"I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?" - Luke 12:49OK, so what say you that this Scripture means? Judgement? Spiritual power? Anointing? What say you all?
I serve a God of fire. He also lets you walk in that fire, and the things that man put on you are consumed. there is one like the son of man also,who walks in the fire with you.
The context in which the scripture you are pointing out,is full of judgement, both good and bad for those obedient or those who are disobedient. It speaks of the return of the King of Glory unto this earth. As far as the Lord's reference to "servants" I do not believe He is speaking of the true church-the bride. He has stated in the gospels, those who keep my word(commandments) are my friends. No longer to be called slaves, or servants. That time is soon to be upon us.Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you. Joh 15:15 No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known unto you. Hopes this sheds the light on that passage.
Just a few thoughts...These verses have become central to my understanding of the whole nature of baptism, and particularly 'baptism in the Spirit'. On more than one occasion Christ referred to Calvary as a 'baptism'. (Luke 12:49-51 and Matt. 20:22-23, Mark 10:38-39,) This is important because it gives us a sense of the heart of what is implied in 'baptism'. There are two specific OT baptisms which are identified in the NT.“Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:” (1Pet. 3:20-21, KJV)“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;” (1Cor. 10:1-2, KJVS)The key point of each of these 'baptisms' is that they were the scene of God's judgement against the wicked and the means whereby he achieved a 'division' between that which died and that which survived. This really is a central concept of 'baptism' which is often lost to sight in water-baptism. Perhaps even more importantly it has become lost to sight in charismatic and pentecostal theology. The concept of baptism as God's judgement upon sin and the consequent separation of the 'saved' and the 'judged' has no place in most charistmatic/pentecostal theology. Personally, I think this omission has seriously 'skewed' our understanding of the phrase 'Baptism in Spirit'.The Luke 12 passage makes it very plain that baptism and judgement are inseparable. Christ's judgement upon sin must come. All unjudged sin must one day be judged. The theme of this passage is judgement. That future judgement of unjudged sin will effect a 'division' (Luke 12:51) But before His work of judgement is implemented He Himself will experience a 'baptism'. In His own person He will receive judgement and its consequent separation. In Luke 12:50 He says He is 'restrained/constrained' until that 'baptism' is accomplished. I do wish the translators had used another word for 'accomplished'. The translation is accurate but it loses the link. 'accomplished' is the word 'finished' as used in John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. His 'baptism' was 'finished' on the Cross.So, that baptism having been 'finished', there is now no obstacle to Him 'sending fire on the earth'. Although we talk about 'fire' for evangelism, the overwhelming biblical use of 'fire' is in the theme of cleansing judgement. Christ's cleansing fire is available to all will submit now to His fiery baptism; it's effect will be to bring God's judgement in Christ upon the believer's sin and to separate him from that sin. For the unbeliever that fiery judgement will not be to salvation but to condemnation and eternal loss. Peter links Noah's baptism and the final fiery day;“For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (2Pet. 3:5-7, KJVS) It is the final act of cleansing judgement; Rev. 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. I think the Luke reference is gathering up this whole series of judgments upon sin and separation from its power. It is the post-Calvary history of the creation, in a nutshell.
Hi ReceivedText!ReceivedText wrote:"I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?" - Luke 12:49OK, so what say you that this Scripture means? Judgement? Spiritual power? Anointing? What say you all?There is a sermon of Leonard Ravenhill - Are We Willing To Drink His Cup, that speaks about the verses 49 and 50.Video (High)AudioAudio Transcriptiona really great and powerfull sermon!in Him,William
This discussion is locked.
