The Refinement From God

I see a refinement period that brings the church into a time of renewed usefulness and execution of God’s plan in the Earth

God has to refine his people. There is a process to becoming true in identity to what God says we are legally and relationally.

Just like when silver ore is found. It is sliver but not as we know it.

The impurities hinder it from functioning in its true identity.

Heat is used to bring a precious metal to its state of value, beauty, and usefulness.

God wants to bring us to a place of purity through the process of refinement.

Malachi 3:1–3 (KJV 1900)

1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, Even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

The first advent he came. He brought salvation to humanity. But when he came many were not ready. Mark 3:1-7

2 But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: And he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

We are siiver and God. But we are impure.

Our soul realm has been contaminated with cares, doubts, fears, lust, sin, unforgiveness, mistrust, greed, false gods and worldliness.

The Lord is coming soon. He is coming to refine his people.

The Ore has too many impurities

The silver used by the ancients was probably obtained by smelting lead sulphide ore, rich in silver (argentiferous galena). After the ore had been reduced to a metallic condition, the lead was separated from the silver by blowing hot air over the surface of the melted metal. The lead was thus changed to lead oxide which, in a powdered condition, was driven away by the air blast. The resulting lead oxide, called in the Bible silver dross

God’s design is to refine his people so that we are separated from the world.

The Context of this message in Malachi

Israel came back into the land after years of deportation

They rebuilt the temple and began to function in the land of Israel again.

Soon they became uninspired, worldly, insincere, hypocritical, critical of God, and spiritually insensitive.

How God uses life to refine us

God will allow life to crush us down

God will allow heat to bring our impurities to the surface of our lives

While we are comfortable we remain only a crude metal such as silver ore.

The Purpose of Refinement

When the process is completed, what was so a part of our being and identity now becomes dross.

Dross is a powdery substance that can be carried away with the wind

After God refines us, what hindered our Christlike identity from manifesting will now be blown away.

There are some stubborn dispositions that are intertwined with our personality that God wants to turn into dross.

Zechariah 13:9 (KJV 1900)

9  And I will bring the third part through the fire,

And will refine them as silver is refined,

And will try them as gold is tried:

They shall call on my name, and I will hear them:

I will say, It is my people:

And they shall say, The Lord is my God.

What is God saying to us

Go through

Be courageous

Don’t be afraid by what you see around you

God will turn up the heat in this world

God will crush false worship

He will crush our impure affections for the world

He will refine us as sliver or gold in the fire of affliction

Do not say “God why are you not blessing me”

This is a season. It is the trying of your faith

James 1:2–4 (KJV 1900)

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

1 Peter 1:3–7 (KJV 1900)

3 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 Fresh Wind

God will blow away the dross- the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal

Proverbs 25:4 (KJV 1900)

4  Take away the dross from the silver,

And there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.

After the fire, the crushing, the pressure, then comes a fresh wind.

God will make us better

After this our faith wont be in a hope for greater comfort in this world, or money, careers, or homes.

But after this trial, we will be God’s precious jewels.

A new level of deliverance and freedom the church shall experience

Malachi 3:17–18 (KJV 1900)

17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, In that day when I make up my jewels; And I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, Between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.