I Will Refine Them

Pastoral Prayer for the Teaching and Hearing of God’s Word.

Faith is the channel of salvation, not the fountain and source of it. The Search Warrant, Volume 50, Sermon #2898 - John 6:64

Charles Spurgeon

Main Point: God Promises to Cleanse and Refine Those Who Trust in Him.

1. YHWH Will Burst Forth the Springs of Redemption. (v. 1)

Ezekiel 36:25 LSB

25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols.

God makes clear the terms of a new covenant that will accomplish the desired outcome of making redemption available to all who hear and will trust in Him.

The promise is first to the ‘House of David,’ and second to those who ‘dwell’ in the city of peace.

The totality of God’s redeeming power is available because of whom God is, not because of who we are.

Christ is not said to have received salvation, but to be salvation itself.

John Calvin (French Reformer)

John 7:37–39 LSB

37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

2. YHWH Purifies All Who Dwell in Him Alone. (v. 2-6)

To me one of the profoundest arguments for the unique inspiration of the Scriptures is the truth of prophecy, the fulfilment of prophecy.

Knowing the Times, 342

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)

The LORD promises to decimate the presence of idols and the false worship that are present in the midst of his people.

The text correlates the presence of idolatry with false prophecy in their midst.

The LORD makes it clear that the practice of prophecy outside of God’s authority and outside of the bounds of His will is cause for great suffering.

Jeremiah 23:13–14 LSB

13 “Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray. 14 “Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen an appalling thing: The committing of adultery and walking in lying; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his evil. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

Matthew 24:23–24 LSB

23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 “For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

In the refining and redeeming process, God removes all that does not honor Him to make us ready for the good substance of eternity.

3. YHWH Keeps a Remnant for His Pleasure and Glory. (v. 7-9)

Matthew 26:31 LSB

31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.’

The LORD makes it clear that the one who is sent and anointed as the chosen Shepherd will lay His life down for the Sheep.

When the Shepherd is not with the sheep the real sheep will hold fast to the one who called them, while the false sheep will fall away because they are not of the Shepherd’s Flock.

The LORD makes the point that the LORD is the one who will hold fast to His people because He (YHWH) is their GOD.

The name Zechariah means, ‘The Lord remembers’. The people had forgotten God’s promises but there was a remnant who held firm.

R. C. Sproul

4. Israel will one day be delivered by their confession of the LORD Jesus Christ as the one and only path to eternal life, and not the moral/ethical keeping of the law which is the salvation by works. The Church is not Israel, yet we must learn from Israel’s past mistakes, and appreciate the fact that the flock of God includes people from all nations around the World.

Main Point: God Promises to Cleanse and Refine Those Who Trust in Him.

How do we live as Disciples Redeemed and Refined by YHWH?

Put off the Dross and Impurities—Walk in the Holy Spirit of the LORD; Walk in Light, as Children of Light.

Put on the Full Measure of Godliness—Grow as a Disciple of the LORD Jesus Christ and let Him lead you step by step.

Set Your Eyes on Eternity—When we carry our cross daily eternity is less of the escape hatch, and more of a celebration that goes on, and on, and on.