Refined Like Silver

Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness...

Malachi 3:1-3

Do you remember what happened when Jesus came to the temple? He made a whip of cords, overturned the tables of the moneychangers, and ran all the livestock out of the temple courts. Essentially, Jesus entered into judgment not only against the temple but also against those in charge of worship there. In other words, Jesus restored right worship to the temple so men could bring offerings in righteousness again... just as Malachi says.

So, this passage is definitely talking about Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. But look at how it describes Jesus’ purifying work. It says, “he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” The passage clearly applies this purifying work of Christ to the Levites. But it also gives us a glimpse, I believe, into how Jesus continues to work in the lives of Christians today. Let me explain.

Do you know how the process of refining silver works? The refiner heats up his furnace and places silver in it to melt away the impurities, imperfections and ores. And do you know how the silversmith knows when the silver is pure? He knows it’s pure when it reflects his face... his likeness.*

It’s the same with Jesus, isn’t it? He takes a sinner and places them in the furnace of life. And what’s His goal? To purify us until we look like Him, until we reflect His likeness. That’s His goal and it should be our aim. Yes! Jesus is still purifying men and women today, removing sin from our lives so we can offer up worship that is pleasing to Him. 

That’s the only way you will be able to “endure the day of his coming” is for you to receive Jesus as Lord and let Him refine you until He can see His face in you… until you reflect His likeness. As Christians we need to participate in that process. We need to seek to be pure... to become more and more like Jesus so that we have nothing to be ashamed of on the day of His coming. 

* Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997. Note on Malachi 3:3

Pet Sins

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 

I John 1:5-7

There once was a little boy who loved snakes. A pet snake was all he wanted for his birthday. His parents were a bit squeamish but they acquiesced and got him a snake which the pet store said was a ball python. The little boy couldn’t have been happier. He loved and cared for his snake and it grew to be rather large, over 7 feet long in fact. And then one day the snake stopped eating. The boy tried everything to get the snake to eat, but nothing worked. So after a time he took it to the vet. 

The vet listened carefully as the boy explained the situation. Then he asked the boy some questions. He asked whether the snake ever slept by him at night. The boy replied that it did. Then the vet asked if it ever snuggled close to him and stretched itself out alongside his body or wrapped itself around him. The boy replied, “Yes he’s been doing it every day. That’s how I know he loves me and it makes me so sad that I can’t help him feel better.”

Then the vet said something shocking. “Young man, this is not a ball python but a reticulated python which grows to be much larger and is much more dangerous. And sadly this snake doesn’t love you and he is not sick. He is preparing to eat you. He’s been sizing you up every day so he knows if he has grown large enough to swallow you yet. And he has stopped eating so he has enough room to digest you."

***

While this story is an urban legend it serves as a powerful metaphor for the way Christians relate to habitual sins in our lives. Most believers have a time of sanctification after we first get saved during which we put off sin and begin to live a new life. But over time, many believers get tired of fighting against the flesh every day and they end up with several stubborn sins that they fail to rid their lives of completely. Eventually we give up hope of ever being free of these sins. We stop fighting against them. We accept them and start to think of them less as sins and more as character flaws or bad habits. Whether it's arrogance, selfishness, materialism, anger issues, sexual  immorality, lust, or slander; eventually we grow comfortable with the idea that these few sins will be with us for the rest of our lives. 

The scary truth is that we have gotten so used to these sins as a part of our lives that we’ve forgotten how dangerous they are. These sins are dangerous! And Satan wants to use them to damage the reputation of Christ, steal our joy, hurt our relationship with God, and ruin our witness. 

In the passage above, Scripture tells us that those who walk in darkness can’t be walking with the God who is Light. No matter what a person says. If they claim to be a Christian but are walking in darkness then they are a liar. Warren Wiersbe says it this way, “darkness and light cannot exist in the same place.”

