Meaning Behind the Music: The Comforter’s Fire
Mal. 3: 2-3 The Lord is a refiner. He allows people to experience trials in
order to sanctify and purify them, to make them strong, compassionate,
and clean. Surely the crucifixion of the Savior acted as a refiner’s
fire to his disciples. Knowing that His time was at hand, Jesus Christ spent his last night
before his imprisonment with his apostles. He knew the fear and terror
His disciples were about to face, so He promised to send them a comforter. John 14:26, 16-18 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will
send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to
your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because
it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. The fullness of that comfort did not come until they were baptized
with fire and the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The refinement that
came from the horrible experience of the crucifixion acted to
consecrate the apostles for their pending calls to take the gospel into
all the world. The baptism of the Spirit felt on the day of Pentecost
completed that purification, and gave them all the strength, power, and
comfort necessary to become powerful vessels of the message of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. It truly was a baptism of fire, and it changed
them forever. One lesson we can learn from this is that when endured properly and well, the Refiner’s fire can become the Comforter’s fire.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he
appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall
purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they
may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.