God’s Fire

How can God be both loving and kind yet hate and judge sin? Since the Bible uses fire to symbolize God, it helps me to compare Him to fire. It burns to both purify and to destroy. It creates warmth yet also reduces to ashes. Fire cooks food yet can burn it to nothing. Fire gives light that signifies glory and can guide our way, but it can also blind eyes. Fire is both friend and foe, helpful to forge weapons, but also a force that consumes sacrifices or ruins cities, idols, or anything that will burn.

The Old Testament speaks of God being like fire that protects and purifies:

“But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.” (Malachi 3:2)

Jesus also spoke of the Holy Spirit as fire who would burn up all that does not glorify God by bearing fruit that shows His power:

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:7–12)

Then, after Jesus ascended to heaven the Holy Spirit came — as fire:

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1–4)

As Tozer writes, “The God who had appeared TO them as fire throughout all their long history was now dwelling IN them as fire.” He revealed Himself in what is called the Shekinah glory and then came to live in the hearts of all who believe. This is Deity giving Himself to His ransomed people, sealing them as His own and “making them men and women of the Fire.”

These are lofty thoughts, but also practical. Everything fire symbolizes about the power of God is now part of my life. Because of the Holy Spirit, I can be loving and kind yet also hate sin (especially my own). I can have a purifying effect, creating warmth and being a light in this world, but in my flesh can ruin things. In the power of the Holy Spirit, I can bring light to darkness but must remember that without Him, this fire can be negative and destructive. It must be handled with care.

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Lord Jesus. You say to me:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14–16)

The bottom line is that the light and the fire that You put in my heart is there to bless others for Your glory. May I always be mindful that I’m not here to destroy but to illuminate Your goodness.

Jesus is not finished revealing God

An artist uses the effects of atmosphere to layer the mountains and hills. That is, their order and distance are defined by the value of the colors used in the painting. Pale blues and violets depict those features that are the farthest away and brighter colors with more contrast are used for the closest hills. By this, viewers know the depth of the vista portrayed before them.

Old Testament prophecies speak of future events, but usually do not give the order in which those events will happen. The prophets may not have even realized those several events were separated by layers of time. Often a suffering Savior and a conquering king were predicted in the same verses. Readers could easily assume that both descriptions were of one appearance, not two events, like looking at two mountains painted the same color. This understanding caused confusion when Jesus came the first time. The Jews thought He came to conquer their enemies and free them from Roman rule. Instead, He came to seek and to save sinners, suffering and dying for us.

Now that we have seen the closest mountain, His first appearing, it is easier to discern the events described for that mountain that is farther away — His second coming which the prophets also announced. Yet even with this perspective on these two events, some of those prophecies still seem to be about both.

But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. (Malachi 3:2)

Spurgeon points out that the first coming of Jesus Christ had no external “pomp or show of power” yet there were few who stood the test of that appearance. He came to wash our sin away and refine our hearts. Even though Herod and all Jerusalem were stirred at the news of His birth, those who supposedly waited for Him wound up rejecting and crucifying Him. They didn’t want to be washed, refined, or even informed that they needed it.

In that way, His first appearance (like the second will do to a greater degree) separated the sheep from the goats, the repentant from the self-righteous. At that time, the world became divided concerning His identity and right to rule over them. It still is divided about Jesus. This makes me wonder what will it be like when He returns to judge the world. If sinners could not abide His presence the first time, what will happen to them at the second? 

From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (Revelation 19:15)

People talk of Jesus being the full revelation of God, meek and mild and One who would never do those things that the God of the Old Testament did. Yet they forget that God is not finished revealing Himself in Jesus Christ. The first time we saw His grace and mercy that we might be drawn to Him for salvation. While we deserve wrath and judgment, yet by the sacrifice and salvation offered in Christ, God does not deal with us as our sins warrant.

Not so with the second appearance. That meek Lamb of God will come again, this time as the Lion of Judah. The same Jesus who said to the soldiers in the garden of Gethsemane, “I am He” and they fell backward will fully reveal Himself as the “I am” — the Judge of the whole earth. This Jesus is also “the radiance of His glory and the exact image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3)

At His first coming, gentle Jesus would not break a bruised reed, yet at His second, He will break his enemies with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. At the first appearing, His death shook the earth and darkened heaven. At His second, He will summon those who are both alive and dead and call for judgment. The Bible says that for fear some will forsake their sins and “kiss the Son lest he be angry” yet no foe will withstand His wrath, or be able to hide themselves from His judgment.

Yet the wonder is that with all its terror, those who love Jesus are looking forward to this second appearing with joy, and hope. To us, He is a refiner even now, but we do not resist the fire of His Holy Spirit. We know that as He tests and tries us, we will come forth as gold, gold that cannot be destroyed in the fire. We are saved from His wrath because of the blood He shed when He came the first time. His second coming is not a threat because the wrath that we deserve has been placed on Him. We are no longer condemned.

The Bible warns all those who name the name of Jesus to make our calling and election sure. It warns all who are still in their sin to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ. The second coming should cause no fear or dread in our hearts, only eager anticipation.

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God, I’m so thankful for Your grace. There is nothing in me that can earn or deserve the mercy You have shown. Without Your goodness, I would never have turned from sin to follow Your Son. Without grace and the gift of faith, I deserve judgment. Forgive me for taking Your love for granted. Forgive also those who mistakenly think that meek and mild is the final revelation. One day the Lion of Judah will fully reveal Your holiness and Your anger against the sin You are teaching me to hate. At the same time, I’m grateful that Your grace has covered me. Because of the blood of the Lamb shed for sin, Your wrath will pass over me and all those who trust in Your appearing — both the first time and for that promised second appearance.