So don’t get comfortable with your sin. Fight against it! I am not advocating perfectionism. I will never be rid of my sin nature completely on this side of Heaven. Which means that I will never be completely free from all sin. But that doesn’t mean that it’s okay for me to willingly walk in sin every day and impose on God’s grace. That doesn’t mean that it’s okay for me to continue to live enslaved to certain sins and give up hope that I will ever beat them. 

Refuse to be enslaved to a sin that Jesus died to rescue you from! Fight against the sin that remains in you. Reject the lie that Jesus can’t set you free from some particular sin. And seek to become more like Christ each and every day.

Butterfly in the Sky

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4

Does the butterfly that flutters gracefully through the sky set its mind on and seek after the life it once had as a caterpillar, inching along as it dragged itself through the dirt? Of course not. It has died to that old way of life and found a far superior existence. In the same way, it makes no sense for a Christian to be intently focused on worldly things, to seek after them. We died to that old way of living and have been raised with Christ. Colossians 3 puts it so clearly. It hit me strongly this morning as I read it. Believers have made a choice. We have chosen the things of God over the things of man. Believers have forsaken the world, repented of their ways, and committed to seeking after the things of heaven (Which are far superior anyway). Why would we ever look back? 

And yet so many do. We claim to serve a God who is sovereign over every detail of life, and yet live in fear. We say that God's very Spirit dwells within us, that we are the temple of God; and then we debase our bodies through sexual immorality, pornography, and masturbation. We acknowledge that we are new creations in Christ, but our speech betrays us. It is laced with anger, malice, slander and abusive speech (v.8). We affirm that there is one true God, yet we continue to bow down at the altar of money/wealth and worship what it can offer us in this life. 

Why would he return to such things? It simply makes no sense for any Christ follower, having tasted God's goodness, to turn back and begin to long for the things of the world once more. 

We must continue to put off the old man everyday (v. 9) by setting our minds on things above. We must learn to seek the advance of God's kingdom in this world and of God's righteousness in our own lives. Instead of worldly things, let us seek after: increased knowledge of God; hearts characterized by kindness, compassion, and humility; lives defined by gentleness, patience, forgiveness; and above all... love (v. 13-14).

Father, help Your children (help me) to grasp the deeper truths of this passage and help us to live them out. Remind us that our lives are in heaven. Forgive us for focusing on things that have no bearing there things like: sex, money, romantic love, entertainment, and athletic glory. Help us to set our hope on Jesus' return instead (v. 4). In Jesus' name...Amen.   

On the Other Side of Death

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Colossians 2:15

People love a come from behind win. There is nothing more exciting or dramatic in all of sports. You can see it all over the fan's faces. They are already feeling the sting of defeat and then, at the last possible moment, their team starts to close the gap! With the clock winding down the last goal is scored and they win the game. At times it can seem almost miraculous. For many fans there is no sweeter victory and no more crushing defeat than a come from behind win. 

We see this same type of drama unfold at the cross, except (as He is prone to do) Jesus takes it one step farther. Jesus doesn't nearly lose. By the world's standards he does lose. The whistle blows, the buzzer goes off. Game over. The Messiah has been crucified. Jesus has lost. The Adversary has won. The Devil and his demons dance with delight.

And yet, Colossians 2:15 teaches us that at the cross Jesus not only triumphed over Satan and his minions but He made a public spectacle of them. What seemed like Jesus greatest defeat was actually His greatest victory. What does this teach us about the Christian life?

Here is the spiritual principle for us. Spiritual victory always lies on the other side of some form of death. This is what Jesus reveals to His disciples in Mark 8:34-36

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

The Christian is called to live not for this world, but for the world to come. This world has a different set of priorities, a different perspective, and different values than the believer does. You simply cannot "win" by the world's definition and gain the spiritual victory as well. Gaining a spiritual victory always requires you to sacrifice things that this world values. It always requires you to put to death your sinful desires. It always requires you to loosen your grip on this world as you reach out to grab hold of the next.

