Food For Teens: The Fire Extinguisher Story

There was once this great city that went on fire, the fire started small but later became so great that it was consuming the whole city and no one could stop it. Houses and lives were being consumed and no one and no house or property was spared. It became so serious that the king sent his son to that city to help diffuse the already terrible situation. When the son got to that city, he came with a unique fire extinguisher, not like anything the residents of the city had ever seen, with this highly superior fire extinguisher, he was able to teach everyone in the city how to put out the fire in their homes and made sure that this fire extinguisher was available to all who would need it. Soon after he has done this, he left the city having provided the best and only solution to the fire outbreak. 

Majority of the people quickly requested for this new fire extinguisher to quench the fire and below are the different outcomes. 

1. The first category of people used this fire extinguisher just as they had seen the king’s son use it and they succeeded in putting out the fire in their homes and saving their entire household. 

2. The second category of people didn’t believe that the fire extinguisher provided by the king’s son could quench the fire, so they refused to go for it, and they were consumed by the fire. 

3. The third category of people requested for the fire extinguisher and when they received it, they refused to use it but continued using their old fire extinguisher and they and their household could not stop the fire and were consumed by the fire. 

4. The final category of people requested for the fire extinguisher and when they received it, kept it without using it because they were of the opinion that once they get the fire extinguisher even without using it the fire would stop but guess what, these people were also consumed by the fire. 

TRANSLATION 

Do you know that this illustration paints a clear and vivid picture of what Christ came to do for the earth? 

The City and The fire: The city represented the whole earth and the fire represents sin ravaging mankind and leading to the death of everyone who lived in it. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.” Every one of us was born in sin, therefore we were already been consumed by sin. (Romans 3:23). 

The King and His Son: God sent His son Jesus to give man a way out of that destruction that was supposed to be his portion – John 3:16, “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” So by reason of the king sending His son, there was hope for everyone in the city. 

The Unique Fire Extinguisher: This is the unique life of Jesus that was given to us when we received Him. This life has the ability to live above sin. It is those who have this life in them that the scripture referred to as those who “sin shall have no dominion over” (Romans 6:14a). They are those who have the ability to always quench out the fire of sin from reigning in their members. 1st John 3:9, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." 

The Different Categories of Response to The King’s Son 

1. Category one: These are the believers who genuinely receive Jesus as their Lord and saviour and earnestly take advantage of all that Jesus Christ sacrificed to give them, these are they who truly live the victorious life, the fire of sin, failure, sickness and death has been put away in their lives and therefore walk in liberty. They have escaped the corruptions (fire) that is in the world through lust. (2nd Peter 1:4). 

2. Category two: These are those who blatantly refused to accept Jesus and all He died, rose and ascended to give all who believes in Him. These are they who have been condemned already. John 3:18, “he that believeth not is condemned already.” These once would be subject to the destruction of sin here on earth and in the life hereafter. 

3. Category Three: These are they who claim to have received the ability that is in the life of God to overcome sin and all its forms but still go ahead trying to please God and live the righteous life and their abilities in the flesh, therefore frustrating the grace of God upon their lives. Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes by law, then Christ died in vain. These people are also consumed by the fire." 

4. The fourth and final category of people are those who claim to have received righteousness by faith in Christ Jesus but refused to allow God work in them so that they can work out their salvation with fear and trembling but instead go about their normal lives as though Jesus is not first Lord over them before He is their saviour, Therefore these category of people who do not do the word but claim to know Jesus deceive themselves – James 1:22, and they too are consumed by the fire while they allow that unique fire extinguisher lay waste under their beds. 

Brethren honestly determine your category you know. You know the category you belong to and make up your mind to join the right category and enjoy the glorious life of victory and peace. 

God bless you, see you next year.