The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ (Messiah). John answered them all, “I baptize you in water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
-Luke 3:15-17
Did you know that there are 2 baptisms that Christians are to undergo? Yes, there is!! The first baptism is physical immersion in water and the second baptism is the infilling of the Holy Spirit. We know this is true based on this passage of scripture in Luke where John the Baptist is speaking to the crowds of people who believed he might possibly be the Messiah. However, John clearly responded to them saying that he baptized them in water, but one more Powerful than him would come, the thongs of whose sandals he was unworthy to untie. John was referring to Jesus! John was saying that Jesus would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire! Now that is POWERFUL!! The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit and we should all desire to have God’s Spirit living within us! We need God’s Spirit to constantly give us guidance and direction in this world. And without God’s Spirit, there is no Power! We are nothing without God! The Fire we are given along with the Holy Spirit is a raging fire burning within our hearts, giving us Passion, Zeal, Boldness, and Determination for God! In addition, this Fire is a shield protecting us from the enemy, where we are kept in God’s perfect holiness while everything else around us is burned up like chaff and consumed with unquenchable fire! Even John the Baptist said of Jesus, “his winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” So those who believe in Jesus (Yeshua) are going to be gathered into his barn like wheat where we will not be consumed by fire, but rather, we will be protected by fire! Now how Awesome is that?!! And since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, just like scripture says… that means that God does not change! If there was a Holy Spirit Fire baptism then, rest assured, there is Most Definitely a Holy Spirit Fire baptism today! Have you been baptized in this Holy Spirit Fire?