What If We Celebrated the Holy Spirit Not the Fallen Spirit?

 by Barbara Latta

Crisp fall air invites us to gravitate toward campfires. Logs crackle and gray, oak-scented smoke spirals to the sky.

Give me a marshmallow and a hot dog, please.

Fall also brings Halloween. For weeks Halloween decorations have abounded in stores, yards, and porches. This is not an attack against those who like Halloween. But I am not one who likes this day because of the evil origins.

I know kids love to dress up and get candy. Who doesn’t like sugar? Children aren’t thinking of what all this means, they just want the goodies.

But some of the decorations can make a believer cringe. I think this day is observed as fun because the meaning is not taken seriously. A lot of people don’t believe the devil is real. And if they do, he is considered a cartoon character in a red suit with a pitchfork.

What if we celebrated the Holy Spirit not the fallen spirit?

While fall can call us outside to enjoy a backyard fire, campfires are no comparison to the fire of God.

What kind of thoughts does this Scripture bring to your mind?

For our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29 NKJV).

This verse can create different images.

God’s fire consumed sin. The blaze of judgment turned sin to ash at the cross.

While we are on this earth, we do still commit sin. But the punishment for our transgressions is complete because Jesus endured the fire of the wrath of God against sin.

God’s fire consumes us with power when we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives.

After Jesus ascended to heaven, God sent another kind of fire to the earth – the Holy Spirit.  I indeed baptize you with water unto 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 fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:11-12).

God’s fire consumes the motives of all our works. Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).

The fire of judgment day is in the future. All those who did not accept the payment Jesus made when His body was consumed in the fire of God, will be burned in eternal fire. That will be a sad day.

The payment has been made, but many will not accept it.

Our God is a consuming fire. He burned our sin at the cross, He burns up our dead works to purify our motives and minds, and He burns within us with power. And His fire will judge those who reject Him.

Satan will feel that fire of judgment, too. Eternal damnation for the one who caused all the misery of earth since the Garden of Eden. He will burn with eternal misery. The days of evil will be over.

We can celebrate the Holy Spirit because Jesus defeated the fallen spirit. We don’t have to give the devil any more power by giving in to his temptations and lies.

God’s love can burn within your soul if you accept His sacrifice and join His family. By doing so, the identity of Christ is given to you and the Holy Spirit's power will dwell within your heart. 

Join the conversation and share your thoughts.

TWEETABLES

What if we celebrated the Holy Spirit instead of the fallen spirit? (click to tweet)

Our God is a consuming fire. He burned our sin at the cross, He burns up our dead works to purify our motives and minds, and He burns within us with power. (click to tweet)

 

Our God is a Consuming Fire

by Barbara Latta

The heat of the backyard fire surrounded me like a cozy blanket. Gray smoke curled toward the sky and drifted into the pine trees. Chilled air was pushed aside as logs popped and crackled creating the scent of burning oak. Give me a marshmallow and a hot dog, please.

I watched the orange flames blaze with light and was reminded of the verse in Hebrews that says, For our God is a consuming fire (12:29 NKJV).

What does that mean?

The logs in front of me burned down to ash.

I thought about Jesus on the cross being burned in the fire of God’s wrath.

All the sin of the world, past, present and future was laid upon His body.

God sent the fire of judgment to burn up that sin.

God’s fire consumed sin. It turned to ash at the cross.

While we are still on this earth, we still commit sin, but the punishment for it has been done. The power of sin is ash.

Our forgiveness is complete because Jesus endured the fire.

God’s fire consumes us with power when we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives.

After Jesus ascended to heaven, God sent another kind of fire to the earth – the Holy Spirit.  I indeed baptize you with water unto 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 fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:11-12).

Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them (Acts 2:3).

God’s fire consumes the motives of all our works. Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire (1 Corinthians 3: 13-15).

The fire of judgment day is in the future. All those who did not accept the payment Jesus made when His body was consumed in the fire of God, will be burned in eternal fire. That will be a sad day.

The payment has been made, but many will not accept it.

Our God is a consuming fire. He burned our sin at the cross, He burns up our dead works to purify our motives and minds, and He burns within us with power. And His fire will judge those who reject Him.

Satan will feel that fire of judgment, too. Eternal damnation for the one who caused all the pain and destruction on earth since the Garden of Eden. He will be consumed with eternal misery. And I'm glad.

What kind of fire do you want in your life? God’s love can burn within your heart if you accept His sacrifice and join His family.

Join the conversation and share your thoughts.

TWEETABLES

Our God is a consuming fire (click to tweet)

Jesus consumed the fire of God's wrath at the cross (click to tweet)