December 26th, 2023 Issue

Submitting To The Refiner's Fire

Submitting To The Refiner’s Fire

In our last lesson, we looked at the sanctification process that the Apostle Peter gave in his second epistle. In this lesson, we are going to consider another illustration of the same truth, from his first epistle. Same lesson, two different ways to consider the same truth.

So What Is More Precious To God, Than Gold Is To Man?

1Pe 1:3-7  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

The scriptures teach us, that the trial of your faith is more precious to God, than gold is to man. Why is it that God values trials of your faith so highly? Because trials of your faith, are the sanctification process by which we are conformed to the image of Christ.

Remember in our last lesson, it was obedience to what God was asking of us, that allowed Him to be manifest through us. But God isn’t putting us through trials in some arbitrary way. He is very methodical and precise, as you will see from this illustration.

For gold to be made truly pure, it is a long trying process, that takes a Master in order to achieve it. The raw nugget, with all its impurities, must be carefully heated up to a precise temperature. If that temperature is exceeded initially, then there are forms of dross that will mix, and not be able to be removed. As the nugget becomes molten, it is held at a certain temperature, and the first form of dross comes to the surface. The goldsmith takes a special tool, and removes this first kind of dross. Once the first dross has been extracted, the heat is now increased to allow the next form of dross to come to the surface. This incremental increase in temperature, continues until all the forms of dross are removed, and the goldsmith can look into the crucible and see a reflection of Himself. Then He knows He has pure gold.

This beautifully illustrates the Loving care with which God seeks to purify His children. He promises to never give us more than we can handle. But He also promises, that eventually He will see Himself in us. Therefore He is ready and willing to do His part. The question is, are you willing to enter the crucible? It is your choice. Many initially want to walk with the Lord, but when he begins to turn the heat up, they decide to jump out.

Let’s get very practical for a moment. Are there certain people that you know, that if they are around, certain emotions come bubbling to the surface. Fear, bitterness, jealousy, hatred. Each of these emotions are not Christlike. They are the opposite of the character or virtue that we talked about in our last lesson. It is necessary for the Lord to place you in certain fiery circumstances, so these emotions will bubble to the surface. God knows what is hidden in your heart. He loves you, and wants to see those things taken care of, so that you can be made whole. Remember He will not give you more than you can handle, but your conformity into His image will be stalled, if you avoid dealing with the form of dross that is the necessary next step.

I feel like the Lord wants me to say something about abusive situations. You can walk in full forgiveness, and have the wisdom to avoid certain situations. Realizing that it would be best for everyone involved to avoid contact. The most important thing here is being honest with what is truly happening in your heart. If you are reciting a record of wrongs to other people about the one you are avoiding, that will not be good for anyone involved. You can avoid an abusive situation, but have the humility and love from the Lord, to pray for the individual and seek their best. The line from a song comes to my mind “you can talk about me anytime you want, but please do it on your knees”. Forgiving someone does not always necessitate you having contact with them. But if you have forgiven, God wants to give you a love for them that will seek their best through prayer. You certainly will not gossip or belittle them to other people. The golden rule would be well applied in this situation. If the situation was reversed, how would you hope they would handle the situation toward you.

God is orchestrating these fiery trials so you will find victory. Therefore you can be assured ahead of time, of His Grace (enabling power) to overcome. Not only overcome, but to be an example of Christlikeness. What did Jesus say?

John 13:34-35  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

How did Christ love and forgive us? After we had earned it, or were deserving of it? No, in fact after He had willingly laid down on the cross, He prayed and forgave those that were in the process of nailing Him there. Forgiveness, that is full of love, is preemptive. Stephan as he was being stoned, followed His same example, and ask God to forgive those that were killing him. Satan wants to convince us that we cannot fully forgive, until the other person comes to some kind of proper realization. Unforgiveness only really brings us into bondage. We think somehow we are affecting the other person, when in reality it is us that is being destroyed.

Mat 6:14-15  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

These are very sobering verses given by our Lord. But they are the key to being fully set free from one of the most common bondages, that of unforgiveness. It has been estimated that 90% of people, could be let out of mental institutions, if they would forgive.

