Concept of Fire Baptism
Today’s Focus: Death to Life: The Spiritual Order of Creation
Scripture: John 12:24,25; Matthew 13:37-39
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
In the last message we left off talking about the biological order of creation that God set in order in the earth before man was even on earth and that order is being carried out today. However we know that the things that are seen are types and shadows of eternal realities and tangible things we can touch to relate to things about God. Once we come into the place and time to receive His revelation then we can receive the reality of the thing God is showing through the type and shadow. Now we know Jesus came to change the order in the earth from natural to eternal so let’s look back at this scripture because not only was Jesus referring to the biological order of creation but also the spiritual order.
John 12:24,25: “Verily, verily I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”
Now Jesus is describing a natural pattern and order of life but then transitions the discussion to if a man shall deny himself (lose his life) he will save it unto life eternal and those who love their life (self-preservation) shall lose it (death). Now this was not the only scenario Jesus used to describe death giving way to life.
In the Parable of the Wheat and Tares Jesus gives the reality to the parable to the disciples and this is what he says to them.
Matthew 13:37-39: He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man (Jesus Christ); The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Now we as the sons of God are the good seed that has been planted into the earth to be harvested as the end of the age. Along with us are the children of the devil. Now remember a seed that is planted will undergo death and decay first before the new life is brought into view. This death that we must die is to sin and self which is a soul-dominated lifestyle. Our soul is in a natural state of decay as we hand over more control of our soul life to the spirit. This process of dying to ourself and sin is the baptism of suffering or baptism of fire. This is the baptism that kills our soul from dominating our lives.
In the next message we will look at how Jesus and others demonstrated this in their daily walk.
At Our Father’s Service,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
