I agree totally with Marlin that “fire” is for
purging or refining the Believer. And if one rejects these severe
reproofs by rejecting the Lord, then he will deal with the fires of hell in
eternity. I believe that my DH and I have been through this refining fire
recently (lasting several years), and at the time it was absolutely unbearable.
But now, coming out of it (although the testings are not entirely resolved) I
can only rejoice in the Lord for what He has done in my life as a result.
It was a bitter cup I would never covet, but the aftertaste is so sweet. If
Perry is going through this Baptism by Fire I hope he will let us know so that
we can support him in prayer. It is a severe mercy. Now I am
wondering how that differs from the Baptism of Repentance? Izzy
PS Marlin, it is SO GOOD to hear from you!!!!! J
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Marlin Halverson
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003
12:00 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Baptism
by Fire
Not to endorse all that these men teach, my search engine
brought up these very instructive articles. I reference the pertinent
points made by these men here, and comment at the bottom.
"A study about other types of Baptism:
Types
of baptism
1) Baptism of repentance
2) Baptism into the body of Christ
3) Baptism in water
4) Baptism into the Holy Spirit
5) Baptism with fire"
"5) Baptism with fire
Baptism with fire is only meant for the
saints of God. It involves The Lord allowing his saints to pass
through serious sufferings that when bravely handled, glorifies and gives honor
to the name of the most high living God. This baptism of fire is only for
true believers. Salvation does not mean that all is smooth. There are
serious storms in the lives of the saints of God. The baptism of fire ushers
the saints of God into tests, trials, temptations and other various forms of
afflictions, to test their faith and their total dependency upon God. Baptism
by fire brings about grace for a positive change in the life of believers
towards God and enhances spiritual maturity.
This is a
type of baptism that most people, even those confessing great faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, do not like passing through. It is also referred to as the
baptism into sufferings. The Apostle Paul tells us that even though the
sufferings in this life may be severe, they are nothing when compared to the
joys that we will experience when we arrive in heaven and are with the Father.
"The sufferings of this present time,
are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us."
(Romans 8:18)
This is
the type of Baptism that Jesus himself underwent before and during his painful
crucifixion on the cross at Calvary. For Jesus said in Luke 12:50, "There is a terrible baptism ahead for me, and I am
under a heavy burden until it is accomplished." Here the Lord
is talking about his great sufferings; sufferings that reached their peak when
he was led to, and crucified, at Golgotha - thereby shedding his precious blood
for the remission of sins for all those repenting.
A
believer going through fire baptism is sanctified from the ungodliness in their
life after passing through the hard times victoriously. Fire is a symbol of the
Holy Spirit and the purifying judgement of God. Believers need to walk in the
Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will lead the saint in the ways of God. All
ungodliness in the lives of the saints will have to be burned up by the fire of
the Lord. The Bible says every man's work shall be manifested, tried and
revealed by fire.
1 Corinthians 3:13 "Every
man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it
shall be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each
man's work."
As long
as the believer is founded in the unshakeable word of God – by faith and obedience – they
will always come out of the fire stronger. They will not fall apart. These hard
times of fire baptism wll also make the believer come out of the trials
purified, just like gold is when it is passed through the hot furnace fire to
be purified. The sufferings should not be seen as a punishment from God, rather
it brings about grace for a positive change towards God in the life of the
saint. ..........."
Another take on this topic is as follows:
http://www.cbcg.org/beliefs_booklet.htm
"BAPTISM OF FIRE
The baptism of fire is not a baptism to be sought by spiritually begotten
believers, as some teach, but a baptism that is reserved for the incorrigible
wicked. The Scriptures reveal that the baptism of fire is the eternal
destruction of the wicked by immersion into the lake of fire and brimstone.
Those who are cast into the lake of fire will not be tormented forever but will
be burned up. This is the second and permanent death and God's final judgment
for the unrepentant, incorrigible wicked who have committed the unpardonable
sin and have willfully rejected His way of salvation through Jesus Christ. All
who have hardened their hearts in their iniquities and their rebellion against
God and who have committed the unpardonable sin by knowingly resisting and
blaspheming the Holy Spirit, making it impossible for them to be led to
repentance, are incorrigibly wicked and will be destroyed together in the lake
of fire.
Scriptural References:
Mat. 3:11-12 Rev. 20:14-15 Mal. 4:1-3 Mat. 12:31-32 Rev. 21:8"
Although
I truly appreciate most the work of the latter reference, I must agree with
what the former, a stranger to me, has said. There are scriptures
that indicate that a fire baptism is something that the saints
experience, as well as what sinners will experience at the final judgment.
ZEC
13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and
will refine
them as
silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they
shall call
on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my
people: and
they shall say, The LORD [is] my God.
1PE
1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold
that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto
praise and
honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
REV
3:18 {I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire,
that thou
mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and
[that] the
shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine
eyes with
eyesalve, that thou mayest see.}
----Marlin
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 11:45 PM
Subject: [TruthTalk] Baptism by Fire
> I would appreciate hearing from TT'rs about baptism by
fire. In Matthew, and
> in the verse in Luke below, John states that Jesus"shall baptize you
with
> the Holy Ghost and with fire".
>
> Luke 3:16 - John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with
> water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not
> worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
>
> What does baptize by fire mean? Have any of you been "baptized by
fire"?
>
> The next verse says:
>
> Luke 3:17 - Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his
floor,
> and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with
> fire unquenchable.
>
> Is this an explanation of the meaning of baptism by the holy spirit and by
> fire?
>
> Perry
>
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> ----------
> "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you
may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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