1 Kings 18:21-24
"21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.”"
The all-important part of this famous and thrilling story is not the contest itself on the mount, but the words which Elijah spoke to the people prior to it, and we concentrate on these today. Two statements in particular did he make to them, elemental in their stark simplicity, and summing up all that is of final importance in spiritual life, 'If the Lord be God, follow Him' (21); and 'The God that answereth by fire, let Him be God' (24). We are reminded of the statement made by C. T. Studd, the famous pioneer missionary, 'If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice is too great for me to make for Him', and this well expresses Elijah's sentiment here. For him, the Lordship of Jehovah was absolute, and it demanded absolute obedience and submission from those who named His Name. It is very difficult to resist the logic of this position; to give Him half-hearted allegiance is as illogical as it is unac- ceptable, and no-one can reasonably halt between two opinions in the matter. It is not even as if He could not substantiate His claims, for He is the God that answers by fire. 'Look what the fire of God can do,' says the Bible, 'it scorches and burns out sin from men's hearts and brings the warmth of grace into cold, shrunken lives, transforming them into newness and radiance and beauty.' Should such a faith offend? Verily, let Him be God.