Refiner’s Fire
Since I still cannot write with my right hand, I present my next guest blogger, my wife, Donna Thompson. She is an excellent teacher and I am sure you will be challenged through God's Word thank all of my family who has helped me during my recovery time.
At the time God created man in the Garden of Eden, He said, "Let us create man in Our own image." The 'Us' and 'Our' refers to the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. From the time Adam and Eve chose their own will over obeying the command of God, man was born in sin, with a sin nature (a nature that opposes the will of God). God's heart's desire however, remains the same, that we reflect His image and nature.
We read in Ephesians 1:4 that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame.
Most of us understand that we are saved (able to be reconciled to Him) by grace through faith. It is a free gift from God. It was in the giving of His Son, as the perfect sacrifice, for the forgiveness of our sin that salvation became a possibility and reality for us.
Realize that our receiving salvation was only the beginning of our journey with God! God's command is that we are holy as He is holy. It is not a suggestion.
How is it possible that we are changed from living in our sin nature into being holy and reflecting the nature of God? When we accept Christ as our Savior, God's plan included sending the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us to help us. Even with the Holy Spirit in us, we still have to deal with our sin nature. Sometimes, we still choose our own will over God's!
A number of years ago I heard the story called "The Refiner's Fire." A woman who, after reading Malachi 3:3, visited a silversmith to understand the refining process. She was told that in refining silver, the metal had to be held in the middle of the fire by the refiner, where the flames were hottest to burn away all the impurities. After the dross rose to the top and was cleared away, the procedure continued, to take out more of the impurities. The silversmith told her that he never looked away from the precious metal. The woman then asked when the silver was fully refined. The silversmith replied, "Oh, that's easy, when I see my image in it."
We gain understanding of Malachi 3 verses 2 and 3 by knowing the workings of the refiner's fire. The refiner, through the application of fire (heat), removes the dross or impurities from the precious metal.
Let's look at Malachi 3:2 and 3 (NKJV), "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 launderers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness." Note in verse 3 that the Lord sits as a refiner and will purify the Levites so that they would be righteous as they made their offerings to the Lord.
Part of God's role in our lives is to refine us so that we will reflect His image to the world.
Refiner's fire does not destroy.
Refiner's fire does not consume.
Refiner's fire causes the object in the flames to become more valuable.
Refiner's fire makes our hearts pure.
Many years ago, when I was single, I was a part of a great young adult group in my church. After we had been together for some time and growing spiritually, we as brothers and sisters in the Lord could be honest with each other and had the freedom to say to each other, "It's time for a 'heart attitude check'." We occasionally had to examine our attitudes, actions, thoughts, and behavior to see if we were in alignment with the will and commands of the Lord.
I would ask you right now to be willing to do a 'heart attitude check' as we consider the "dross" (the broken sinful ways, attitudes and actions we still exhibit in our lives which do not please the Lord). You see, we will need to stand before Him one day, pure and righteous.
"Heart attitude check" for dross (in every area of our life):
Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, dirty language and telling lies (Colossians 3:5,8 and 9) NLT
Committing adultry, murder, stealing, coveting, participation in the darkness of wild parties, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, immoral living, quarreling, and jealousy. (Romans 13:9 and 13) NLT
Malice, deceit, hyprocrisy and all evil speaking, and envy. (1 Peter 2:1) NKJV
It is easy to have dross present in your life, without being mindful of it. The list I have shared is partial, so it is important that we ask the Spirit of God to show us the things He wants to remove from our lives.
As we look at the following scriptures, keep in mind the image of the Lord sitting as a refiner, purifying the sons of Levi.
Proverbs 17:3 (NLT), "Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart." The Hebrew word for "tests" is bahan, which means to search out, to examine, to try, to prove (especially by sending calamities upon them).
1 Peter 1:6 and 7 (NLT), "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
Early in our marriage, Eric felt the Lord was leading him to apply for an associate pastor's position at a church. Even though the Pastor encouraged Eric to apply, some of the board members did not want an associate pastor because of a difficult situation which occurred previously. There was a great deal of active opposition and the situation ended with us being humiliated in front of 600 people. It was a very difficult and painful experience. We took time away for a week and sought the Lord in prayer. We both felt we were to return to that church the following Sunday, which we did. Eric asked the Lord why He had him apply when God knew in advance the result. The Lord very strongly replied that He needed to know what our response would be in that situation. Would we get angry, spiteful, reject them, or respond with the Lord's love and forgiveness? You see, it was a 'test'. He needed to know that we were going to be trustworthy when facing difficult trials.
Job 23: 9 and10 (NLT), "I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. 10 "But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold."
Psalm 66:10 -12 (NASB20), "For You have put us to the test (try the heart), God; You have refined us as silver is refined. 11 You brought us into the net (net of judgment); You laid an oppressive burden upon us. 12 You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water. Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance (place of relief)."
Take note of what King David spoke to the Lord in Psalm 26:2 and 3 (NASB20), "Examine me, LORD, and put me to the test; Refine my mind and my heart. 3 For Your goodness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth." David asked the Lord to put him to the test and to refine both his mind and heart, He realized the Lord's testing and trying would lead him to walk in truth.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NKJV), "But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts." Does God find you trustworthy in your obedience in living a holy life?
There are no shortcuts in this purification process.
I want to address a misconception I see which has been accepted as truth by many in the Christian faith and church. That lie is that every trial, hardship, difficulty, or painful circumstance we face is from the devil. We do have an enemy who steals, kills and destroys. However, we also have a good God who sits in the refiner's seat who tests us and purges us from sin. He refines our hearts!
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (NASB20), "Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one's work. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire." If we do not deal with the dross in our lives now, there will still come a day when it will be costly, it will cause us to suffer loss.
I trust these last verses I will be sharing with you today will encourage your heart.
2 Peter 1:1, 3-9 (NLT), "This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have... 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. 10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12 Therefore, I will always remind you about these things--even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught."
Praise God, He never requires something from us that He doesn't equip or enable us to do. By His divine power and promises, we many become partakers of the divine nature!
Only in purity will we be fit for the Lord's work, now and into eternity.
We must be willing to submit to and trust Him through the refining process.
When I think of the refiner's fire and God being the refiner, with the end result being that He and others will see a clear reflection of Him in me, it brings a beautiful image to my mind!
Going through the fire is not fun, it hurts, getting the dross or junk out is not easy, however, it is so worth it!
The comforting knowledge is that He is present at all times, walking us through every part of the process. Through every second of pain, heartache, struggle, or difficulty, He is there. He will give His peace which surpasses all understanding.
Can you imagine those in the world seeing a perfect reflection of the love of God when they look at you ? Wow!
God refines us for a purpose. He does not want us to suffer loss. He wants to make us more righteous. He cares about the state of our hearts. He refines us so that our faith may be complete. He refines us because He loves us!
(NLT) New Living Translation
(NKJV) New King James Version
(NASB20) New American Standard Bible 2020