Matthew 3:11-12

Matthew 3:11-12 NIV

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

At first, second, or even the hundredth time reading this passage of John the Baptist warning the Sadducees and Pharisees, one might say to themselves, "Ugh! Fire and brimstone"! This morning I had a very different thought. Look at what the Baptist is saying.

John baptized with water as a means of helping people to make a commitment to repent. That means to turn away from sin and turn toward God and obey God's covenant laws given through Moses. It means to stop behaving in unrighteous ways and to pursue righteousness by keeping the law. That is the Jewish calling.

But the Jewish covenant, and that form of righteousness gained by keeping the law, is now surpassed by the new covenant in Christ. Paul says as much in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 3:20-22 NLT

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

Now I'm getting into theologically heavy stuff. What God did with the two covenants, the law under Moses, and the new covenant in the blood of Christ, is first to expose the power of sin at work in us, then to free us from this same power by the greater power of God's grace through faith in Christ.

Look at the Baptist's words again. He is describing the two covenants. First is the keeping of the law. To repent means to stop breaking God's law and to continually obey it. What Paul reveals in Romans is that no amount of effort on our part will make us righteous as God is righteous. Sin will always be tripping us up. But now through Christ, the righteousness of God is given to us through our faith.

Jesus cleanses us of sin, much like He might clear a threshing floor of chaff with a winnowing fork. The fire language John the Baptist uses could be read as purifying, not torturous. If you've experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit, then you've felt this unquenchable fire. There's a warmth within.

Through faith, Christ takes up residence in our hearts. There's no room for sin when Christ moves in. (Put that on a bumper sticker!) The Holy Spirit drives sin from our hearts. Little by little, the love of God frees us from Sin's grip. We find our motivations shifting from the selfish and fearful to love and compassion.

By keeping the rules, we will always be striving for righteousness, but by yielding to the power of grace at work in you through faith in Christ, God's righteousness is given to us.

Romans 8:3-4 NLT

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

So while the rhetoric of John the Baptist seems rather offensive and unpleasant, it is pointing to deeper truths about Jesus. For Jesus was baptized by John to "fulfill all righteousness", which means to bring righteousness to completion. God is doing just that in you through your faith in Christ. He's clearing you out of sin and filling you to the full with His love. When you love God and love others with His love, you will always be righteous.

Philippians 1:6 NLT

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished (fulfilled) on the day when Christ Jesus returns.