If you have never worked as a miner, you could be forgiven for thinking gold is beautiful from the beginning. I understand that gold is far from beautiful when miners first dig it out, that it looks just like a dull rock. That shiny necklace you find so attractive went through the fire before you started loving it. Jewelry producers know they must apply fire on the ugly rock to get you those beautiful pieces.
If the ugly rock had feelings, it would not enjoy the fire. It is the same way, none of us enjoys going through the fire. But, to become what we need to become – children of a perfect God – we must. This is not a difficult idea, not really. We don’t like to go through the fire, so we do not appear to understand it.
Just imagine that you catch a fish and, because you feel sorry for the fish, you do not roast or smoke it. You do not want your fish to go through the fire so you place it gently on your kitchen table. I assure you, in a day or two, you won’t be comfortable in your kitchen, that is, if you can enter at all.
That is how it is with God. He does not want us to go bad and start smelling – spiritually speaking. So, as soon as He adopts us into His family through our faith in Jesus Christ, he applies the fire. Please note that the fire of God is different from hellfire. The reason God makes us go through the fire is to refine us. We should embrace it, especially if you have been following along with this series on positive problems.
God Makes Us Go Through The Fire
The fire of God is quite different from satan’s fire. The devil has come to steal, to kill, and to destroy. That is how you can be sure that the fire from the devil is out to destroy you. If he fails to destroy you, he will try to destroy your faith to make you renounce God. Observe that the devil did it to Jesus. Thank God, Jesus overcame satan. Thank God, the gold overcame the fire. I like to think that you and I will overcome.
You simply have to make up your mind, as you go through the fire, that you will be like Jesus. The three Hebrew boys – Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego – resolved to be like Jesus. And Jesus showed up for them by joining them in the fire. If you don’t know their story, remember this verse. It is a promise of God for when we go through the fire.
You may try to memorize it from Isaiah 43.2. It says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” Please observe how often that verse talks of ‘when’. This is not about if you walk through the fire but when. It is sure that as a Christian, you will experience fire. Guaranteed. But that is how you become as good as gold. So fire is a positive problem.
Fire Is Not Enjoyable
Are we saying that going through the fire is easy? Not at all. Do you remember how we said at the beginning the gold might not like going through the fire if it had feelings? It is the same with us. Not only do we not enjoy it, I don’t think we can ever enjoy fire. But fire is the dominant way God refines us.
A few people may receive the grace to purge themselves of evil. 2 Timothy 2.2 says, “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” However, the usual method, mainly due to disobedience, is for God to put us through the fire.
When people say you are a good Christian, they should also ask how often you have gone through the fire. If you could ask your beautiful necklace, it would tell you it went in the fire several times. The goldsmith only stops when he sees his reflection in the gold. That is a lot of fire. For you to shine forth as gold, you also have to go through the fire several times.
A Christian Is Like Gold
The gold on the streets of heaven is so pure it is clear like glass. That gold must have gone through the fire a great number of times. So, we can say that the more a Christian shines for Jesus, the more times they have been in the fire. I did not see that last sentence in the bible, but it makes sense. The more fire gold goes through, the brighter and clearer the goldsmith’s reflection shows in that gold.
Likewise, the more times you go through the fire, the more of Jesus’ reflection the world sees in you. Embrace the fire – observe we did not say you should enjoy it – but ensure you are not suffering for doing evil. If you cannot be sure, ask God for forgiveness so you don’t fall into the hands of the devil. Satan’s fire destroys, now and forever more. You will not fall into the hands of the devil, in Jesus’ name.
Job is a man who knew about fire. He also knew the positive aspect of going through fire. He famously declared, “But He knows the way that I take. When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” That was a man who knew the mind of God. No wonder his end was so much better than his beginning. Do we know how to please God? Are we expecting that our end will be better than our beginning? Then we must be prepared to go through the fire.
Maranatha!