Before He could swallow death up in victory (I Corinthians 15:54-57), Jesus first had to give Himself over to death. It is the same for us. Before you can provide for the orphans and the widows, you must die to your desire to spend your time and money on yourself. Before you can win a soul for Christ you must crucify your fear of man, your desire to be held in high regard. You must be willing to be mocked and ostracized for caring enough about your faith to share it with others. Before you can help win a lost people group for the Lord, you must be willing to die to your personal American dream...you must be willing to move to that remote continent and give your life to sharing the gospel with them.  

Spiritual victory always lies on the other side of some form of death. So how are you going to die today? What are you willing to give up for the kingdom? Before you answer that question consider the parable of the treasure in the field (Matthew 13:44) and remember the precious promise that no matter how much you give up, what you will gain in eternity far outweighs your sacrifice.

The Resurrected Life

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3

Christianity is not a life change. It is a resurrection. The Bible teaches that all humans are dead in their sins. Those who respond to Christ's death and resurrection in faith are made alive through that faith to live for God. Since believers were dead and have now been made alive, it is fitting for us to set out minds on things above (where Christ is and where we are going) as opposed to setting our minds on earthly things. 

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Colossians 3:5-11

When the Holy Spirit first breathes life into the Christian's soul and calls him to salvation, that new believer's mind is dead set on the things of this world and his heart is black with love for sin. As he responds in faith, the Christian gets his first taste of the amazing goodness of God. Having tasted God's goodness, he rightly desires more of it, but the old inclinations toward the earthly remain. The believer must actively choose to put off this old mindset and this old way of living life.

Notice how much of this old life has to do with relationships. This is why it can be hard for new believers to continue all of their old friendships. If these relationships drag the believer back into lust, lying, anger, sexual immorality, evil desires, slander, and filthy language then he must choose between living a resurrected life and his friends. He will do well to recall what Jesus had to say about the man who puts his hand to the plow and turns back (Luke 9:61-62). Of course becoming a Christian does not mean you have to leave your lost friends (Mark 2:13-17 & Luke 15), but it does mean a commitment to cutting these old behaviors out of your life, putting off the old self and some friendships simply will not survive that level of life change.

But the Christian life is not only about putting off the old self, it is also a concerted effort to set your mind on the things above. We are not merely called to put off worldly behavior but to put on Christian behavior. Christianity isn't something that happens on the periphery of your life. It affects everything! It changes your identity, your behavior, and your hope. Today I challenge you to put on the new self by living out Colossians 3:12-17 below.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

With the help of the Spirit, seek out and put to death sin in your life, and continually seek to add more of the virtues of heaven to your manner of living.


For further reading...

• Mark 2:13-17 & Luke 15- There is little doubt that Christians must cut sin out of their lives. Sometimes avoiding temptation and sin comes at the cost of losing relationships. Yet, the Bible has a lot to say about Jesus' relationships with sinners. How do these passages balance out the idea that the Christian must cut sin out of her life, but need not necessarily cut sinners out as well? (Any right understanding of this issue must admit a new believer relates to her lost friends differently after her conversion than she did before.)
• Luke 9:61-62- What does this passage have to teach those of us who accept Jesus and then turn back to our life sin and live an essentially unresurrected life?

Circumcise Your Life

In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Colossians 2:11-12

Though circumcision is a graphic analogy, it's one with which the Colossian believers would have been familiar. It is the cutting away of flesh. And in Jewish terms, it is the cutting away of uncleanness. This passage tells us that Christians have undergone a circumcision of our own. Though it is not physical, it is just as real. It is a cutting away of the sinful flesh, the unclean way of life by which we used to live. 

The Bible describes this circumcision in terms of Christian baptism which is a picture of the salvation God works in the heart of every believer. In baptism we are fully submerged beneath the water, symbolic of our participation in the death of Christ. He died on the cross; we die to our old, sinful way of living. Then we are raised out of the water, symbolic of our participation in the resurrection of Christ. Just as He was raised from the dead to live a new kind of life, we are also raised to live a new life. 

