Do you ever feel pride in anything? Then you are a drunkard, we find in Isaiah 28:1-3 that the "crown of pride" is the drink which causes drunkards. Isaiah 51:21 shows that one can be drunken on something besides wine. I wonder about the false teachers I hear today talking about being "drunk" in the spirit, as if it's a good thing.
Do you hate someone, anyone? the Viet Cong? the Japanese? the Germans? the Whites? the Blacks? Then you are a murderer according to 1st John 3:15
Do you ever fear going under a ladder, or a black cat crossing your path? Numbers of any kind, like 666 or 13? Do you ever consult an astrologer? Then you are a prostitute and a whore Exo. 34:15 and 16, Lev. 17:7, Deu. 31:16, Judges 2:17, for you have sold yourself, your birth-right for a bowl of pottage. God has concluded all in unbelief (believing an untruth), that He might have mercy on all (Romans 11:32)
You see, everyone will be judged by the same rules that God has put forth, and hopefully He will save everyone by cleansing them of all these things. However, it will take a great battle and a great earthquake. God fights your battle, but God is not in the earthquake. All that can be shaken will be shaken and only that which cannot be shaken will remain.
Let us take a close look at the fire of Hell. First and foremost, all things of God are freely given. They cannot be borrowed, stolen, bought or sold. Second, any thing borrowed from Satan must be paid back, and in this case, pay-back is hell.
Let us take a close look at the third chapter of 1st Corinthians. and stop ignoring what is said there. We find in the eleventh verse that there is only one foundation, and no other foundation can be laid besides that one, and that foundation is no other than Christ (the anointed one), the Word of God.
We have all built on this foundation within us, but which building materials did we use? There are Gold, Silver and precious stones, and then there are wood, hay and stubble.
Hopefully, there are some who have used the more precious things. Now if this all lays within, and it does, then these are symbols. One cannot build on Christ with material things so the gold is not material. Spiritual gold is charity, or out-flowing love. Spiritual silver is faith, and the spiritual precious stones is hope, or our expectations.
The spiritual wood, hay, and stubble is greed, pride, and envy, not necessarily in that order. However, this is not as cut and dried as it seems, for while one used spiritual gold it is apt to be mixed with wood or hay or stubble, or all three. Same with those who use silver, and mix it with wood, hay, or stubble. Remember, we are talking of building on Christ, and this is not a "Three Little Pigs" story.
Christ, the word of the Lord, is in each one of us, for according to John 1:9, He is the true light that lights every man that comes into the world. Each one of us has built our life on that foundation of Christ. Verse 13; Every mans work will be made manifest, or revealed, or made plain and clear, or will be made known. The day will declare it. Which day? The day of the Lord. How will it be revealed? By fire. This is the fire of Gods jealousy which burns even to the lowest hell (Deut. 32:21-22). Notice verse 13"...and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is".
Verse 14. If any mans work abide which he hath built thereon, he shall receive a reward. The only way ones work can abide the fire is if they have built on the foundation of Christ with faith, hope and charity. Just as wood, hay or stubble cannot abide any fire, just so pride, greed and envy cannot abide the fire of Gods jealousy.
Just as the fear of God should never have been taught by the precepts of men, neither is Gods jealousy to be compared to mans jealousy. He commanded us to love one another, and is jealous of anything that stands in the way of one persons love for another. Now, verse 15, If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer (allow) loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. To put it differently, he shall be purged by the fire.
The entire book of Zephaniah should be read in the light of everything being applied within, but I need only touch upon a few parts of the third chapter for our purpose here. Zeph. 3:8 says that all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of God jealousy, and then according to the ninth verse, God will turn to the people a pure language, that they may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent (No denominational divisions). Notice especially verses 11 through 13. Separate this into different people and it will not make sense, much less stand to reason.
The only way this can reasonably be applied is within each person. In that day we will not be ashamed of transgressing against Him, for He will remove from the midst of each one of us that part which rejoiced in our pride, and we will no more be full of pride because of our spirituality.
All that will be left of each one of us is an afflicted and poor person who can actually trust in the name of the Lord. That which is left of each person will never again do unequalness, nor speak lies, neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth.
John the Baptist said in Matt 3:11 and in Luke 3:16 that the one coming after him would baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. If you think they are one and the same, not so. Jesus sent the Holy Ghost to baptize everyone. It yet remains for all of us to be purged by the baptism of fire.