CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 774

“Salted with Fire”

Mark 9:49 (ESV)  For everyone will be salted with fire.

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Jesus knew how to get people’s attention using extreme terminology to get His point across. When He taught His disciples about dealing with temptation to sin He ‘suggested’ that they maim themselves by cutting off their hand or foot or pluck their eye out if these members of their body were the cause of their sin.  He taught that it was better for them to enter into life and the kingdom of God crippled than to have whole bodies and be thrown into hell.

Understand the frame of reference that the disciples had.  The idea of entering into eternal life and the kingdom of God was incomprehensible.  Their understanding of an acceptable sacrifice and offering to God was that it had to be without spot or blemish and here Jesus is suggesting that they could approach God in a maimed condition.

Jesus continues to lead their thinking along their tradition of sacrificial offerings to God which were always salted. He is alluding to the fact that their lives would be acceptable to God because they will all be ‘salted with fire’.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become living sacrifices to God.

… present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. – Romans 12:1

We do not have to be perfect when we come to Christ.  Christian followers of Jesus Christ are forgiven of their past, present and future sins.  Yes, present and future sins.  We will not be perfect as long as we are in these earthly bodies on this side of eternity.

Like the disciples in His day many of us are in bondage to a doctrine of perfection in order to be acceptable to God.  Jesus is teaching us today as He taught His disciples then that you do not have to be perfect in this body in order to have eternal life and enter the kingdom of God.  Remember what John the Baptist said about Jesus:

…“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! … He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. – John 1:29, Matt 3:11

Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb without spot or blemish.  Through Him and by His death and resurrection we can be called children of God and be acceptable to Him as we are cloaked in His righteousness. Everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is salted with the purifying fire of God’s Holy Spirit.

And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and restedon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit… – Acts 2:3

May you be a living sacrifice to God salted with the fire of His Holy Spirit.  May His refining fire cleanse you from the desire to sin, purifying your heart and sanctifying your life for His purpose and plan.