Q4. Refiner and Purifier

[Krissi]

Jesus purifies and refines his church not as an aggregate but through individuals within it. He purifies individuals within the church by inflicting on them intense suffering.  Our characters are thus tested. I pray to pass the test.

That's the pain of refinement. It hurts to be charred in His smelter, to suffer as the dross is burnt off. I wish that we could all be sanctified more gently, through purification as opposed to refinement, but that's not how the Christian life works, at least in my experience and observation. It would be much easier to sacrifice than suffer, but in the New Testament, we suffer after Christ's suffering in the furnace of affliction.

I believe in the last days, when we're put through the final burning, the holy and good we've done and been will remain, and the sinful and partly sinful aspects of our character will be burnt off.  Something will remain.

[Niyonka16]

Q4. (Malachi 3:2-3; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15). How does Jesus purify and refine his church?

ANSWER: The concept of being refined is seen in several places in the Bible. The imagery within Scripture ought to encourage us and remind us of God’s deep love for humanity which is shown through His desire that we have pure and transformed hearts. Righteousness is vital in the life of believers, and it is not something we can achieve on our own because we are sinful and broken. But by God’s transforming love working in us, righteousness is possible. God wants to spiritually purify us with the result that our hearts and actions reflect the character of Jesus Christ to others.

The trials we face in this life have been given to us to test us and purify our faith. When the fire is turned up, we may become very uncomfortable. We may want to rush the process or try to avoid it altogether, but this will only prolong it. Instead, we must keep our eyes fixed on God's sovereignty, knowing He's an excellent Father who wants what's best for us and not what's only good.

Being a Christian does not spare us from experiencing conflict and trouble. Where there have been trials, persecution, and hardship, we will know the strength and power of God like never before. Forged by fire, we emerge with greater depths of intimacy with the Lord, keys of wisdom and revelation for what God is doing and is going to do, and with a foundation deeply rooted in Him so when He places the weight of our calling on us, we will be able to sustain it. In order to live a fulfilled Christian life, we need to be able to present ourselves as a righteous offering, which can only be achieved through spiritual refinement. We can only do that if we cling to Him and abide by His plans for our life.

How does He purify and refine us?

ANSWER: The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin, we must confess our sins. As humans, we are prey to our own frailty and sinful nature. Despite our flawed and fallen ways, God loves us, so much so, that He sent His only Son to pay the bond price for our sins on the Cross of Calvary. God refines us through two different ways: through opposition and through discipline. Despite His deep and abiding love for us, God is a holy divine being, who cannot stand to be in the presence of sin. Therefore, just as gold and other precious metals are refined through fire, so too does God cleanse us from our spiritual impurities with spiritual fire. This fire comes in the forms of tests, challenges, and adversity: By enduring the heightened temperatures we undergo a process of purification that reveals our true spiritual identity in Christ.

As a result, we mature in faith, grow righteous in spirit, and develop a heart that is desirous to serve as a living sacrifice for the glory of God. God turns up the temperature in our life at times by exposing us to situations that challenge our faith, teach us perseverance, and test our faith. These trials all have the purpose of separating us from qualities that do not serve us and by extension, the Kingdom of God. The Purpose of the refiner’s fire for Christians through spiritual fire:

to purify. Though we were created in the image of God, our sinful nature as well as the impact of living in a broken world fills us with thought patterns, spiritual strongholds, and behaviors that keep us falling short of God’s glory.

We are to be a righteous offering. God desires to use us as a living sacrifice to share the gospel with the nations. In order to do that, we need to be able to present ourselves as a righteous offering, which can only be achieved through spiritual refinement.

To reflect the character of Jesus Christ. The refining process is a repetitive process. After the initial dross is skimmed off the top of the refining pot, the refiner continues to increase the heat and skim the surface.

To live a fulfilled Christian life. God wants us to live a victorious, faith-purposed life; however, we can only do that if we cling to Him and abide by His plans for our life. The process of refinement can be an unpleasant one, but ultimately, it is one that God allows us to endure for our own good. Therefore, ask God to refine you, in order that you can be the best version of yourself that you can be, for His glory

On the Day that fire will test your deeds, will you have anything that remains, besides your salvation?

ANSWER: On the Day that fire will test your deeds, will you have anything that remains, besides your salvation? What Paul meant when he said our works will be tested by fire is that our works will be judged to determine if they were done for the glory of God or for our own gain. Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has ...

The quality of our work will be obvious to everyone, including us. Somehow the Lord will make it very plain what we did, whether good or bad. All the games we played and lies we told ourselves will end and in their place will be truth. The purpose of every test ultimately is to reveal truth. Paul compares this test to a fire that burns away the worthless things and leaves behind only the sturdy, valuable things. Fire is commonly used to test the quality of metals as impurities are burned away leaving only the pure elements. In this same way our work will be evaluated on the day of judgment. 

