Refined & Forged By Fire

Refined & Forged By Fire

By Kelly Dunn

God uses a refining and forging process to strengthen our faith and mold us into the image of Christ. God says that our faith is even more precious than gold, which is perishable. For this reason, He sometimes turns up the thermostat just like a metalsmith turns up heat to refine and forge metals into beautiful and useful items like swords. He heats up the furnace in order to reveal impurity in our hearts, so that it can be skimmed off and we can be forged into the image of Christ. As the apostle Peter writes,

1 Peter 1:6-7 Says:

6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must 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.

THE REFINING PROCESS

Stage 1: Breaking of the natural ore

The metalsmith takes a large rock with metals in it and breaks it into smaller valuable and usable pieces. Similarity, God breaks up the hardness in our hearts into workable pieces that have the promise of valuable and hidden treasures. Breaking of the hardened heart starts the process of refining and removing impurities from our lives.

Jeremiah 23:29 says:

29 Does not my word burn like fire?” says the LORD. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?

Stage 2: The Crucible

The broken ore is placed in a “crucible” - a fireproof melting pot that is able to withstand extreme heat (temperatures upwards of 1000 degree) The crucible is placed into a furnace at the precise temperature needed to remove impurities from precious metals. The Lord, our refiner, removes the impurities from our hearts and cleanses our character. When the Lords this it might be hot and uncomfortable but worth it.

Proverbs 17:3 says:

3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

Stage 3: The Heat

After skimming off the impurities, the heat is turned up and the crucible is placed back in the fire. The heat may be turned up as many as seven times and each time the metalsmith skims off the impurities that rise to the surface. The Lord keeps bringing the things in our lives that need to be fixed to the surface a little at a time and is always in the process of making us more like Jesus.

Psalms 12:6 says:

6 The LORD’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.

Stage 4: The Purification

After several times in the heat all the impurities have been removed leaving purified metal…pure and precious ready for forging. Our hearts in the same way become ready for God to forge (mold, hammer and shape) us into the image of Christ.

Job 23:10 says:

10 “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.

Once the metal has been refined (cleansed of impurities) the forging process begins…

THE FORGING PROCESS

Step 1: Heating

Now take a bar of your desired metal(s) and heat it in the sword forge (a hot furnace of fire). Leave the metal in the forge until you have a yellow heat. When our heart has been refined by God, we will have a passionate desire to be more like Christ.

Eph 4:23–24 says:

23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Step 2: Hammering

After the metal is heated up, the hammering process begins, which may take a reasonable period due to the need for sectional hammering; hammer repeatedly, re-heat, and repeat the process till the sword takes your desired shape.

The hammering process is one of the major determinants of your sword’s dimension. You can also take advantage of the hammering process to work on the width, length, and thickness of the sword blade.

God uses the hammering process to make us more like Jesus. Shaping us into the exact person He intends us to be and gaining the characteristics of Jesus.

Gal 5:22–26 says:

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Step 3: Hardening & Tempering

The hardening process in sword making is important to make a sword suitable for its purpose. The tempering process comes after the hardening process. Tempering will bring about the much-desired flexibility to your sword.

God works with us through a lifelong process as a blacksmith does in preparing a blade for use. He knows just the right amount of heat or coolness to apply to our lives at the optimal time to deepen our faith and strengthen us. After all, He knows us much better than we know ourselves

1 Cor 10:13 says:

13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Heb 4:12–13 says:

12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Step 4: Final Grinding, Polishing and Completion

Now it’s time to grind, grind, grind until you are satisfied with the outcome. This process will add the final touches to your sword to make it durable, classy, visually appealing. You can see yourself in the blade.

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When we let the Holy Spirit grind and polish us others will see Jesus' reflection in us. We are complete in Him as we continue to allow Him to refine and forge us into the image of Christ.

2 Pet 1:3–8 says:

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.