"He will baptize you in 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." (Matthew 3:11, 12)
Some "modern" translations omit, "and fire," but there are Greek manuscripts which have it. The context reveals the validity of, "and fire," because verse 12 says, "....He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
It's too bad that so much of the emphasis on, "and fire," has been only about shoutin' and dancin'. While this is certainly a part of life in Jesus Christ, so is the, "....clear His threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff...." There was, and still is, very little, if any, in "evangelical/pentecostal circles" of the "complete" message. Yet it is too our benefit that, "He...clear His threshing floor...."
Too many in Christendom only want, "sugar and spices things, roses and lollipops and lollipops and roses." When the Bible teaches that, "The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin," however, it is imperative that we see a glorious reality here. Sin is a destroyer from the Destroyer himself. The Bible teaches that sin has dominion over us, separates us from the Living Triune God, destroys interpersonal relationships, and, "....the wages of sin is death...."
The forgiveness and cleansing from sin, which is ours in the Blood of Jesus, is as the Bible says of God's Words, "for our good always." Never, ever forget that the, "God-Breathed," Words, the Gospel, all the promises are to, "burn[] up the chaff," and, "gather[] His wheat into the barn...." To sum up, we can say that there is no room for chaff in the Kingdom of Heaven/God, the Church, "the Household of Faith," only, "His wheat."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for both the, "burning," and the, "gathering." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
