On Fire!

“I have come to set the earth on fire!” Luke 12:49

What was Jesus talking about? He has been gone more than 2000 years and it does not seem as if the earth is burning. It even seems as if more and more people are becoming lukewarm towards God! It appears that there is more evil masquerading as good, and lies being spread as truth. People with twisted values are believed and righteous people are ridiculed! 

This whole world seems to me to be a giant “furnace” meant to refine and test us. Just as the impurities of gold are burned off in the high heat, so too the trials we find ourselves in are meant to remove our dross”, our unkindness, impatience, envy, greed, unforgiveness, etc. As pure gold can reflect the face of the goldsmith, one day Jesus will see His face reflected in us. All this is impossible without the Holy Spirit who is a real Person with us here on earth. We need the fire of His baptism so that we will not be one of the lukewarm bodies walking the earth with no idea about what is of eternal  value and what is “dross”.