OUR CONSUMING FIRE

for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29

There is no disparity between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New. His holiness, justice and goodness is as alive and in operation as His mercy, grace and love. This truth of God’s blessed character we embrace by His grace; and its truth is most applicable to us, for He is our God. Moreover, its context is our worship of God, as the preceding verse says, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (v28, KJV). When we embrace grace (have grace), our God’s consuming fire illuminates sin, so we may confess it, bring it to the altar of Christ’s cross, and forsake its allure. Our Lord Jesus was forsaken for our sins (Psa 22:1). How could we in good conscience want to carry them around when we consider Him “who endured from sinners such hostility against himself” (v3), so that we may not grow weary and fainthearted in our faith toward Him? We cannot be crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20) until our only boast is the cross of Christ (Gal 6:14). The Carmelite mount, where Yahoveh consumed Elijah’s doused sacrifice as well as all the water therewith, was only a faint foreshadow of the consuming fire Y’shua Messiah suffered on Calvary’s mount. Because Jesus was forsaken by His God and Father, by grace through faith, God forgives us and also becomes our Father. The consuming fire of our God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5). Therefore, as we grow in grace and are strengthened in faith, the sin of corruptions still remaining in mortal flesh (Rom 7:18) may rise to the top of the Refiner’s pot, be skimmed off by the Holy Smelter, and cast away by the almighty Forger. Thus, we may become honorable cups of gold, silver and precious gems, useful and glorious in the Master’s hand.

Our God is a consuming fire,
His holiness refines
Our lives to bring us nearer, high’r,
As our God’s grace inclines.

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Today's M'Cheyne Reading Schedule: 5/7 - Num 15; Psa 51; Isa 5; Heb 12

If you don’t have one, get a free PDF copy of Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s “Daily Bread” Bible Reading Calendar by Clicking Here.

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