lasted a lifetime and gave them the strength to speak God's word with boldness (Acts 4:31).
The Holy Spirit creates God's holiness in our lives. God's original purpose is to cleanse us (Titus 2:14) and in this regard the Holy Spirit serves to sanctify us (1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:12). In the same way our God uses the Holy Spirit to take away our sins (Psalm 10:10; Proverbs 17: 3). His fire cleanses and purifies us.
I received this story from a friend, and the original author is unknown. If you have and comments or any additional information, you can tell me in the comments section. If you enjoyed this story you can click on the follow button to catch them all.
No comments:
Post a Comment