“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11
John is telling the people that he is baptizing with water for repentance, but there is one great coming with a greater cleansing. Baptism is an outward sign of repentance. It is a public declaration that you have turned from your sins and are now following God.
Notice that baptism is only the outward sign. Water will wash the body on the outside but cannot do anything for the inside.
John was not afraid to state that someone greater and more powerful than he, was coming soon. This one coming would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. This was Jesus.
With being baptized with the Holy Spirit, you are being baptized from the inside out. The Holy Spirit goes into your heart and mind and cleans out the sins located there. The Holy Spirit will guide you in how to live your life correctly for God.
Along with the Holy Spirit there is a fire. Throughout the scriptures, fire is used to burn out the garbage. In the end, hell and all sin will be cast into a burning lake of fire.
It is no fun to get burned. If you touch a hot pan on the stove and it burns you slightly, it is very painful and no fun. The purpose of that pain, though, is to teach you not to touch that hot pan again.
God’s Holy Spirit will put a fire in your heart and soul to burn out the sin in your life. He is trying to teach you not to touch that hot sin again.
Allow Jesus to remove that sin from your life by His blood. His blood will not burn or hurt you in any way. Then, as the Holy Spirit comes into you, there will be no more burning needed to be done. You will be clean before God.
I pray today that you will allow Jesus to cleanse you from all sin; that you will repent of all your sins and turn from them; that you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit of God; that God’s Holy Spirit to guide you and keep you clean before God; and that you will produce fruit that is valuable to God.
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