Refiner's Fire
- Alan Fong
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
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 had anticipated? Perhaps you tried applying a stronger detergent or more bleach to get the effect you wanted. At His Second Coming, our Lord Jesus is described as a refiner’s fire and 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 believers on earth prior to Jesus establishing His kingdom.
We see the process.
“For he is like a refiner's fire....” A refiner’s fire has the intense heat of a furnace that melts silver or gold into liquid form so that it is refined. Refining is melting down metal so that the impurities embedded in it will be exposed and removed. These impurities, or dross, float to the top of the melted metal and are quickly removed. The refining fire changes the form of the metal 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.
We see the purifying.
A refiner's fire speaks powerfully of the purifying that 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 lives that He wants us to have complete victory over. The dross that is embedded in our lives is exposed and 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 cleansed God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Deuteronomy 24-27
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