I will never forget pulling up to the corner of Haslett Rd. and Okemos Rd., by the old fire station, and just being in bitterness and turmoil in my heart as a teenager, because of how some of the children had treated me when I was in school. As I waited for that light to turn green, the Lord told me I needed to forgive them. I shot back yes, BUT! You see the BUT, is the place of bondage. He told me that the only way I would find healing, is if I could forgive them, the way God had forgiven me. How did He forgive me? Keeping absolutely no record of wrongs.

Heb 10:16-17  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

When God forgives, it is total and complete. He promises to remember no more. What an incredible Love He shows to us. We are totally unworthy of this kind of Love. Guess what, that’s the kind of Love that Christ will give you for your enemies if you will believe Him, and trust Him.

As I waited for the light to turn green I surrendered it to the Lord and ask Him to help me love them the way he had loved me. Then a miracle occurred. The traffic light turned green, and I proceeded forward just weeping and thanking the Lord for His Grace. By the time I had made it through that intersection I was totally free. More importantly, the ones that had offended me were free. This was over thirty years ago, that this took place, and to this day I can not drum up a bad feeling against those that had hurt me so badly.

Oh the peoples lives that I have watched be shipwrecked, because they never learn to forgive, the way God forgives. They don’t realize that they are the ones that are hurting and destroying their own lives. Some people feel they have to be able to keep a “record of wrongs” in order to justify decisions they have made or would like to make. Decisions that would seem extreme unless they have a list of grievances that they can share if need be. Regardless of whether the offender has acknowledged their wrong and repented, you still need to be set free yourself. In fact being set free allows you to be filled with God’s love for them, and allows you to be able to pray for them as well. Read that again and let it soak in.

I want you to consider an example from the scriptures.

Act 8:1-3  And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2  And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3  As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Act 9:1-6  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2  And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3  And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Now I want you to try to put yourself in this situation for a moment. Saul, whom the Lord made the Apostle Paul, was dragging husbands and wives from homes and putting them in prison. Think of the anguish of the children that were involved. He was one of those that had Stephen killed. Let’s remember that Stephen had family members that had to deal with this, that had loved him. Now all of the sudden Saul is confronted by the Lord and is offered not only forgiveness and salvation, but goes on to be used mightily in the Church. Even used as a vessel to write major portions of the Bible under inspiration of God’s Spirit.

One day people are fleeing for their lives, and their loved ones are being killed. Then very shortly this same man is fully forgiven by the Lord, and ministering Life to the church. Do you think it was difficult for some people to just forgive and forget what Paul had done? But that is exactly what the Church did, fully forgave him and went on to be touched by his ministry IN Christ. This is the kind of thing the Children of the Highest do. Remember He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. Luke 6:35

When we share the gospel with people, we do them a great disservice, if all we do is try to get them to pray a prayer. Making true disciples (disciplined followers) of the Lord Jesus Christ, takes much more that praying the sinners prayer. They are embarking on a journey, that intends to bring death to their flesh and personal “good” works, and daily, slowly, by taking up ones cross as Jesus demands of those that follow Him, are conformed to being an expression to the world of Jesus.

It is this realization of an increasing heat, that catches many off guard. The Goldsmith cannot allow everything too cool, or the process will not turn out right. At times it seems like things have settled down, but in reality we often have just grown use to that level of heat in our lives. Or are encouraged by the blessing of seeing a victory over sin that was easily besetting us. Are you in it for the long haul?

You need to catch what I’m about to share with you, because it is very important. This process is something personal, and relational with God. The KEY to advancing forward is to deal with what God has put His finger on in your life. Our tendency is to avoid pain and difficulties. Other people, and even yourself, are not the ones that get to choose what is next. God is the only one that understands the right progression.

The reason it is important to allow God to methodically guide this process, is that there are times when if we deal with what God has put His finger on, and the dross is removed, we will find several sins drop by the wayside. God tends to deal with the root of the problem. When we see several victories come simultaneously, that is a good indication the root cause has been removed.

If you live to be 100 years old, there will still be things that God can still work on. Are you glad the day you were born again, God didn’t come to you, with a dump truck full of all your problems, and say “here deal with this, then come see me”? No, He loves us, and if we are faithful to deal with what He wants to do in our lives, He will continue to use us, and refine us, even if it takes 100 years. God bless everyone’s day!