Prepare-for-War

heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according lo his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:9-10.

Jesus gave us a specific command:

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48

Why is it that we so easily tolerate sin in our lives? Yes, we will always be liable to sin as long as we are here in our earthly bodies, but, in light of Christ's specific command ment to be perfect, why are we so comfortable with a certain level of sin in our lives? Why are we so willing to accept anything less than the fulfillment of this command? I'll tell you why, because we want Christ to baptize us with the Holy Spirit, but we don't want Him to baptize us with fire! Anyone who truly wants to become a servant ofGod must seek God's baptism with fire. God's word in Jeremiah tells us that our hearts are so deceitful that we cannot even recognize all the sins in our life. Only God can do that. This is why John the Baptist made the remarkable statement:

"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." Luke 3:16

We hear much about Jesus baptizing with the Holy Ghost, but we hear almost nothing about Jesus baptizing with fire. Yet Jesus himself said: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required ... I am come to send fire on earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?" Luke 12:48-49 What is this fire? Well, Paul defined it for us in Hebrews:

" ... let us have grace, whereby we may serve God ac ceptably with reverence and godly fear: For ourGod is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:28-29.

Fire consumes anything that is not acceptable to God. God is a consuming fire. God's fire consumes sin. The fire was

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