Most of my life I heard people stand and testify that they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. I acknowledge that on the Day of Pentecost there appeared tongues “like” as of fire. But the symbol of fire is most often associated with judgment. The key passage most quote from is from John the Baptizer. ““As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.””??Matthew? ?3?:?11?-?12? ?NASB1995??A careful reading will show that those for whom the fire is reserved are the unsaved. The winnowing fork separates the wheat from the chaff. The saved (those who are Spirit-baptized) will be gathered “into the barn”. The unsaved are the ones “baptized” with fire. Revelation 20:15shows the fulfillment of this promise.
I have heard the phrase “Holy Ghost and Fire” since the day I was saved way back when. Most often, it’s been said in such a manner as to imply an extra bit of power or anointing. The fire of Matthew 3:11however speaks of a purifying, inward cleansing, not an outward appearance of having just a bit more of what is normally thought to be evidence of the Holy Ghost. As you say, it’s not something to break fellowship over________________“Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”
Perhaps you can be baptized with the Holy Spirit – but not let the fire burn up the chaff in your own heart. So you should want the Holy Spirit with the fire.I tended to believe the fire was to burn up the bad guys too, but since we are under grace, it would make sense that the fire was a purifying element of the Holy Spirit.I will say some early COG folks got into wanting not just fire, but Holy Dynamite and Holy Liddite. I believe they incorrectly thought there was always more – like a late night TV commercial (or preacher for that matter)________________
As I look at the context, I don’t see it as Spirit baptism with/without fire. I see it as two separate baptisms. One for the righteous (Spirit baptism) and one for the wicked (fire baptism). Notice again John The Baptist’s message in this same sectionThe axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 3:10
I bind you!!
Glory to GOD anyhowThe Holy GHost and FIRE is real misterwe need the FIRE of GOd instead of this watered down stuff people are a preachin nowadaysHOLINESS OR HELL and FIRE OF GOD its so anyhow