Free to Make Progress

I was stunned and amazed to no end when I read the 19-page letter a man wrote me. He not only blamed me for all the mess he had made of his life, but he also pronounced severe judgment and terrible curses on me from God and the devil.

Never in my life had I received anything so full of poisonous hatred. The most incredible thing was that I had never met the man in my life. I had no clue of the situation to which he referred.

Since he had the audacity to make me responsible for all his tragedies and setbacks, I sat down to write him a fitting defense to his wild accusations. But just as I finished, I asked myself, "What am I doing? I tore up my letter and threw it away."

Then I took an aerogram and wrote him a one-sentence reply: "My dear brother, no one on earth can destroy you, not even God; only you can destroy yourself."

You see, the man's real problem was that he never searched his own heart for the root cause of his crisis. Instead, he believed that if I straightened up, his problem would go away and he would be happy and successful in his endeavors.

Whose fault is it when our progress is stalling?

This man is certainly not alone in thinking he can blame people around him for his lack of success, peace, comfort, happiness or spirituality. That's why a husband looks for his wife to change and a wife wants her husband to shape up.

Wanting to feel good and grow spiritually by changing everybody else becomes a vicious cycle. We are convinced that our progress depends on their compliance. We seldom stop and honestly look at ourselves.

It is true that others can be a source of trials, disappointment and challenge, but we cannot blame them for our own lack of spiritual vitality. That's a matter of our hearts, and not of outward circumstances.

In fact, throughout Christian history those believers who went through immense trials, horrendous persecution and martyrdom were the very ones who carried the Christian faith forward. They gained their spiritual strength and endurance in the midst of adversity, and their faith was refined as gold through fire. In order to grow spiritually and become faithful until death, they did not depend on people around them to change. Even in chains, they were free to make progress in pursuing God.

The truth is, no one person can hinder our spiritual growth or destroy us if we walk with the Lord and put our faith in Him. He will be our shield and defender just as He promised. Even God cannot destroy us, if we have trusted in Jesus as our Savior and our hearts are completely His. He will eternally abide by His own Word that says "...whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Ultimately, I am the only one who can destroy me. By my own choice to reject Jesus as my Savior, I can send myself to hell. As a follower of Christ, if I violate God's principles, I will bring destruction upon my marriage, my home, my work and myself. And if I don't walk by faith according to the Scripture, I can prevent God from fulfilling His promises toward me.

How do we detect the real hindrance and remove it?

Because he saw the real hindrance to their spiritual growth, the apostle Paul advised the self-centered Corinthian Christians to examine and judge themselves. Instead of blaming others, we too ought first to search our own hearts when we make no progress in our Christian walk or are surrounded by destruction.

You see, our hearts often appear so innocent to us that we don't suspect our troubles could be self-inflicted. The Bible, on the other hand, assesses the nature of our hearts as shockingly criminal: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind ..." (Jeremiah 17:9-10).

This verse leaves no doubt that our own heart investigation is unreliable. Only the Lord can tell us the truth and help us to see ourselves as we are. That's why each of us needs to follow David's example —coming in humility to the Lord, asking Him to perform the examination: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).

God was always faithful to point out a sin or a wrong attitude in David's heart that compromised his relationship with God and hindered his spiritual progress. David always responded by humbling himself, repenting and accepting God's correction.

It is the grace of God when He opens our eyes and shows us our true condition. And if we respond as David did, the hindrance that held us back will be gone, and we will be set free to make progress on our spiritual journey.

Dr K.P. Yohannan

Does Jesus Know You?

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? ’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

This life here and now on planet Earth is only a small fragment of reality. I once encountered a fellow who tried to shut this blog down with his hateful attack on me and everyone who commented here. One of his attacks was that we are paying way too much attention to eternity. In his “theology” we needed to forget all about that and treat it as a myth because this life is what its all about. Even though most professing Christians would not agree with that statement they actually appear to live out their life here and now as if what that fellow said was true. For instance, some “church services” appear to be little more than rock concerts these days in an attempt to make a select group of people happy and keep them coming back each Sunday.

