THE HOLY SPIRIT AS FIRE
NOTE: 3 OBSERVATIONS
• Powerful presence proving He Is God
• Purifying those who follow Him
• Poured into believers to live victorious Christian lives
#1 POWERFUL PRESENCE
PROVING HE IS GOD
I Kings 18 Elijah and the prophets
of Baal
Obadiah – Elijah’s long time friend
Ahab – King of Israel (N. 10 Tribes)
Jezebel – Ahab’s wicked wife
The Challenge: 450 priests of Baal
and Elijah
• After Baal’s prophets failed; Elijah’s turn:
• V36 “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel and that I
am Your servant and have done all these things at Your
command…
• V37 Answer me, so these people will know You, Lord, are God,
and that you are turning their hearts back again…
• V38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice,
the wood, the stones, the soil, and also licked up the water in
the trench.”
• Fire to KNOW that He is God – there is no other – Who is Holy
and turns us back to Him
• Beware of “strange fire” - Lev. 10: 1-7
• Aaron’s two sons (2 of 5 just anointed priests),
Nadab and Abihu
• Took their own censers – not the sacred ones
• Offered it together – only supposed to be One
priest
• Brought their own fire instead of using the altar
fire
• One Hebrew translation said they were drunk
and arrogant
• Fire from heaven struck them dead
• The Lord told Moses to have Aaron
and his sons stay in the Tent of
Meetings, do not mourn for Nadab
and Abihu’s death…they defiled
the holiness of God… stay silent…
but let the people mourn and bury
the two dead
• God is a holy God Who does not
accept self-centered
appearances of worship … keep
the sacred holy… do not let the
sacred become profane (unholy)
#2. PURIFYING THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM
• Psalms 66: 10, “For You, O God, have
tested us; You have refined us like
silver.”
• Hebrews 12: 7, “He is testing you as
His sons…”
• James 1: 3, “You know that the
testing of your faith produces
perseverance…”
AND BLESS THE LORD…
• I Cor. 10: 13, “No temptation has
seized you except what is common
to man. And God is faithful; He will
NOT let you be tempted beyond
what you can bear. He WILL provide
a way out so you can endure it.”
• Romans 8: 37, “in ALL things we are
more than conquerors through Him
(Christ Jesus) Who loves us!”
#3 POURED INTO BELIEVERS TO LIVE
VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIVES
• Acts 1: 8, “You will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will BE My witnesses.”
• Acts 2 – the Day of Pentecost – the
birth of the Church… the Holy Spirit
now dwells within believers – not only
comes upon (OT)…
• Witnesses that Christ lives within us, the Holy Spirit
empowers the believer to live holy and pure lives…
• Gal 5: 19 – 22, “…sexual immorality, impurity,
…dissension, hatred, fits of rage, discord, self-
ambition, envy, etc. those who live like this will not
inherit the Kingdom of God.
• But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-
control…”
HENCE THE HOLY SPIRIT – AS FIRE
WILL…
• Prove He is a Holy God
• Purify those who follow
Him
• Pour His Spirit within –
enabling us to be
victorious