God Is Love and God Is Fire
"God is Love" and "God is Fire."—In a recent sermon preached by Canon Brock in Halifax, N. S., on the parable of Dives and Lazarus, he is reported as saying:— "God is love" and "God is fire," and therefore fire is love. Hence we learn that the fire in which Dives was tormented was fire of divine love, which must burn up all the chaff, all that was selfish and self-centered in that rich man who had lived for himself alone, without thought or care for the brother, the Lazarus at his gate. The parable proves that this fire is remedial in its action. Now there is a truth, but a perverted truth here. "God is love," and "Our God is a consuming fire," to consume sin. And both love and fire are remedial. But as to whom God's presence shall be remedial depends on the person. If man identifies himself with the chaff, he will perish with it, as did Ananias and Sapphira, and Nadab and Abihu. And yet the fire of God's presence, which consumes sin and all identified with sin, will be the remedy which shall sweep all of sin from the universe, and leave it clean once more. Whether we shall be cleansed, or cleansed away, depends on our attitude to sin.