One of the best tests of the veracity of how we live this life here and now is how it will appear in the moment of death, in the morning of resurrection, and at the day of judgment. That is the true reality my brethren. That is why we must not become so tied down to this life and the things that most people cling to in order to have “significance.” In Matthew 7 our Lord gives us a picture of certain persons as they will appear “in that day.” What is seen as “valuable” or “desirable” should be viewed within the light of “that day.” I am positive that if we will do that it will change a great deal of how we live now.

For instance, I have been in some form of Information Technology since 1973. I probably have forgotten more about computers than the majority of people know. There are times that I find myself “lusting” after the latest and greatest monitors or computers or printers. What I have now works just fine so I don’t “need” those things, but they are way cool! I can discover myself lusting after these things as if I just have to have them. However, I have begun to analyze what I am pursuing like this in light of eternity. When I do that I quickly realize how foolish it is to be so wrapped up in “stuff.” Then those “desires” just melt away. This works for money, sports cars cameras, and nice new houses too.

Riches, honors, pleasures, successes, self-congratulations, et cetera should all be set in the light of “that day.” This test should especially be applied to all religious professions and exercises. Why? It will happen in “that day” that all of these things will  be tried by fire. Now let us look at our Lord’s exposition of what will happen on “that day.” He uses the example of certain professing Christians who went a long way in their religion.

Read the passage I placed at the top of this post (Matthew 7:21-23) if you haven’t already then come back here. In that passage we see that these folks made an open profession of faith. They called Jesus, “Lord, Lord!” Most Christians I know would look upon people who professed Christ like that as brothers and sisters in the Lord. These folks also undertook Christian service at the highest level. They habitually prophesied and worked miracles. They obtained remarkable success in that they appeared to be casting out demons. They had high energy as well as they had done many wonders. These folks were not just pew sitters. Their ministries actually astonished most people. They were diligently orthodox in that they did everything in the name of Christ. These folks sound like Christian leaders who had it all together.

They kept it up for a long time and were not silenced by men. However, as we read in this passage, the were not genuine, but no one discovered their falsehood, or detected their inconsistencies. They were not openly disowned by the Lord Himself during life. They were not made a laughing stock by being left to use the Holy Name without result like the Jewish itinerant exorcists Luke wrote about in Acts 19:13-17. Demons were actually cast out. Because of all of this, these folks expected to enter the Kingdom. They clung to that false hope right unto “that day” then they dared to say, “Lord, Lord,” to Christ Himself.

However, these folks were fatally mistaken. They spoke like Christians and claimed many good works, but what they spoke was belied by what they actually did. Even though they said, “Lord, Lord,” they were not doing the will of the Father. They used His name, which is used by genuine disciples in their walks and works, but they did not possess the nature of obedient servants.

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? (Luke 6:46 ESV)

They prophesied, but did not pray. They cast our demons, but Satan was not cast out of them. They surrounded themselves with marvels, but no essentials. They produced wonders, but were also workers of iniquity. Who does this sound like in our day my brethren?

However, these folks found out the truth in a terrible way. They obviously had some knowledge of our Lord and professed that He was theirs, however, please take careful notice of these truths. Our Lord solemnly stated, “I never knew you.” They claimed to know Him, but that is not the standard by which men are saved. No, the saved, the genuine Christians, are known by the Lord. He had been omitted from their religion.

Notice that what our Lord said to them must have created terror beyond our understanding. He told them that they must depart from all hope, and continue forever in that departure. Our Lord always speaks the truth my brethren. What He said to these folks is the truth, but it is an awful truth. They were utter strangers to His heart. He had not chosen them, nor communed with them, nor approved them, nor cared for them. Our Lord’s command, “depart form me,” would never be recalled, altered, or ended. No, it will stand for eternity.

Now my brethren, what about you and I? Can the Lord say to some of us that He does not know us? He has often heard our voices and answered our prayers, right? He has known us in repentance as we sought mercy and received it. He has known us in gratitude as we blessed His gracious name. He has known us in adversity as we sought His aid and thrived through the fire as He came along side. He has known us in reproach as we became targets for those who despise Him. He has known us in difficulty as we sought His help and safety under His wing. He has known us in love as we have enjoyed happy fellowship with Him. In these things and in innumerable others, He knows us.

Does Jesus know you? Your church may know you. The place of your employment may know you. The world knows you, but does Jesus know you?

