Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
Refiner's Fire
Today’s Verse:
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: ~Malachi 3:2
Have you ever done a load of white laundry only to be disappointed that the white clothes did not come out as clean as you anticipated? Perhaps you tried applying a stronger detergent or more bleach to get the effect you wanted. In our passage today, we see on our Lord Jesus’ Second Coming, He is described as being a refiner’s fire, and like a fuller’s soap.
We see the presentation.
“But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?” The day of His coming refers to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus. This is when He returns with His armies from Heaven to defeat all who have assembled to fight with Him. His coming will be a day of judgment against wickedness and sin. All unbelieving and unrepentant sinners will be soundly defeated when he comes. No one will be able to stand when He appears. This will also be a time of cleansing of believers on earth prior to Jesus establishing His kingdom.
We see the process.
“For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap.” Refiner’s fire is the intense heat of a furnace that melts silver or gold into a liquid form so that it is refined. Refining is melting down the metal so that the impurities embedded in the silver will be exposed and removed. These impurities, or dross, float to the top of the melted silver and are quickly removed. The refining fire changes the form of silver so that after the dross is removed, it is free of all impurities that could devalue its worth. It is the purest and most valuable after this process. Fuller’s soap is a description of the most powerful soap that is able to make dirty garments ultra clean.
We see the purifying.
Refiners fire speaks powerfully of the purifying believers must go through at the Second Coming so that they are fit and prepared for serving the Lord in His millennial kingdom. It is also a picture of our Lord using trials in this life to cleanse and refine the life of His children. God uses trials to deal with sins in our life that He wants us to have complete victory over. The dross that is embedded in our lives is exposed then burned away by fiery trials. Only then are we the most useful and valuable for the service of our Lord.
“Some years ago in Dublin, a company of women met to study the Bible. One of them was puzzled by the words of Malachi 3:3, ‘And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.’ After some discussion, a committee was appointed to call on a silversmith and learn what they could on the subject. The silversmith readily showed them the process. ‘But, sir,’ said one, ‘do you sit while the refining is going on?’ ‘Oh, yes, indeed,’ he said. ‘I must sit with my eyes steadily fixed on the surface, for if the time necessary for refining is exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver is sure to be damaged.’ At once they saw the beauty and comfort of the Scripture passage. As they were leaving, the silversmith called after them, ‘Oh, one thing more! I only know when the process is complete by seeing my own image reflected on the silver.‘ That is what the Lord Jesus wants to see in you and me as He refines us by fire—His blessed image. And it will be reflected to others, too.” – Illustrations of Bible Truths.
Are you going through a fiery trial? Count it all joy if you are. Only when it is finished can our Lord see His image in your life.
Have cleansing God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Deuteronomy 21-23
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