The fire of God is first and foremost the nature of God which is devouring, even when we are His sons/children, which we are, and live by His Spirit (cf. Deuteronomy 4:24 i.c.w. Hebrews 12:28-29).
Deuteronomy 4:24:
24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Hebrews 12:28-29:
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
The word commonly used to describe fire is ‘aesh’, and in the two Hebrew letters ‘Aleph’ and ‘Shin’ it reveals to us the Heavenly Father in His power to love by pointing to the live-giving power of water and the distribution of combined forces in the unity as in the case of a cogwheel, for instance.
The Necessity of Approaching God
Staying in this fire points to the necessary approach to God that is also revealed in Psalm 18 where various phases of closeness to the living God as LORD, ‘JAHWE’, are described, who can cloak Himself in power and show Himself (cf. Psalm 18:25-31).
Psalm 18:25-31:
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 26 to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 26 to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
Numerous verses in this Psalm explain how only those can successfully approach Him who trust in Him, display purity, and by faith depend on the LORD in adverse conditions. It also becomes apparent that the LORD is on the side of those who acknowledge His greatness and holiness (cf. Psalm 18:2 ff).
To be in God’s fire therefore also means we might lose substance, because the heat of the flames burn consuming everything that cannot be considered ‘enduring’ or is classed as ‘dross’ (Note: unshakable). We can only gain a deeper understanding of this principle by considering ourselves sons of God, who have been begotten by the Father in His love.
We accept that we live in the dimension of shallowness and impurity present in a fallen world, and we can neither love it nor give it priority, as it has been overcome (cf. 1 John 2:15-17).
1 John 2:15-17:
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the
Father is not in them.
16 For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world.
17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the
Father is not in them.
16 For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world.
17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
In this context the term ‘world’ does not only describe the ground or planet earth but the dimension of the ‘cosmos’, encompassing the entire structure of the fallen first level of the ‘lower heaven’ (Note: natural and supernatural realm of the lower heaven of Satan's domain, lies and iniquity of fallen creatures).
Simply put, the Word of God teaches us how devastating it is to leave the love of the Father, the fire of God (Note: realm of the Spirit, sphere in the spiritual dimension), by cultivating even one thought of this ‘love for the world’ in our daily lives. This includes everything we permit to affect our heart and thus endangers our first love for the LORD.
This includes amongst others established humanistic thought patterns of ‘false love of one’s neighbour’, social opinion-forming that elevates itself over others, any kind of arrogance or self-righteousness, prideful thoughts (Note: hidden or openly displayed pride) comprising prestige or power of people, or recognition of status symbols, sexual impurity (Note: in whatever form from secret thoughts, consumption of impure pictures or pornography, masturbation to extramarital sexual intercourse), bitterness, unforgiveness, self-pity, ingratitude, laziness, manipulation, indifference, denial, unfaithfulness, craftiness, strife, addictive behavior, blasphemy, sarcasm, cruelty (Note: ruthlessness), stinginess, greed for material things, fear, reveries of the soul, etc.
Saints who think they deal with any thought patterns, behaviors, and habits containing such worldly standards in a tolerant manner, find it difficult to “stand in the fire of God” or remain therein, because they do not comply with the rules God has set eternally, “God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” (cf. Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6b; 1 Peter 5:5b-c).
Proverbs 3:34:
34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
James 4:6b:
… 6b That is why Scripture says (see Proverbs 3:34): “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
… 6b That is why Scripture says (see Proverbs 3:34): “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5b-c:
… 5b-c All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
… 5b-c All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Jesus Christ, the Grace of God and Submission to the Word of God
The grace describing the favorable, undeserved expression of goodness from a superior person equals a level of access in the spiritual realm, which is why we through faith in Jesus Christ have access to the throne room of God; only by this justification are we permitted to come close to our holy God (cf. Hebrews 4:14-16).
Hebrews 4:14-16:
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The one proactively submitting to God’s word understands the priority of sanctification as something to chase after – one voluntarily discards impure, unholy or prideful thoughts or behavior patterns, and lets them ‘burn’ in the fire of God (cf. Hebrews 12:14.28-29).
Hebrews 12:14.28-29:
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. …
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. …
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.
But there are saints who go a step further by building a deeper separation between themselves and their old, transient ‘I’ in the increasing presence of the fire (cf. Galatians 2:20) and lose themselves in the intoxicating moments of sincere adoration of the Bridegroom in the ‘Flames of YAH’ (cf. Song of Songs 8:6), so that they can no longer ‘uplift’ themselves. Several examples of encounters in the Word of God with His fire point to the mystery of the principle of glory and sacrifice, which is connected with love.
Peter and the Fire
Peter, a passionate disciple, on the other hand, did not by chance deny his Master beside a fire where he warmed himself, whereupon the cock prophesied of Jesus as a sign of denial. It was not possible for him to faithfully stand by Jesus until the cross, the hearth of fire of God’s wrath and judgment He was to bear there (cf. Mark 14:66-72). Although Peter loved Jesus, he preferred at this moment his future as a free man and was afraid of being locked up or persecuted for his relationship with the LORD. He had not entered into the fire of God, which is at the same time an indication of the centre of God’s love for us humans (cf. John 3:16 i.c.w. Song of Songs 8:6b-c).
John 3:16:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Song of Songs 8:6b-c:
… 8b-c for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like the very flame of the LORD.
… 8b-c for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like the very flame of the LORD.
Our outward passion for Christ may carry us for a time, but it will be tested by the ‘jealous fire’ of God (Note: sphere of God’s presence), which implies amongst others that we will be challenged in circumstances to see whether we still worry, fear, or have concerns for something that might mean more to us than to live or even die for Christ alone (cf. Philippians 1:21 i.c.w. 1 Kings 18:21-40).
Philippians 1:21:
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
To stay in God’s fire therefore implies a greater dimension of passion associated with the first love and based on the faith (Note: inner conviction) that God as the Father is the adorable King, who reigns over all and will rule for all eternity (cf. Revelation 4:11).
Revelation 4:11:
11 “You are worthy, our LORD and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
11 “You are worthy, our LORD and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Tina Glimm
