The Holy Spirit Fire

The Holy Spirit Fire

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 Spirit, and with fire (Matthew 3:11).

Many Christians have inquired, “After being baptized in the Holy Spirit, when is one baptized with fire?” You must understand the language of the Scriptures as well as the writing styles of the writers of the Gospels and Epistles. Matthew, in the role of John or Paul, frequently used two images to express a character of the one presented.
This is exactly what Matthew meant when he said, “The Holy Spirit and fire” in our first verse; he was referring to the same thing. He wasn’t saying you’d be baptized with the Holy Spirit first, then with fire; far from it! You are baptized with fire when you are baptized with the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is God’s fire. The Holy Ghost manifests Himself in a variety of ways. Fire is one of the ways He manifests Himself.

When Elijah prayed and called on God on Mount Carmel, He sent down fire that consumed the water in the trench dug around the altar and burned the sacrifice and wood on the altar (1 Kings 18:24-38). God used a burning bush to draw Moses’ attention when He revealed Himself to him. “Well, that was in the Old Testament; how about today?” you might say. In Acts 2:1-4, when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, the Bible says, “…Cloven tongues like as of fire appeared unto them and sat upon each of them.” They were all filled with the Holy Spirit when this happened.

He’s in you with all of His “fire-power” now that you’ve been born again and received the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to see Him with your physical eyes, but He is always with you and in you. Halleluiah!
Remember that you are not alone when you go out to preach the Gospel and bear witness to His resurrection power. When you speak under His authority, the words that come out of your mouth will be as hot as fire, and people’s hearts will burn within them as they listen, turning them to the Lord.