Concept of Fire Baptism
Today’s Focus: The Process of Fire Baptism
Scripture: John 10:17; Matthew 16:24; 1 John 2:15,16; Genesis 3:6,7; 1 Corinthians 15:31; Romans 8:1,13,36
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
In the last message we left off that Baptism of Fire is the process of killing one’s soul-dominated viewpoint and lifestyle and give way to a Spirit-lead lifestyle. Now let’s look at this scripture so we can see what this process means.
John 10:17: Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
So the Father loves the Son because He made a choice to forsake His own way and His own rule over His life to allow the Father to use Him for the Father’s Will. This is the reasonable service that we are all expected to do as sons of God. There are no brownie points for doing this. Romans 12:1,2 says that when you present your bodies as a living sacrifice , holy and acceptable that is your reasonable or expected service. Jesus said:
Matthew 16:24: If ANY MAN will come after me, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, and take up his cross and follow me.
So self-denial in the House and Kingdom of God is not optional for maturity it is mandatory because God will not go against your free will. He can make the atmosphere uncomfortable but He will not drag you, nor force you. Now when you know better the consequences of course are more severe. Now when we talk about denying ourselves, what are we denying?
1 John 2:15,16: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any many love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
We are deny the lust of the flesh, eyes and the pride of life because that is of the world and if you do not deny these things then the love of the Father is not in you. Now in a couple of messages we discussed the situation at the fall with Eve, the devil and Adam and I want to show you this very scripture again because I put some words in it to show you how man separated himself from the Father.
Genesis 3:6,7: And when the woman saw (lust of the eyes) that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant (lust of the flesh) to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise (pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. AND THE EYES OF THEM BOTH WERE OPENED AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE NAKED AND THEY SEWED FIG LEAVES TOGETHER AND MADE THEMSELVES APRONS.
So when we look at this scripture you see the lust of the eyes, flesh and pride of life right here with Eve and because she did not deny herself, she as well as her husband fell in sin. In living in a world full of sin self-denial has to happen daily.
1 Corinthians 15:31: I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Romans 8:36: As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter
The result of living a soul-lead life is death because you seek your own protection and provision and sin is what you perceive it to be. The result of living the Spirit-lead life is eternal life and no condemnation. Let me close with these two scriptures:
Romans 8:1,13: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT. 13-For if ye live after the flesh, YE SHALL DIE: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of your body, YE SHALL LIVE.
In the next message we will continue with understanding how fire baptism is administered.
At Our Father’s Service,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
