The Fire 

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12: 25 to 29) 

When we mention the fire of God, we often think about Sodom and Gomorrah as the Bible described below. 

The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. (Genesis 19: 23 to 25) 

It's a destruction even though that only happened once. However, ever since we would connect God's discipline with the fire as the Bible described below. 

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts. (Proverbs 17: 3) 

The Bible even specifically described that God would send a messenger to purify and refine His people as described below. 

Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. (Malachi 3: 1 to 4) 

The messenger is Christ since he is the messenger of the covenant. So, we don't need to search far. If we listen to Christ, then we are listening to God. If we submit ourselves to Christ, then we are submitting to God. If we are listening and obeying Christ, then we will be accepted by God to avoid His consuming fire. The question is how do we seek for Christ and listen to him? In the Bible, Christ describes himself as a good shepherd as below. 

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. (John 10: 14 to 17) 

As described, we are the other sheep. We don't need to seek for him; he will look for us and bring us to him. That's how good and loving Christ is as a shepherd to us. The Bible also describes that Jews listened to him but didn't believe as below. 

So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. (John 10: 24 to 31) 

The difference depends on what we want from the word of Christ as the Bible describes below. 

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (First Corinthians 1: 18) 

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (First Corinthians 1: 21 to 24) 

If we are seeking for the true wisdom of the word, then it is in Christ and his cross. If we have this mind, then not only that we can avoid God's fearful consuming fire and be saved but also inherit Eternal Life and prevail in Christ because God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name. Emmanuel. 

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