Week 88: What Manner of Spirit?

There are a few accounts in the Old Testament where the fire judgement of God were mentioned. For example, the story of literal fire judgement that fell upon the enemies of the prophet Elijah told in 2 Kings 1:1-15. Another account would be Sodom and Gomorrah as in Gen 19:24-25.

But it is important to know that God today wants us to rightly divide His Word. He wants us to be astute in rightly dividing and separating what belongs to the old covenant of law and what belongs to new covenant of grace.

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 


He wants us to distinguish the difference of what the cross has accomplished. What occurred after the cross is different and far more superior than what occurred before the cross. Amen!

However, many believers are not living in the full blessings of what the cross has accomplished. They are still living as if the cross did not make any difference!

Let's recall the story of Jesus who wanted to enter a certain village in Samaria, but the people in the village refused to receive Him. When His disciples saw that the people rejected Jesus, they said,"Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"

The disciples were citing the account of what Elijah did in the Old Testament. The disciples knew their bible and probably thought that Jesus might be impressed by their knowledge and application of God's Word.

Now, how did Jesus respond? Did He say,"That's a great idea!" Absolutely not! On the contrary, Jesus rebuked them firmly, saying,"You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."

A Samaritan Village Rejects the Savior

Luke 9

51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 
52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 
53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 
54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”


55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 
56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”

The Spirit of Jesus in the new covenant of grace is not the spirit of the old covenant of law during Elijah's time. Calling fire down from heaven is definitely not part of the new covenant. Jesus wants us to have full assurance that He did not come to condemn or destroy us, but to save us (John 3:17)! Amen! 

He wants us to live a life marked by His love, power and blessings. Where there are broken relationships, they are mended. Where there are bondages, they are broken. And where there are challenges, we will emerge with victory! He came so that we may have life and that we may have it more abundantly! Amen! 

Thank you, Jesus.