God gives us all we need to live this new life out. He has broken the power that sin once had over us by His death and resurrection. We are no longer powerless before our sins and addictions! And He has placed His own powerful Spirit within us to guide and strengthen us. But, it is left up to us to apply this spiritual circumcision to our everyday lives by cutting the old, fleshly ways of living out of our lives. By reading His Word and applying the wisdom and power of His Spirit within us, we determine what is sinful and therefore what needs to be cut out of our lives. And day-by-day as we remove ourselves from sin, we are conformed more and more into the image of Christ. 

What sinful ways of living do you need to cut out of your life? What about your language? Is it pure, focusing only on what is good? How about your media consumption? Would Jesus bother watching the TV shows and movies you watch? What about the music you listen to? You may kid yourself into thinking these things don't matter. But they are like the air you breathe. When you surround yourself with polluted, sinful media, you corrupt your own soul little by little. What about that toxic friend who drags you into sin and ensnares you over and over again? If you aren't strong enough yet to resist the temptation he brings with him, then you need to cut him out of our life. 

Christ paid a high price to remove your sin from you. What are you willing to do to live that circumcision out day by day?

For further reading...

• I Corinthians 7:18-20, Galatians 6:11-18 & Colossians 3:9-12- Physical circumcision no longer means anything. New creation (or spiritual cicrcumcision) is all that counts.
• Romans 2:25-29- Outward circumcision doesn't matter. Circumcision of the heart is all that matters.
• Deuteronomy 10:15-17, 30:5-6, & Jeremiah 9:25-26- Even in the Old Testament circumcision was an outward sign of the inward reality God was calling His people too.

Top 5 Reasons to Read the Bible

Top 5 Reasons to Read the Bible

1. His Word is Powerful!- God's words are so powerful that He created everything that exists simply by speaking. Imagine what powerful change His words can bring about in your life.

Now the earth was formless and empty... And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:2-3)

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:3)

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.(Psalm 33:6)

2. God's Word is True- We are surrounded by lying voices. All day long they tickle our eyes trying to sell us their product. Are you tired of being lied to? Do you want to know the truth about the world, yourself, and God? Got to the Bible! It speaks only the truth.

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5)

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)

And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. (Psalm 12:6)

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

3. The Bible Brings Salvation- Talk about the power to change a life! Every person who ever went from being a sinner to being a saint did so because of God's Word. Apart from the Word we could know almost nothing about God. It's through the Bible that we learn about His plan of salvation and are called upon to believe. 

He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. (James 1:18)

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:23)

 

4. Scripture Grows Us and Guides Us- We all want to improve ourselves. We all wish we had a little more self-discipline or a little more understanding of who God is or even a plan for our lives. If you want to grow yourself up in the Lord, if you want to become the best version of you that you can become, if you want to feel like your life has some guidance, then the Bible is exactly what you need.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. (Psalm 119:130)

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation... (1 Peter 2:2)

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105)

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

5. God's Word Defeats the Enemy- Have you ever noticed how Jesus chose to combat temptation when the Devil came to meet Him in the desert? He fought the Devil with the Word of God. The Bible is a powerful weapon against temptation and the lies and confusion of the enemy. In fact, Revelation tells us that in the end all the enemies of God will be defeated by His words.

“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17)

He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. (Revelation 19:13-15)

For further reading...

• Read anything in the Bible! But if you don't know where to start or if you haven't read the Bible much before here are some good books of the Bible you can begin with: Mark, Luke, or Genesis.

I will not look with approval...

I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.

Psalm 101:3

Lord let this be true of your people!

Perhaps the single greatest thing that is lacking in the lives of Christians in America today is holiness. We are no longer different from the world. We are no longer set apart for use by God. Not only do we not keep ourselves unspotted from the sin of the world, but when we come across some Christian who does and who admonishes us to do the same, we accuse her of legalism. In so many ways we are like the Laodiccean church whom Christ threatens to reject (Revelation 3:14-22). 

