Let’s begin by reading the words of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”  John came with a mission that was unique.  He baptized in the River Jordan those who came to him illustrating their repentance for their sins.  We read in Matthew 3:7-8, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.”  So, as those who had repented of their sins, they would come to John in the Jordan and He would baptize them as a symbol of the repentance.

Yet, He speaks of One much more important than Himself.  Although he baptized with water, there was one coming who would baptize with “the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”  Of course, John was speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ “whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.”  John realized the true person of the Lord Jesus…that he was the holy Son of God.  It was Jesus who would “baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire.”

Some of the comments the Lord Jesus made concerning the Holy Ghost are:

*  John 14:16, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”

*  John 14:26, “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.”

*  John 16:7-8, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”

The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred on the day of Pentecost as the resurrected Lord told the disciples in Acts 1:5, “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”  For the fulfillment of that promise, read Acts 2:1-5.

John did not say they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost fire, but they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost AND fire!  What did he mean by that?  Let’s go back and read Matthew 3:7, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”  From this we realize that John was speaking to a mixed multitude…some were saved, and some were not.  For those saved, they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost.  For those not saved, they would be baptized with fire.  Those Pharisees and Sadducees, the spiritual leaders of their day, were not believers in the Lord Jesus.  In fact, they were totally against Him.  They would be baptized with fire, which represents judgment.  Matthew 3:12 goes on to describe that judgment, “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”  This final judgment has not yet occurred, but we read of it in Revelation 20:11-15.

The term “Holy Ghost Fire” is not found in the scriptures and, considering what we have seen in Matthew 3:11, I believe to use that term as something we can direct towards others is contrary to what the Word means.  Some teach that the Holy Ghost fire is a gift to a selected group and “for those who receive this gift, the Holy Ghost acts as a cleansing agent to purify them and sanctify them from all sin.”  That is entirely wrong for it is only the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that purifies and sanctifies the believer.  We know from 1 Peter 1:18-19, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”  (372.4)