Note our Lord’s open confession before men and angels, and specially to the men themselves: “I never knew you.” I knew about you; I knew that you professed great things; but you had no acquaintance with me; and whatever you knew about me, you did not know me. I was not of your company, and did not know you. Had he once known them, he would not have forgotten them.

Those who accept his invitation, “Come unto me,” shall never hear him say, “Depart from me.” Workers of iniquity may now come to the Savior for mercy; but if they set up a hope of their own, and ignore the Savior, he will bid them depart to endure the rigors of his justice. Is it not striking that preachers, casters-out of devils, and doers of wonders, may yet be workers of iniquity? They may work miracles in Christ’s name, and yet have neither part nor lot in him. – Charles Spurgeon

Come unto Him all ye who are being called by Him and find eternal life in Him. Then He will know you.

By Mike Ratliff Soli Deo Gloria

Acknowledging Christ Before Men and Blasphemy of The Holy Spirit

But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, "He's possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That's where he gets the power to cast out demons."              Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. "How can Satan cast out Satan?" he asked.                                                                                                                         "A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive.Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger--someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house."I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven,but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences."He told them this because they were saying, "He's possessed by an evil spirit."Mark 3:22-30

Several years ago, about the time that Rob Bell’s book Love Winscame out, I got into a comment and email exchange with a fellow who insisted that God will not condemn anyone to an eternity in hell. He said that it is only a temporary place that will be emptied when all things are reconciled to God in eternity. It did no good to use clear scripture references to show him that he was ignoring a great deal God’s truth even though I tried. One thing that struck me was his stance that Romans 5 was blasphemous in reference to the doctrine of Original Sin and condemnation for all men by it, but there is justification and life for ‘the many’ (Romans 5:12-17). Was this a case of ‘blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?’

"Dear friends, don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he's the one to fear.

"What is the price of five sparrows--two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.Luke 12:7

The Greek word Luke used here which is translated as ‘hell’ is γέεννα orgéenna. This is the place or state of the lost and condemned (Matthew 5:29,30; Matthew 10:28; James 3:6). What is our Lord exhorting us to do here?                                                                                 He is telling us to not fear those who attack our doctrine and us. The word ‘fear’ in this passage is the Greek word φοβέω orphobeō. In classical Greek, this word is used to describe actions that cause others to run away or to terrify them or frighten them. Our Lord is exhorting us to not allow anyone to terrify us into compromising our stand. Why? What can they do to us from an eternal perspective? They can hurt or injure us. They can defame us. They can ruin us financially. They can threaten us with lawsuits. However, they cannot do anything about our standing with God because our advocate is the Lord Jesus Himself. We are to fear God in obedience instead of men.

"I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God's angels.

But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God's angels. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don't worry about how to defend yourself or what to say,for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said."Luke 12:8-12

Those who accuse the brethren of being of the devil are actually "attributing their good works to the enemy. The Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees did this very thing against our Lord. They accused Him of doing miracles by the power of Satan and that He had a demon. This is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Notice that He did not say that speaking against Himself was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and that those who did that will be forgiven. However, those who commit the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Those who come to Christ and are saved often have said dishonorable things against Him in their spiritual blindness. When they ask Him for forgiveness they will receive it. A good example of this would be Peter’s rejection of Jesus in Luke 22:54:62 and his subsequent restoration found in John 21:15-19. What is it about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that is unforgivable? I have been approached by many contrite individuals in secret who are terrified that they have committed “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” They are tormented individuals who will not usually listen to me as I try to lead them through the Gospel. What’s going on here?

This blasphemy is committed when people are persistent in their un-repentance against the work of the Holy Spirit and His message concerning our Lord (Acts 7:51). Our Lord says that this sin will never be forgiven. Those who commit this sin persistently harden their hearts against God, against the work of the Holy Spirit, and against the provision of Christ as Saviour. They are outside the reach of God’s provision for forgiveness and salvation. Genuine believers need not worry whether they have committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit for that very concern is evidence of the openness to the work of the Holy Spirit. I am convinced that God’s Elect will be preserved from this sin prior to salvation. After regeneration, they become incapable of it.

