WATER TRUMPS FIRE

By Jim Corner

            As children, we are told that it is not wise to 'play with fire'. Undoubtedly most of us learned that lesson the hard way. Mom just never could be trusted, could she? We have all read of forest fires that claim multiplied thousands of acres and cause damage that goes beyond a 'dollar figure'. The reality, however, is that when an equal amount of water comes in contact with an equal amount of fire, the water is the victor. Kind of like light and dark. No matter how dark the room is, when the light is turned on the darkness goes into hiding.
     If you, for example, had a candle it would take but a few drops of water to extinguish the fire. In the case of a forest fire, if you could put enough water on it, the fire would cease. I am sure that we have all prayed for rain during a large fire because we knew that if the heavens opened up with water, the fire would go out of existence.
      There is a spiritual parallel. In Matthew 25:41 we read of hell as a place of eternal fire. The Scriptures are clear that when an individual refuses to follow the Lord, everlasting punishment awaits them. One of the pictures that is painted within the Word of God is that of a fire. We read in Luke 16 that there was a man who failed to follow the Lord in this life. In the next life he was in a fire that was so great he yearned for even a drop of water. We also learn in that story that once a person has been eternally lost, there is no hope.
      The cause of a person's eternal lost state rests in their sin. The Bible teaches that we all sin (Romans 3:23) and that sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). The way in which sin is removed is through the blood of Jesus. The sacrifice that He gave places us in a position to have eternal life. I can escape the wrath of God as I surrender my life to Him.
      The act that brings me in contact with the blood of Jesus is baptism. We read of this in Romans 6:3-4. I need to be very careful; I am not saying that the water has any ability to remove sin. It is the blood that removes our sin but it takes place when we are baptized into Christ. I don't have to tell you that there is a great deal of misinformation in the religious world when it comes to the teaching of baptism. Rather than listen to me, let me share what the Word of God says.
      First of all, baptism is a burial. We read of this in Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12. A ten year old understands the concept of burial. We all realize that when a corpse is buried, the entire body (plus the casket) is covered with dirt. The baptism that is spoken of in the Bible is that kind of baptism, namely one in which every part of the body is covered.
      Secondly, baptism is essential to salvation. We read in Mark 16:16 that we are saved when we are baptized. We read in Acts 22:16 that our sins are removed when we are baptized. We read in Acts 2:38 that we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when we are baptized. We read in I Corinthians 12:13 that we enter the church when we are baptized. We read in Galatians 3:27 that we enter Christ upon baptism. Can there be any doubt as to the grave importance of this act.
      Thirdly, we are not saved by the water but by God when we obey Him. In II Kings 5 we read of a story that is applicable to this discussion. A man named Naaman had leprosy. He went to a prophet of God to receive healing. He was told to go and dip 7 times in the Jordan River and he obeyed. We all understand 3 things about this story:
          1. If he would have gone to another river, he would not have been healed.
          2. If he had dipped less than 7 times he would not have been healed.
          3. He was not healed by the water but by God.

     As I stated earlier, the water in baptism does not save but the blood of Christ does. The title of this article is more a play on words than anything else. Do not forget, however, that one is not saved until they enter the waters of baptism and in that way, water does trump fire.
      If you need to experience salvation, please contact us. If you have an interest in studying the Word of God via correspondence, please contact the webmaster of this site and he will be happy to assist you.

           

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