If you sense this lack of holiness in yourself, then I encourage you to ask God's help to begin living out Psalm 101:3 today. Short of making a firm commitment to obey God's Word as a whole, choosing to guard your eyes and hearts from lovingly approving of sin just may be the best way to increase holiness in your life. So much of what we watch on TV and in the movies, what we listen to in our music, and view on the internet is downright vile. All of this wickedness is dressed up to look as entertaining and innocent as possible. But make no mistake, it trains us in wickedness just as the Word trains us in righteousness.

Cut these things off from your eyes! Stop looking on them with approval. Stop taking part in the sins of others by consuming their godless entertainment. It may mean that you have to stop watching a favorite TV show, or that you have to stop watching almost all TV shows. It will probably mean that you stop watching rated R movies and quite a few PG-13 movies. In fact, it very well may mean a drastic life change, but then... isn't that exactly what we are after? 

For further reading...

• Philippians 4:8- A good test for whether or not you should watch something.
• Revelation 3:14-22- How much of this lukewarm church do you see in yourself?

Jesus the Robber?

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

Mark 3:22-30

In Romans 1:18-19 Paul tells us that what can be known about God is plain to us by His creation (and now by his revelation through Jesus and the Bible) but we have a tendency to "suppress the truth" about God. We willingly reject Him, because He doesn't conform to what we want Him to be. This is exactly what we find the teachers of the law doing in this passage. Jesus has been working miracles that clearly show His divine nature. He has regularly healed the sick and even now He is casting out demons, but they are set on rejecting Him. So they justify their rejection by claiming that Jesus is possessed by the Devil. More specifically they claim that it is the Devil in Jesus that is driving demons out of others.

Jesus responds with a simple parable. Can a house divided against itself stand? Certainly, many of us have experienced this ourselves. When spouses begin to make war with one another, more often than not, their marriage fails. When parents and children consistently tear one another down, the family falls apart. So too Jesus says, "Why would Satan attack his own strongholds?" Wouldn't it be great if Satan were to turn against his own kingdom and suddenly begin to set free all the people he has enslaved and deceived? But that isn't what is happening. In fact, Jesus seems to say that it is an absurd idea.

Then Jesus offers a true explanation of His ministry. His power is from the Lord, yet the works which He is working now (namely casting out demons) is not ultimately what He has come to do. It is simply the necessary prelude and preparation for His true ministry. His true ministry is to reclaim from the power of Satan all of creation along with those people in it who are willing to follow Him. This creation is currently under the control of Satan (Matthew 4:8-11 and I John 5:19) because humanity chose sin over obedience to God on that day in the Garden of Eden and every day since. We have all bowed the knee in service to the enemy. Since we have been given dominion over creation (Genesis 1:28-29) and we gave dominion of ourselves to the Devil (John 8:34 and Romans 6:16), He now has many strongholds in the world. So in preparation for His great reclamation and redemption of His creation, Jesus is first "binding the strong man." He is systematically showing His superiority over Satan and is breaking down his strongholds on the earth.

What parts of your life does the Devil still have dominion over? Is your heart a heart divided against itself? I know this pain. Rest assured that Jesus will set you free if you are willing. Certainly none of us experiences complete perfection right after salvation. Once we give our hearts to the Lord, He begins the slow process of working through all of the sin in them. Slowly tearing down stronghold after stronghold in our hearts. Conforming us more and more into the image of Christ, and setting us free from the power of sin a little more each day. But sometimes we stall this process out ourselves. We turn back to sin and begin to cling to it again. Work with the Lord today. Expose the sin and the strongholds in your heart to the Great Healer and Redeemer. Ask Him to bind the "strong man" in the darkest corners of your life.

For further reading...

• Matthew 4:8-11 and I John 5:19- The whole world is under Satan's control right now, but one day we know Jesus will return and then the kingdom of God will come in power! 
• Romans 1:18-32- We willfully reject God.
• Romans 6- A whole passage on slavery to sin and slavery to righteousness.