Therefore, the message we should take from this is to not fear men nor fear our enemy. Why? They can do nothing to us that can take away our eternal standing with God. The Holy Spirit has sealed us in Christ. However, that does not mean that we will not incur the wrath of Satan and his seed. Our Lord tells us in this passage to not be anxious about how we should defend ourselves or what we should say. Why? The Holy Spirit will teach us in that very hour what we ought to say. Whatever that is that we are going to say will bring glory to God.

What we must never forget my brethren is that the unregenerate are spiritually blind. They may be quite intelligent, but they cannot perceive God’s truth that even a child can understand by God’s grace through the faith that is His gift to the Elect. There are so many in our time who insist that they are Christians, but they are among those who are not known by our Lord and prove it by their fruit.

15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

We are commanded to earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 1:3). However, doing so will incite the wrath of those our Lord describes above. When we recognize their bad fruit and warn the brethren about them then watch out. We must not fear them. We must stand firm and never waver from the truth. We know in whom we have believed and we know that He will keep us and hold us until we are through this life. Then we will be with Him. Our Lord also said in His Sermon on the Mount to not give what is holy to dogs or throw our pearls before pigs.

6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

In our Lord’s day, dogs lived in squalor and scavenged the streets for food. The Jews considered them unclean and, therefore, used the term to describe those outside of God’s covenant grace. Pigs were unclean according to the Mosaic Law. They were also scavenging animals like dogs. What are the Pearls and who is it that we are to avoid throwing them before? The Pearls symbolize the great value of the message of the Kingdom of heaven. We are to be merciful, forgiving, and slow to judge, however, we are to also wisely discern the true character of people and not continually proclaim the Gospel to those who adamantly reject it. Why? It is to keep us from becoming bogged down in unfruitful arguing and outright word wars with those who are never going to listen. This frees us up to move on and proclaim the Gospel to others (Matthew 10:14; Acts 13:46; Acts 18:6; Titus 3:10-11).

By Mike Ratliff Soli Deo Gloria!

To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us.3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,for we have had more than enough of contempt.4 Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease,of the contempt of the proud.(Psalms 123:1-4 ESV)

The vast majority of people on planet Earth want nothing to do with the real Jesus. Many love and hold dear “another Jesus,” but he is one made up by people who don’t know the one who is real. Also their Jesus is “different” because they do not particularly like the one who is revealed to mankind in God’s Word.

Tragically, the numbers of professing Christians are growing continually who are also following “another Jesus” who does not resemble in least the one found in Sacred Scripture. Those who hold dear the real Jesus are those who are entirely reliant upon the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Undoubtedly there are immature Christians who whose faith is not strong. 

However, there are also huge numbers of “religious”  Christians who live as if their “decision for Christ” many years ago is their fire insurance. 
Some of these are quite religious while others are simply calling themselves Christian as if it is some sort of family trait, these being “cultural Christians.” 

Those who are completely reliant upon God, whose focus is His glory in all things are those who know the real Jesus and are known by Him. These are the believers whose eyes look to the Lord their God. They look unto God because this brings them knowledge of His countenance.                                                                                                                         Christians know God by interacting with Him in prayer, Bible Study, obedience and repentance and, of course, by partaking of the means of grace.                                         They are able to do these things with Him as they look unto Him, fully trusting Him to work out the details for His glory.

However, all believers have walks with God that have ups and downs. Sometimes they are on the mount while other times they are in the valley or somewhere in between.           Sometimes, God will allow the enemy to take them down in defeat by cutting in on them in the race that God has set before them.                                                                                           When they take their eyes away from their Lord, distractions come. (Hebrews 12:1-2)    Unless they are very careful, they will fall out of the race. This fall was caused by Spiritual leakage that began in the imagination over time.                                                                 The enemy distracted them so that their eyes averted from the Master towards self.           This may or may not involve some fleshly sin.
It may be nothing more than doubt growing as to the veracity of their close walk with their Lord.
When the eyes are averted from the Lord, the voice of the enemy may sound very much like the voice of another.
That is when they hear themselves thinking that they shouldn't have expected so much from their devotion to God.
They condemn themselves for trying to attain a spiritual stature that is too high for any person to sustain.
They are right no person can do it. It can only be sustained by remaining in the race and that requires eyes to be fixed on the Lord in complete devotion and obedience in full cooperation with Him in repentance.
The one who remains in the race knows that no effort can be too high for their Lord’s sake.

