Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a furnace. They were three men who refused to compromise their faith in God. They refused to bow down to false religious practices, even it was going to cost them their lives. They knew that false religious activity that is not based on God’s word is demonic, and they wanted no part of it. If God would keep them alive through the fiery furnace, praise him. But even if they got burned alive, they were not going to bow down to false religion. They would reject it and refuse to go along with the crowd. They were thrown into the furnace, but God brought them out again. This is an example for us. God is refining his remnant, purifying them, and preparing them.
Peter said our faith is being tested like gold (1 Peter 1:7). There is a refining process in the Christian life. When metal is refined, and large chunk of it is put into the fire. Then impurities are separated, and the pure gold remains. During this refining process there is separation. Things are distinguished from each other. The good is separated from the bad. Before the refining process there is too much – it’s a large lump of metal that is not useful. After refining the lump is smaller. An uneducated person may look at the large lump of unrefined metal, compare it to the smaller lump of refined gold, and say that the unrefined lump is more valuable. It is heavier and bigger. But the smaller lump is more valuable because it is pure.
Our faith needs to be refined because it is often mixed up with other things. We have faith in God, but we also have faith in ourselves. We have faith in God’s word, but also in the world. The fire will refine our faith because it will separate faith in God from faith in other things because these other things will fail. After going through the fire, our faith will be purified so it is in God alone.
Jesus tells us to buy gold tried in the fire (Revelation 3:18) so we are ready for the end times. To buy means we must be willing to pay something. This spiritual gold may be expensive. We’ll have to give up something in order to get this pure gold. It will cost us time and energy. But it will be worth it.
For non-Christians, the fire is random and destructive. They don’t see a purpose in it. They become angry, frustrated, and bitter. They ask, “Why did that happen?” They blame God and blame other people. They say their childhood caused the problem, or its their parents’ fault. They say they are just victims, and life is unfair.
For Christians, it’s different. The fire can fulfill a higher purpose. All things work together for good in the lives of those who love God (Romans 8:28). Fire can help us grow.
Mature saints will embrace the fire. Peter said we should rejoice in the fire (1 Peter 4:12). James said we should count it all joy when we go through the fire (James 1:2). Mature saints know that the fire of God will produce things in them that cannot be produced in any other way, and that the fire will deliver them from things that they could not be delivered from otherwise.
The good news is, God is greater than the fire. He promises that when we go through the fire we will not be burned (Isaiah 43:2). This is because he is with us in the fire. Just like he was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as the fourth man in the furnace, so he will be with us.
Things are going to be removed from our lives when the fire comes. Sin will be cleansed. Wrong thoughts will be removed. We need to believe the truth to get through. We will stop relying on ourselves but will rely on God, because we see only God can handle the challenge we’re facing. We will stop relying so much on the world, because the fire shows that the world will fail us. Only God will stay the same. Even hobbies and time-wasters will be eliminated. Some of our relationships will not abide the fire.
Job lost many things in the fire, but he said he would come forth as gold (Job 23:10). Gold is a metal that represents God. The fire will eliminate the flesh and strengthen the spirit. It will help us be conformed to the image of Jesus.
After the fire, things will get smaller. There may be less options. Our lives won’t be the same. But the things that were removed were a hindrance, and now we are free to run forward farther in God.
Fire will come to the church to purify the church and cleanse it from evil. Judgment must begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). The judgment begins at the church in order to cleanse the bride from evil and prepare her for the marriage supper of the lamb. The end times will be a time of fire all over the world, as the fire of God comes into the world to test everything. The bride must abide the fire of the end times. She must contain the fire of God and release the fire of God. The bride must go through fire now so she is ready to fulfill her calling.
There will be a refining – both in our individual lives and in the church. We should not be surprised by this. Some things will be destroyed. Other things will be exposed.
Malachi says the Lord will suddenly come to his church, and he will purify his people (Malachi 3:1-6). The Lord will first cleanse the church. The temple will be prepared for his coming, and it will be cleansed from evil. Vain religion will be thrown out. Man-made traditions will be rejected. The pure radical apostolic words will ALL be embraced, and then the church will be ready for the coming of Jesus. Until then, the church will continue to be refined.
Jesus is cleansing his church out of love. He wants his people to survive the tribulation. He wants his faithful remnant to be prepared. He is purifying his remnant now, so they are strong and do mighty works at the end of the age (Daniel 12:10).
When the fire comes, some people will give up and fall away. They won’t abide the fire. Someday, all the wood, hay, and stubble will be removed from God’s house (1 Cor. 3:13). This process is already going on. A remnant will come through the fire. They will be equipped to face the future by God’s power.
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