Wisdom's Corner
The Consuming Fire

Have you ever seen a building on fire? Or have you ever been close to a large fire? Do you remember how hot it was? Did your parents tell you to stay away from it? Did you watch as whatever was being burned slowly just burned completely away?

Have you ever been burned? Perhaps you touched a hot dish or plate. Perhaps you put your hand on a hot stove. Do you remember how bad it hurt?

God wants everyone to go to heaven. He has given us his word, the Bible, so that we can know what to do to obey Him and get to heaven. But God also is a God who will punish those who do not obey Him. He does not want to punish anyone but He will do it if they do not obey Him.

In Hebrews 12:28 we read that those who are in the church, the kingdom, are to serve God with reverence and godly fear. And then in verse 29 he tells us that the godly fear is based on the fact that God is a consuming fire.

This means that God will not overlook sin. If a person refuses to obey Him then that person will not go to heaven. Instead he will suffer in hell. God will put him in hell. This is what is meant by God being a consuming fire.

Imagine a hot fire that never completely burns you away. Imagine being burned and not being able to heal the burn. You are constantly being burned. You are constantly hurting. You are constantly very, very hot. There is nothing you can do to stop it. And it never ends.

As this year ends and a new one begins, decide to obey God the way He wants you to do. Read the Bible. Study the Bible. Learn more and more about how to serve God. Make the decision that you will always do what He wants you to do. Make the decision that you want to go to Heaven -- not to Hell.

And as always, if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Mark McWhorter

Copyright 1999

Published by The Old Paths Bible School
(http://www.oldpaths.org)