Sometimes Christians can stumble in the race as the result of a crisis when they make a stand for God and Truth and know in their heart by the witness of the Spirit that all is right, but during the battle they take many fiery darts from the enemy and the cost can seem very high.
It is at times like this that they may feel bereft of any support from anyone, even if it is there. God seems to not care about them.
They feel beaten down and think that perhaps that stand was not so wise after all.
Perhaps they should have listened to the more “careful” around them who never “take risks.” They start to believe that they were being highly pretentious or presumptuous in believing that God would be with them in the battle.
It is at this time that it is crucial for the Christian who is still stinging from the battle in discouragement and doubt to recognize that something has been coming between them and God.
What is it?
That something cannot come in between Christians and God as long as they remain in the race with their eyes fully fixed on their Lord.
It is as the enemy cuts in on the runner that distractions come into the mix.

What does God do here? Those who stumble and fall out of the race are still His.             They are only wounded and confused and distracted.
God will cause ministries to halt. He will bring service to full stop.
What once flowed smoothly is now nearly impossible.
It is only as God does this that the Christian who is thrashing about in self-reliance realizes what has happened. What is the cure?
The Christian must get back in the race. How is that done?
Prayer, repentance, submission, surrender, all culminating in the Christian giving all of self to God to do with as He sees fit.
When this takes place, the eyes go back to Christ and the Christian reenters the race.

No Christian is immune from this happening to them.
In fact, the more we work with God the more of a target we become.
Never forget that God will allow our enemy to use people, even other Christians, as weapon bearers against us.
Doubt and fear are what he wants to use to defeat us and he is not beyond using those very close to us or those we deeply respect as the means to deliver those weapons.
The one in race easily overcomes doubt and fear, but the Christian who is distracted or mired in self-reliance or self-absorption or self-focus is highly vulnerable. Why?
They are in Spiritual leakage mode and the enemy, even though limited by God, can easily deliver his weapons into their hearts.

Let us devote ourselves to running the race God has set before us.
If we do this we will find that we will be working with Him instead of for Him.
We will not have doubt nor will we be fearful no matter how fearsome the enemy appears.
We will be devoted to the prayer closet and the Word of God and walking in repentance.
We will be obeying our Lord no matter how severe the battle becomes.
Those reading this who are wounded, fearful and doubtful must readjust your walk.
You must get back into the race. If you do not then you will be mired in mediocrity.
However, if you are in the race and are working with God instead of for Him be ever watchful of the one trying to cut in on you to make you stumble and fall out of the race.

The Christian music group Sons of Korah do a very good Job of interpreting the Psalms.
I find their music tremendously soothing when I have been involved in any form of spiritual warfare.
One of my favorite albums by them is called “Light of Life” and the one song on it that I play over and over at trying times is titled simply “Psalm 116″.
If you follow that link and click on “Music” you will also see a link to their first CD which was “Light of Life” and from there you can listen to “Psalm 116.”
A dear friend and fellow warrior who has been in the fire as much if not more than most of us told me about this resource and I find that listening to God’s Word like this is especially soothing to my soul and that I will soon be at peace, full of joy and worshiping our God in spirit and truth instead wasting all of my time in fear, worry, and sorrow about the way the battle is going.

Here is Psalm 116 from the ESV.

1 I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
9 I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
10 I believed, even when I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my alarm,
“All mankind are liars.”
12 What shall I render to the Lord
for all his benefits to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord! (Psalms 116:1-19 ESV)

By Mike Ratliff Soli Deo Gloria!

GOD THE REFINER

Throughout the Bible God uses many analogies to help us better understand His thoughts and desires. Today I would like to examine in a little more detail one of the analogies God uses in the Old Testament. If you would, please turn with me to Malalchi chapter 3 verse 3. Malalchi here is talking in particularly about the end time, however it still applies to what God is doing with us today.                                                 We see here that God describes Himself as a refiner and purifier of silver and gold, 

Mal 3:3 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.