If our work stands up to Christʼs scrutiny, we will receive a reward. The Lord is a righteous judge and He is also a good Father Who knows how to give good gifts. We can expect that our reward will exceed anything we might have gained for ourselves here on earth. If a man comes into that moment without a proper legacy of service to Christ, then all that he brings will be burned up. We should all be working today for a better outcome on that future day as we want to receive a good result. This test comes but once, and we have only one lifetime to prepare and those results last 1,000 years.

[Niyonka16]

Q4. (Malachi 3:2-3; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15). How does Jesus purify and refine his church?

ANSWER: The concept of being refined is seen in several places in the Bible. The imagery within Scripture ought to encourage us and remind us of God’s deep love for humanity which is shown through His desire that we have pure and transformed hearts. Righteousness is vital in the life of believers, and it is not something we can achieve on our own because we are sinful and broken. But by God’s transforming love working in us, righteousness is possible. God wants to spiritually purify us with the result that our hearts and actions reflect the character of Jesus Christ to others.

The trials we face in this life have been given to us to test us and purify our faith. When the fire is turned up, we may become very uncomfortable. We may want to rush the process or try to avoid it altogether, but this will only prolong it. Instead, we must keep our eyes fixed on God's sovereignty, knowing He's an excellent Father who wants what's best for us and not what's only good.

Being a Christian does not spare us from experiencing conflict and trouble. Where there have been trials, persecution, and hardship, we will know the strength and power of God like never before. Forged by fire, we emerge with greater depths of intimacy with the Lord, keys of wisdom and revelation for what God is doing and is going to do, and with a foundation deeply rooted in Him so when He places the weight of our calling on us, we will be able to sustain it. In order to live a fulfilled Christian life, we need to be able to present ourselves as a righteous offering, which can only be achieved through spiritual refinement. We can only do that if we cling to Him and abide by His plans for our life.

How does He purify and refine us?

ANSWER: The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin, we must confess our sins. As humans, we are prey to our own frailty and sinful nature. Despite our flawed and fallen ways, God loves us, so much so, that He sent His only Son to pay the bond price for our sins on the Cross of Calvary. God refines us through two different ways: through opposition and through discipline. Despite His deep and abiding love for us, God is a holy divine being, who cannot stand to be in the presence of sin. Therefore, just as gold and other precious metals are refined through fire, so too does God cleanse us from our spiritual impurities with spiritual fire. This fire comes in the forms of tests, challenges, and adversity: By enduring the heightened temperatures we undergo a process of purification that reveals our true spiritual identity in Christ.

As a result, we mature in faith, grow righteous in spirit, and develop a heart that is desirous to serve as a living sacrifice for the glory of God. God turns up the temperature in our life at times by exposing us to situations that challenge our faith, teach us perseverance, and test our faith. These trials all have the purpose of separating us from qualities that do not serve us and by extension, the Kingdom of God. The Purpose of the refiner’s fire for Christians through spiritual fire:

to purify. Though we were created in the image of God, our sinful nature as well as the impact of living in a broken world fills us with thought patterns, spiritual strongholds, and behaviors that keep us falling short of God’s glory.

We are to be a righteous offering. God desires to use us as a living sacrifice to share the gospel with the nations. In order to do that, we need to be able to present ourselves as a righteous offering, which can only be achieved through spiritual refinement.

To reflect the character of Jesus Christ. The refining process is a repetitive process. After the initial dross is skimmed off the top of the refining pot, the refiner continues to increase the heat and skim the surface.

To live a fulfilled Christian life. God wants us to live a victorious, faith-purposed life; however, we can only do that if we cling to Him and abide by His plans for our life. The process of refinement can be an unpleasant one, but ultimately, it is one that God allows us to endure for our own good. Therefore, ask God to refine you, in order that you can be the best version of yourself that you can be, for His glory

On the Day that fire will test your deeds, will you have anything that remains, besides your salvation?

ANSWER: On the Day that fire will test your deeds, will you have anything that remains, besides your salvation? What Paul meant when he said our works will be tested by fire is that our works will be judged to determine if they were done for the glory of God or for our own gain. Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has ...

The quality of our work will be obvious to everyone, including us. Somehow the Lord will make it very plain what we did, whether good or bad. All the games we played and lies we told ourselves will end and in their place will be truth. The purpose of every test ultimately is to reveal truth. Paul compares this test to a fire that burns away the worthless things and leaves behind only the sturdy, valuable things. Fire is commonly used to test the quality of metals as impurities are burned away leaving only the pure elements. In this same way our work will be evaluated on the day of judgment. 

If our work stands up to Christʼs scrutiny, we will receive a reward. The Lord is a righteous judge and He is also a good Father Who knows how to give good gifts. We can expect that our reward will exceed anything we might have gained for ourselves here on earth. If a man comes into that moment without a proper legacy of service to Christ, then all that he brings will be burned up. We should all be working today for a better outcome on that future day as we want to receive a good result. This test comes but once, and we have only one lifetime to prepare and those results last 1,000 years.