Holy Fire [Part 2]

Just thinking, a little more on the same topic as the other day.  I wrote a couple of days ago in a post titled, "Holy Fire," as I was thinking about how the Bible tells us that "Our God is a consuming fire," in so many places, and uses language to describe him as our refiner, etc.  It was pretty mind blowing and amazing.

Then, yesterday I believe it was, I was thinking on this again.  

Jesus said, 

John 15:1-6 - "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." 

Many times in Scripture, the Lord refers to us as being a part of a plant, like this vine, or a great tree.  

...Yet... He's a consuming fire?  Plants and fire... together... usually produces ash, does it not?  Kinda like the unfruitful branches that are gathered and thrown into the fire, as Jesus says in that analogy.

Well look at this:

Exodus 3:2-4 - "And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, 'I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.' When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.'"

I dunno... Does that strike anyone else as AMAZING?  That our holy God, a consuming fire, appears to Moses in a burning bush, and the bush is not consumed.  This plant does not turn to ash.  

Makes me think, if we're abiding in HIM, as the branches abide in the bush, we're safe.  He is a consuming fire; yet his flame does not consume his live-giving and life-preserving self, or those who belong to him.      

Pretty cool stuff, this.  :)  I love how God uses creation to explain himself to us.  And how he appears to us in ways that we can understand "Fire is powerful.  Our God is like that."  "The vine gives life to the branches.  Our God is like that."  

He shows himself in creation... in so many different ways.  He truly is above, in, and through all things. (Romans 11:36)

Holy Fire

This is a collection of passages that have been coming to my mind and attention as I've pondered these truths:  Our God is a consuming fire, and Christ is our life.  The words in bold are my comments... And truly... This topic is too big for me.  But I will leave you with some of my thoughts (keeping them brief), a bunch of Scripture, and an exhortation to read the Word.  Learn more about the incredible might of this God whose holiness consumes sin from before His presence like fire, and whose love, when accepted, covers a multitude of sins.

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Our God is a consuming fire.

Deuteronomy 4:24 - "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."

Isaiah 33:13-16 "Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;

    and you who are near, acknowledge my might.

The sinners in Zion are afraid;

    trembling has seized the godless:

“Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?

    Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”

He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,

    who despises the gain of oppressions,

who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,

    who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed

    and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,

he will dwell on the heights;

    his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;

    his bread will be given him; his water will be sure."

Exodus 24:17 - "Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel."

Psalm 104:31-32 - "May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

    may the Lord rejoice in his works,

who looks on the earth and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains and they smoke!"

Hebrews 12:29 - "For our God is a consuming fire."

Our God is a refining fire.

Malachai 3:1-3 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 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. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord."

Matthew 3:10-12 - "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."

Proverbs 17:3 - "The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts." 

Zechariah 13:9 - "And I will put this third into the fire,
    and refine them as one refines silver,
    and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
    and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.'"

John 15:5-6 - "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned."

Righteousness alone will survive the fire of God's judgment.  Jesus Christ is our righteousness, the one who makes it possible for us to stand before the presence of a holy God, a consuming fire, and not be destroyed. He is also our life, our freedom, our strength. He is our Lord, and our glory.   

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 - "For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire."

2 Corinthians 17:-21 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

1 John 3:2-3 - "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."

1 Corinthians 3:17-18 - "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Our God will purge and burn sin out of our lives with the refining fire of His presence; but He can make beauty from ashes.

Isaiah 61:3 - "To grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified."

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ; gird yourself with the armour, the strength, and the protection of his presence.

Romans 13:14 -  "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."

Ephesians 6:10-11 - "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." 

Philippians 1:21 - "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. "

Galations 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Let us boast in the Lord, to whom belong wisdom and power and might! 

Daniel 2:21-22 - "...Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

    to whom belong wisdom and might.

He changes times and seasons;
    he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to those who have understanding;

he reveals deep and hidden things;
    he knows what is in the darkness,
    and the light dwells with him."

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 - "And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'"

Jeremiah 9:23-24 - "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'"

Revelation 5:12 - "...'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!'"

Revelation 7:12 - "...'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'"