These words refine, purify and purge all express the same concept of cleansing and removing of imperfections by a process, a process that we as Christians must under go if we are to become perfect like Christ. The concept of being perfect or pure is a vast topic and I won't assume to even broach it today, however I would like to look at the actual process by which silver and gold are refined and try to show some spiritual parallels that may be of assistance in our struggle to live God's way.

To give a bit of a background silver, up until 500 BC was regarded as the most valuable metal on earth, indeed. it was during Solomon's rain that gold replaced silver as the most precious metal. Gold and silver share some important properties that  explain why they were viewed so highly by the ancients and even by people today. 

Silver is the second most ductile and malleable metal next to gold making them both very easy to fashion and mold. Both have a brilliant metallic luster or shine that does not tarnish or corrode making them beautiful to look at and ideal for jewelry  The reason gold and silver do not tarnish or corrode is because they do not react with the atmosphere, even at high temperatures gold and silver still remain inert. In a minute you will see why this is so important. 

Let me now briefly explain the actual process by which silver and gold was refined in Old Testament times. The refining of gold and silver follow the same process which is in fact quite simple. The impure or natural occurring gold or silver is placed along with pieces of lead, into a crucible type vessel. It is then placed into a furnace.where the metal melts and mixes with the lead forming a molten liquid mass of metal. Air, under force is then blown onto the surface of the molten metal while still in the furnace. 

As I mentioned previously gold and silver do not react with the air whereas the lead and any impurities like tin, copper and iron do react. The lead, once it comes in contact with the blowing air reacts then circulates throughout the molten metal. This circulating reacted lead then absorbs all the other metal impurities to form a mixture called dross, which vaporizes or floats to the surface. The floating dross is then subsequently blown over the edge of the crucible by the blasting air and is consumed by the furnace.The gold or silver is then left behind in the crucible free of all impurities. 

Now that I have explained how silver is refined let us look at what it says in Jeremiah 6:27-30. Here God sends Jeremiah to test and refine the Israelites but they refuse to be purified and God subsequently rejects them, but notice what God likens the Israelites to.

Jer 6:27-30 "I have set you as an assayer and a fortress among My people, That you may know and test their way. {28} They are all stubborn rebels, walking as slanderers. They are bronze and iron, They are all corrupter s  {29} The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; The smelter refines in vain, For the wicked are not drawn off. {30} People will call them rejected silver, Because the LORD has rejected them."

So here the bronze and iron, which we know are impurities in silver are likened to the impure Israelite s  However in this particular refining process even though the air blows fiercely and the lead is consumed, the dross is still not drawn off and the wicked still remain. Again in Ezekiel 22:18 we see that God likens the Israelite s to the dross that is to be consumed instead of the pure precious silver that God desires them to be. 

Ezek 22:18 "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace they have become dross from silver. 

We know that in the silver refining process the dross is separated and burnt up, so also God does to the wicked. This is confirmed in many scriptures, there's no need to turn there but let me quickly read you a couple in Psalms.

Psa 119:119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies.

Psa 37:20 But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.

These scriptures and others show the importance of making sure that we are not counted among st the wicked.

So then it remains for us to be like pure silver or gold and not like the dross, full of impurities. If we are to be pure then we must put away sin and live a way of life defined by God's word, which is its self pure. To be pure we must repent and be baptized accepting Christ's awesome sacrifice. But let us now turn to 2 Tim 2:22 were we see that part of being pure is having a personal commitment to God's way of life and His church.

2 Tim 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

So what then am I saying, that through our own efforts we can become pure? 

If we look once again at the analogy of refining silver we see that this is definitely not the case, the silver does not refine itself nor separate itself from the dross. It is the heat of the furnace and the blowing air that removes the dross. Christ's sacrifice is what purifying is really all about as it shows in Heb 9:13-14

Heb 9:13-14 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, {14} how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

We have heard many times and rightly so that it is through our baptism that we partake in Christ's sacrifice. The idea of being washed or purified is an integral part of baptism. It uses the symbol of water to express the aspect of cleansing our life from sin, but this is not the only concept attached to baptism as we see in Matt 3:11. John the Baptist is telling the Pharisees about the difference between his baptism and the one that will come with Christ. 

