Message Ten: Baptized With Fire

By Dr. Michael Guido, D.D.
Matthew 3:11-12

In looking for a pastor, a church member said, “We want a preacher who’ll catch the spirit of the age.” “Oh, no!” replied a friend. “What your church and my church needs is a preacher who’ll correct the spirit of the age.”

There was a man sent from God who did just that. He wasn’t concerned about man’s applause, but God’s approval. He didn’t stand before his congregation to discuss a situation, but to deliver the Scriptures. He wasn’t moved by the presence of any man because he ministered in the presence of almighty God. This meek and mighty man, John the Baptist, said in Matthew 3:11, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”

When you, convicted of your sin by the Holy Spirit, respond to that conviction and receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you are born again immediately. You became a partaker of the divine nature with a life altogether different from that of one who hasn’t been born again.
To identify yourself with Christ and the Christians you ask for water baptism. This isn’t to save you, but to show that you are saved. You’re not the same any more. You’re a brand new person.
With the new birth, then, there commences a new relationship with the Holy Spirit that you couldn’t know until your conversion. You find yourself hating the things you once loved, and loving the things you once hated. Your body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit.
There are some who believe that the Holy Spirit doesn’t enter into every blessing at the time of conversion, but that He enters the heart as a second blessing, some time after his conversion. But that can’t be, for the Bible says, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” And 1 Corinthians 12:13 says, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” The Bible nowhere exhorts believers to seek this baptism. And in speaking about it, John the Baptist connects it with fire. Why?

Fire consumes, and the Bible says, “God is a consuming fire.” A man of God preached with great power and many people turned from their sins to the Savior. A solemn fear fell upon the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. And the Bible says, “Many of the believers who had been practicing black magic confessed their deeds and brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. (Someone estimated the value of the books at $10,000.) This indicates how deeply the whole area was stirred by God’s message”–Acts 19:19 TLB.
Fire cleanses, and when Isaiah confessed his uncleanness, the Bible says, “One of the seraphim flew over to the altar and with a pair of tongs picked out a burning coal. He touched Isaiah’s lips with it and said, Now you are pronounced not guilty because this coal has touched your lips. Your sins are all forgiven.” Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, said, “You may write on wax and only make the record fair. Take a hot iron and roll it across the wax, and it’s all gone. That seems to be what the Lord did with Paul’s heart. It was all written over with blasphemy and rebellion, and He rolled the hot iron of burning over his soul and the evil inscription was all gone. He ceased to blaspheme, and he began to praise.” Christ will do the same for you, if you’ll let Him.

Fire comforts, and Isaiah cried, “I am warm, I have seen the fire.” Someone has described a kind man as one who lights a fire in a cold room. That’s what the Lord Jesus does. When you ask Him to come into your heart He comes in, and when He comes in He kindles your heart with the warmth of love towards God and man. The cold shoulder, the cold look, is gone. You begin to grow warm, and soon you begin to glow, glow with love to God and man, glow with love for the Scriptures and glow with love for the sinners. “My heart was so cold,” admitted one, “before I accepted Christ. I chilled everyone I met. Then Jesus came in. It was just like I had swallowed the sun with all of its warmth. I’m different. I’m happy. I love everyone.”

But while John the Baptist brought good news to some, he brought bad news to others. After saying, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” he added, “Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Man is divided into two groups–the wheat and the chaff. You’re separated by your reaction to Christ. Believe on Him, and you’ll be looked upon as wheat. Reject Him, and you place yourself with the chaff–to be burned. It’s your move. Believe in Christ, won’t you?

copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic Association

All Scripture verses are quoted from the New King James Version.

This series of messages on the books of the Bible were originally written for broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The Sower." They are collected and reprinted here for your enjoyment and spiritual edification. Go to the Sower's site for more at www.TheSower.com.