Refiner’s Fire | Process

"If any of you, my hearers, are seeking the Lord at this time, I want you to understand what it means: you are seeking a fire which will test you, and consume much which has been dear to you. We are not to expect Christ to come and save us in our sins, he will come and save us from our sins; therefore, if you are enabled by faith to take Christ as a Savior, remember that you take him as the purger and the purifier, for it is from sin that he saves us."

— Tim Keller

What Doctrines are contained within these Illustrations...

Purpose - Obtain Gold/Purity

>> Soteriology, Original Sin, Total Depravity/Utter Corruption, Imago Dei

Process - Remove Dross

>> Justification, Sanctification, Soteriology, Mortification of Sin

[Intro]

Talked about “Purpose” >> Why does God Refine us?

Recognize God as Great and Good

>> Great = Ability

>> Good = Intent

Now, let’s think through “Process”

[Read]

Acts 9:1–22 ESV

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

[Pray]

Process —

(1) Heat

(2) Remove Impurities

(3) Enjoy the Prize

(1) Heat

Furnaces need to reach at least 1800 degrees F...

Process involves heat to REMOVE THE DROSS

We don’t know the lowest amount of heat Paul needed for God to remove the dross from him… but any of us can think of people who are soft hearted or hard hearted.

[Illustration]

Tell of "A couple”...

>> Gabriel grew up Christian

>> Megan was telling me about the Illuminati when I met her...

Yet

>> Megan had childlike faith in God much faster than Gabriel, reading the Word and learning and growing exponentially in comparison to her husband...

God uses “heat” to free us from the dross… Some less, some much more than others could tolerate…

—————————————————

(2) Remove Impurities

Dross — Waste material or impurities separated out from metal during the refining process

lepis — scales; like fish scales, similar to lepra (leprosy) which involves scaly, flaking skin

>> Used only ONCE in the entire NT… HERE

Were the “scales” the impurity God was intending to remove with Paul’s Damascus Road conversion?

>> Did Paul have a skin condition?? NO

Paul SEES the impurities — And would remove them at any cost...

Philippians 3:4–11 ESV

4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Refinement means removal of what was, the sin that clings to us, that our flesh craves…

>> Keller writes:

"If any of you, my hearers, are seeking the Lord at this time, I want you to understand what it means: you are seeking a fire which will test you, and consume much which has been dear to you. We are not to expect Christ to come and save us in our sins, he will come and save us from our sins; therefore, if you are enabled by faith to take Christ as a Savior, remember that you take him as the purger and the purifier, for it is from sin that he saves us."

— Tim Keller

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(3) Enjoy the Prize

The Prize of your refinement is multifaceted:

(1) God

No longer are we enemies of God, but beloved children:

(2) Yourself

(3) Others

Remove the speck SO THAT you can remove speck from other’s eye

Matthew 7:3–5 ESV

3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

This process of sanctification (“Washing”; made clean) is for God’s glory and yours AND your neighbor’s good!

[Band come up]

Not only does the process of refinement lead us toward a “better life”… But, it blesses your home, those you are near to, the Church you do life with, and the communities we indwell.

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Questions:

(1) What is the dross God is removing in your life? What has God taken away that you can look back on and recognize as dross?

(2) The heat needed to refine a metal is extreme. Why does God use this similar process with refining His people?

(3) God is Great (He can do it) and Good (He does it, out of love). Where do you fail to recognize God as Great or Good under the heat needed to refine you? How can you thank God instead?