Mat 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

So what is this baptism of fire that John the Baptist is talking about when referring to the baptism of Christ? 

This idea of baptism by fire can very easily be related to the furnace that is involved with the refining of gold and silver. It is interesting to note that the ultimate test that gold and silver undergo to check their purity is to be assayed by fire. If you remember we read in Jeremiah that he was sent to assay and test the Israelite s. 

Now to assay something is chiefly used in the reference to metals, meaning to test the metals purity. The gold or silver is tested by taking a sample, weighing it then refining it, and then reweighing the now known pure gold. If there is no change in weight then all the gold is pure, if a loss of weight then the gold is impure. 

Therefore this idea of a test that also purifies is a very important concept that matches, as you will see, very closely to the idea of being baptized with fire. In 1 Cor 3:13 we see that this very same idea is used to explain what will happen in the end time.

1 Cor 3:13-15 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. {14} If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. {15} If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Here we have a concept of fire used to test and at the same time used to save. Again in Zec 13:9 this idea is confirmed.

Zec 13:9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; An one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

So then when we are baptized by fire we are tested to show our impurities but at the same time as we are tested we also are refined. Doesn't this idea ring true with the many trials or temptations that we suffer as we strive to follow God's way of life. The trials reveal our weaknesses but as we persevere through the trials we grow and overcome and therefore become more pure. indeed only with the hot temperature of the furnace can silver be refined, don't we also need to experience some heat for us to change. In Isa 48:10 God testifies to the fact that He has tested us with this very necessary heat.

Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

When we think of examples of affliction or trials we tend to think of major examples like Christ dieing for us, or of Job and his great personnel and emotional loss and suffering. indeed we can read in the Bible of many people who have been afflicted in many traumatic ways. It is, however, I believe important to note when we think of trials and tribulations that God looks at all trials, great and small as a means to refine and test us. 

Some years ago during my first three years of high school I was verbally and physically abused by a group of peers, sometimes because of my beliefs other times just because of whom I was. It was not a life-threatening situation, however to me it was still a tough period and therefore still regarded as a trial in God's eyes. Some of you maybe experiencing this kind of thing at the moment at school or work, however we can take comfort in knowing that God is watching closely. James tells us that we should be glad when we experience these types of trials because it means we are being perfected.

That may all be well and good but what about when we experience trials that we think we can't handle, that are simply to tough to bear. I believe we can draw more encouragement if we once again look at the analogy of the refining of silver and gold.

During the refining process the heat of the furnace is critical, if too severe then the silver or gold will be vaporized and lost, if too cold then some of the lead will remain and the metal will not be pure. The smith watches very closely the temperature making sure that it stays exactly right. In other words the severity of our trials is extremely important to God for He wants us to be pure but never to be lost. In 1 Cor 10:13 no need to go there, our God, who can not lie promises that He will not tempt or test us beyond what we are able to cope with.

As we draw to a close please turn with me to 1 Pet 5:10 we see that we can draw comfort from the fact that our suffering is only for a short time.

1 Pet 5:10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

We know that it is God's plan for us and that we be made perfect spirit beings dwelling with Him for the rest of eternity.


In conclusion let me briefly summarize the main points I have tried to show today successfully or otherwise by using the analogy of the refining of silver and gold:1] If we continue in the way of the wicked then God will remove us from His plan of salvation like dross is separated from the silver and consumed.
2] God requires us to be like precious pure silver, to have a pure heart free of all dross and impurities
3] When silver or gold are assayed they are tested by fire and therefore are refined, so to when God test's us He is also refining us
4] Silver and gold to be purified must experience the heat of the furnace, we also must be baptised with fire and experience trials and tribulations in the furnace of affliction. However we are never consumed or tested beyond our capabilities, just like the smith who closely watches the furnace temperature so God watches and cares for us.

Let's now turn to a final scripture Psa 66:10 that really encapsulates all these thoughts

Psa 66:10-12 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. {11} You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs. {12} You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

As the silver or gold nears the final stage of refining it experiences an action known as “brightening”, at the time that the last of the impurities are consumed the now pure molten metal suddenly emits a bright flash of light and immediately solidifies. I eagerly look forward to the time when God sees this happen to His people.By Russell Barnett