Have you ever enjoyed the crisp bite of a good savory pickle? Did you know there’s a process to produce a good savory pickle? In order to get a good pickle, it must be baptized first. Allow me to explain just how this happens.
First of all, a nice cucumber, the vegetable, must be dipped into boiling water. This is a baptizing of the vegetable by fully immersing it into the water. Next, the vegetable is baptized by full immersion into a vinegar solution. Both actions require the immersing of the vegetable in a solution.
The first is temporary, while the second produces a permanent change.
Well according to Matthew 3 vs. 11, John the Baptist said these words “I indeed baptize you with water to repentance: but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire.
So when Jesus baptizes you with the Holy Spirit, (like the pickle), we are forever changed. Something happens from the inside out. Water baptism is good and should be done. It’s our public demonstration of our old life being buried and the new life in Christ Jesus being resurrected. Water baptism doesn’t cause a permanent change. That takes place when Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and Fire.
One encounter with the Holy Spirit and Fire and we are permanently and forever changed. You could say, “we’ve been pickled”. The fire of God’s love and passion for His people is like a spontaneous combustion. Spontaneous combustion is defined as, the process of catching fire and burning as a result of heat generated by an internal chemical reaction.
Jesus is the light of God and when He lights a fire in us, we are permanently changed. We instantly do right, instead of trying to do right. Like the pickle, the heat from God’s passionate love changes things from the inside of you. Let the fire of his love have access to your whole heart. Let the fire of His love purge any impurities out of you. What we attempt to fix with our efforts, can be handled in a moment by yielding to His passionate love. Let the fire of God pickle you…no pun intended.
By Pastor James
From his message:
Don’t Be Afraid Of The Fire – No More Inhibitions