Fire is used in a variety of contexts in the Bible. As in life, Fire is used both in positive ways and negative ways. Fire keeps us warm, but fire can also burn our house down and leave us out in the cold. A good fire helps the forest by clearing our brush and replenishing the soil with vital nutrients. A bad fire can kill everything in the forest and leave a decimated, erosion scared landscape behind. Fire is one of the greatest forces of nature that man has ever tamed, but people will literally jump out of 80 story windows to get away from it. Fire is powerful.
Let's start with fire used in a negative light in the bible.
James 3:5-7 (NASB)
<span>Ask Yourself</span>
-Have you ever told a lie in order to fit in, feel better about yourself, or get back at someone?
-Has anyone ever told a lie about you in order to fit in, feel better about themselves, or get back at you?
-Why do you think little lies can grow into such ordeals so quick?
-Is it ever okay to bend the truth?
Often folks who lie, lack wisdom. People who have wisdom know what to say, or when not to talk, in order to avoid lies. People who have wisdom do not care what others think about them, only what is right...what is principled. They understand the damaging effect of sin. "Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." -Ecclesiastes 9:18
Now, lets look at fire used more positively.
Acts 2:1-4 (NASB)
<span>Ask Yourself</span>
-Why do you think God associate Himself with fire so often in the bible?
-Read the rest of Acts Chp. 2. What effect did the Holy Spirit have on all the people who came to listen to the disciples upon whom the Holy Spirit had fallen?
Now, lets look at Fire in one more light.
Deuteronomy 4:23-24 (NASB)
It is a common misconception, a lie even, that God is alright with whatever you do as long as you pay lip-service to loving Him and "be good". The problem is, most of the time what we mean by "be good" is very relative...that is it changes from person to person, situation to situation. What we may think of as good when we are in a comfortable place, might change when we find ourselves in a group of peers or friends who are doing what we said earlier in the day was not right.
Hear this: God LOVES You. That does not mean He is alright with you or what you are doing, if it is against His law or takes the place of priority in your life from Him. God created us to follow after Him, to do His will and to love Him the way He loves us: with all of our being, all our words and all our actions. Ecclesiastes, which was written by King Solomon, says this, "This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.' (Ecclesiastes 7:29 NIV). God created right, He created us to go a certain way, a certain direction in our life. But, we have gone our own ways, trying to find easier quicker ways to find healing of our hurts. Or, because we are just misguided and think that there is a more pleasurable, satisfying way to live life. The problem with this kind of thinking is that, since that is not the way God created us to live, we hurt ourselves and we hurt our relationship with God.
But, the good news is that God is a consuming fire, who purifies us, destroys our sin, and restores us back to Him. When making metal, you take the ore that the metal is in and heat it up to an incredible degree of heat. This burns away all the impurities in the ore, leaving only pure metal. That is how God works with us and our sin, he burns them away until they are no longer there. But, first, you must admit to Him that you need purification and that His direction is the way you want to go.
-What in your life have you made an idol? What do you find you are prone to setting up as a priority in your life before God? School? Friends and Popularity? Freedom from your parents? Money?
-Why do you think it means that God is a Jealous God? Who does He want first in your life?
-How do we show our love for God? (look up Luke 10:25-37; Deuteronomy 6:4-6)
-If we have sin in our life, what can we do for God to take it away from us?
In life we find a struggle of power. Which power are we going to allow to rule our lives? The power that tears us and others down by our words and actions? Or, are we going to allow the Power that renews and restores us to rule our lives? Fire can either save us or kill us. Which fire are you going to allow in your life?
Let's start with fire used in a negative light in the bible.
James 3:5-7 (NASB)
So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!It doesn't take much to get a rumor, lie, or untrue boast going. Remember "white lies" (the okay not so bad lies) and "black lies" (the ones that are really bad)? How many awful rumors get started by a little white lie? In fact, aren't we good at making our "black lies" look like "white lies" so if we get caught we can act like we are innocent (by "we" I mean society in general).
And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
<span>Ask Yourself</span>
-Have you ever told a lie in order to fit in, feel better about yourself, or get back at someone?
-Has anyone ever told a lie about you in order to fit in, feel better about themselves, or get back at you?
-Why do you think little lies can grow into such ordeals so quick?
-Is it ever okay to bend the truth?
Often folks who lie, lack wisdom. People who have wisdom know what to say, or when not to talk, in order to avoid lies. People who have wisdom do not care what others think about them, only what is right...what is principled. They understand the damaging effect of sin. "Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." -Ecclesiastes 9:18
Now, lets look at fire used more positively.
Acts 2:1-4 (NASB)
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.In this case fire is used as a sign of God's blessing. The folks gathered in that house that day were Jesus' disciples and other followers of Jesus. They had come to recognize the divinity of Jesus and accept that He had died for their sins, so that they may forever exist with Him. The "tongues of flame" were symbols of God accepting them and putting his Holy Spirit inside of them. Often, in the Bible, the Holy Spirit is associated with a flame.
And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
<span>Ask Yourself</span>
-Why do you think God associate Himself with fire so often in the bible?
-Read the rest of Acts Chp. 2. What effect did the Holy Spirit have on all the people who came to listen to the disciples upon whom the Holy Spirit had fallen?
Now, lets look at Fire in one more light.
Deuteronomy 4:23-24 (NASB)
So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD you God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you.Hebrews 12:28-29 (NASB)
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, but which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
For our God is a consuming fire.
It is a common misconception, a lie even, that God is alright with whatever you do as long as you pay lip-service to loving Him and "be good". The problem is, most of the time what we mean by "be good" is very relative...that is it changes from person to person, situation to situation. What we may think of as good when we are in a comfortable place, might change when we find ourselves in a group of peers or friends who are doing what we said earlier in the day was not right.
Hear this: God LOVES You. That does not mean He is alright with you or what you are doing, if it is against His law or takes the place of priority in your life from Him. God created us to follow after Him, to do His will and to love Him the way He loves us: with all of our being, all our words and all our actions. Ecclesiastes, which was written by King Solomon, says this, "This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.' (Ecclesiastes 7:29 NIV). God created right, He created us to go a certain way, a certain direction in our life. But, we have gone our own ways, trying to find easier quicker ways to find healing of our hurts. Or, because we are just misguided and think that there is a more pleasurable, satisfying way to live life. The problem with this kind of thinking is that, since that is not the way God created us to live, we hurt ourselves and we hurt our relationship with God.
But, the good news is that God is a consuming fire, who purifies us, destroys our sin, and restores us back to Him. When making metal, you take the ore that the metal is in and heat it up to an incredible degree of heat. This burns away all the impurities in the ore, leaving only pure metal. That is how God works with us and our sin, he burns them away until they are no longer there. But, first, you must admit to Him that you need purification and that His direction is the way you want to go.
-What in your life have you made an idol? What do you find you are prone to setting up as a priority in your life before God? School? Friends and Popularity? Freedom from your parents? Money?
-Why do you think it means that God is a Jealous God? Who does He want first in your life?
-How do we show our love for God? (look up Luke 10:25-37; Deuteronomy 6:4-6)
-If we have sin in our life, what can we do for God to take it away from us?
In life we find a struggle of power. Which power are we going to allow to rule our lives? The power that tears us and others down by our words and actions? Or, are we going to allow the Power that renews and restores us to rule our lives? Fire can either save us or kill us. Which fire are you going to allow in your life?
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