“So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:7 (NASV)
There is a most curious verse in Luke 12:49 where Jesus said, “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!”
Jesus brings fire to the earth in several different ways, but the point that stayed with me is how He brings His purifying fire into our individual lives. It’s a good fire that burns and refines our faith, transforming it to purest gold.
His purifying fire is not about judgement, but the fire of His transforming love for us. He wants to purify our heart and mind by transforming any disordered ways of thinking, or lies we are believing, which prevent us from receiving all that He has for us.
Peter tells us that our faith is being tested by fire, to purify us as gold is purified in a furnace. If we looked at gold in its raw form, we would see an ugly lump of rock, with only a hint of a golden hue. It requires the intense heat of fire to rid it of the impurities and bring out the pure radiance of the gold. God sees us in our rawest form, but He won’t leave us as a raw lump of unrefined gold. He knows what we can become and how valuable we are to Him, so He sends the fire of His love to purify us.
Jesus sees value in us, as someone well worth dying for, and now He desires to refine us, if we permit His fire to turn us into pure gold. The refining process may be uncomfortable, but it results in joy on the day we meet Him face to face.
Every trial life brings, is a part of the intense heat of His refining process, which brings out the eternal gold hidden within us. Everything Jesus allows in our lives is for our eternal good.
In short, God simply looked at each of us in the beginning, saying “I see something highly valuable and precious here, which I will refine and perfect for all eternity.”
Lord, we yield to the fire of your love and refine our faith to become as pure gold. Thank you for seeing such potential in us, and we put our trust in you, which will result in praise, glory and honor at the revelation of your second coming.
Amen