Fire Burns AND Purifies

The love of God is called "fire" for this very reason - God's love uncovered what we are made of. The Fire of God's love reveals our true selves AND invites us to be changed.

St. Paul called the Word of God a “two-edged” sword.

In other words, the Word of God cuts both ways. It gives life and strikes down darkness. Just as the surgeon’s knife wounds and heals, so the wisdom of God wounds and heals me at the same time.

However, too many people focus only on one side of reality, and that causes all kinds of problems. As with all things in the Faith, a sober balance is key to reaping the benefits of God's wisdom.

And that balance is hard work in a world that rewards excess and shallow thinking!

The ideology of secular materialism is so pervasive in our very wealthy and very technologically advanced society that a meaning crisis grips our young people, an explosion of mental health issues, and deep depression and loneliness.

To continue to live in the delusion that more money, better medications, or more education is going to “solve” these issues is the very definition of denial and slavish fantasy.

Look at our Lesson today in Isaiah 66:10-24:

“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory.” For thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the LORD is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies. “For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the stormwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the LORD execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many. “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, says the LORD. “For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD. “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, says the LORD; so shall your descendants and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the LORD. “And they shall go forth and look on the dead bodies of the men that have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Yikes! Such language from our dear St. Isaiah talks about fire, dead bodies, and undying worms.

Pretty scary language.

And yet, how else are we supposed to describe the unfiltered confrontation of Uncreated Light and shallow darkness? It can’t go very well for the darkness in that clash. Light and darkness cannot coexist. Fire both destroys and purifies.

And that is just what it is for those unprepared by love and wisdom to face such an encounter.

No wonder the prophet uses such language.

The final tally of lives lived in the foolish slavery of self-deceit can’t expect that the consequences of such choices won’t be painful and devastating! It’s just not reality! St. Isaiah uses language meant to wake up slumbering lives, hoping to get just five more minutes of oblivious delusion before the piper is paid! And he uses the only language to break through the stupor of self-imposed delusion.

It ain’t pretty. It’s downright terrifying.

But what is a loving God supposed to do? Just let you drift along in the fantasy of your darkness?

No. God loves us, dearest, and He refuses to let us be undisturbed into the Light of His presence unprepared or at least unwarned. So, fire it is. Fire that can purify now or torment later, but fire nonetheless!

The Good News is IF you are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to form the character of Christ within you, the fire of God’s love purifies and refines the “gold, silver, and precious stones” of your like rather than encountering the “wood, hay, and stubble” of a selfish life lived ignoring the “fire” of God’s love.

The Hieromartyr Antipas was a contemporary of the Apostles and was made the Bishop of Pergamum in the first century. This city was a powerful and wealthy port city on the Aegean Sea in modern-day Turkey. St. Antipas was known for his piety and faithfulness during the reign of Roman Emperor Domitian. When Rome was persecuting the Christians, St. Antipas stood firm and faced the “fire” of persecution with humble faithfulness, even being mentioned in the Book of Revelation 2:13 - “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” This hero leaves us an example of standing in the fire and allowing it to purify and strengthen us.

Today, is this what it will take to wake you up? If so, not to worry. Your Creator loves you so much that if you need this, here it is! Unambiguous language that says the choice is clear: Learn to embrace the fire of His love now and be purified or wait until this fire torments you! Perhaps it’d be better to learn to be a Normal Orthodox Christian!

P.S. Unto the hierarch and renowned Great Martyr of the Lord, to the most excellent protector of all Pergamum, unto him that cast our common foe down in ruin, unto Antipas let us sing praises as is due, for he heals them that suffer from afflicted teeth. Let us cry with love: Rejoice, O thrice-blessed Father.

Fr. Barnabas Powell is the parish priest at Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA. He is also the founder of Faith Encouraged Ministries and produces the Faith Encouraged Daily Devotional on Substack. Watch the Faith Encouraged YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@FaithEncouraged