Our God is: "A Consuming Fire"

Consuming fire sounds scary. It sounds intimidating. It's associated with negative things.

To consume means to :

use something up.
devour it.
purchase something for direct use or ownership.
ABSORB SOMETHING.
to spend something like time, energy or money.


Fire is used to refine, cleanse and purify.


The reality of God being a consuming fire is that it exists to demolish sin.


In Malachi, the people are being warned about how they're not worshiping God how they should be. (Malachi 1:8)

To tie the Old Testament into the New Testament,

Hebrews 12:28-29 says "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."

The Message puts it like this:

"Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!"



What about firemen?
How do they shield themselves from the flames?
They wear the right gear.

What gear should we as Christians wear to face the reality of fire?

1. thankfulness
*be aware and appreciative of The Benefit

2. reverence
*outward manifestation of deep respect

3. awe
*overwhelming, extremely powerful admiration
(to be IN awe = to be inspired or influenced)


We said the reality of God being a consuming fire was that it exists to demolish sin.
This is how we can use that fire in our favor to demolish the sin in our lives by purifying and refining our hearts. By putting on thankfulness, reverence and awe when we daily live our lives in worship, we're living out

THE REALITY OF CHRIST DYING ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS.

Yes, God is a consuming fire.
Yes, God is just.
Yes, God demolishes the sin in our lives.

BUT

Yes, God gave us His Son to prevent death in the flames.
Yes, God gives us hope.
Yes, God is merciful and graceful.

Fire can be a scary thing when you're not dressed in your fireman's uniform.