The Refiner's Fire — E.A. Johnston

The Cost of Going All Out for God

Through the years, I've come across some men who told me they wanted to go all out for God. They wanted to do this for God and that for God. They were always on the verge of doing something great for God, but something held them back.

They were only willing to go so far with Christ, like Peter, who rebuked Jesus for saying he was going down to Jerusalem to die. Peter said, Not so, Lord. Peter wasn't ready yet to die for his master, but that time would come.

Self-Denial, Suffering, and Usefulness in Ministry

I remember Leonard Ravenhill saying, Everybody wants my mantle, but no one wants my sackcloth and ashes. Listen, dear friends. There is no easy path to usefulness for God. There is only one path, and it is lined with hardship, loneliness, disappointment, and self-annihilation.

Self must go the way of the cross. Christ must be all in all. If you think you are familiar with trials and persecution, then buckle up, for they will increase the more you go all out for God. We envision success in ministry by a large following and a big church that can't get along without us.

But to be used to God, you first must be willing to be expandable. You must be willing for others to take the credit. While you go unnoticed, your reputation or the desire for one must go. Most folks don't like pain and do all they can to avoid it.

But if you are going to stay on the front line of the battle, then you better get used to being wounded from time to time. Most folks who want power with God and usefulness to Him don't want the attending suffering that accompanies it.

Resurrection Power and the Fellowship of Christ's Sufferings

They want the resurrection power of Philippians 3 .10. But they want it without the fellowship of His sufferings. When I study church history and see men and women that God has used, I see a common denominator among them.

The Crown Comes Through the Cross

They were all great sufferers. Now, some of you just want the crown without the cross. But God doesn't work that way. His Son learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Hebrews tells us. There is a passage in Scripture, friends, which best describes what I'm trying to say this evening.

Malachi's Vision of the Refiner's Fire

It's found in the book of Malachi in chapter 3. You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends. We will be in verses 2 and 3. The title of my message this evening is The Refiner's Fire. Here now is the word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of His holy word.

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 fuller's soap. And He shall sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. And He shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Affliction as God's Deepest Work

Let me ask you, friend, do you want greater usefulness for God? Then be prepared to be stripped, purged, pruned, and placed into the refiner's fire, for it is in that white-hot furnace of affliction where God does His deepest work.

At times you may feel abandoned by Him, like Joseph was abandoned in prison by his cellmate who was released but who forgot Joseph. There be some lonely nights of desperation. Your faith will be tested, your character refined.

You will emerge from the fire, meet for the Master's use. But the flames will leave their mark upon you, just like Jacob limped the rest of his life after wrestling with God. Our text says He will sit as refiner and purifier of silver.

How bad do you want to burn for Christ and the gospel to be made a flame for Him? You may be providentially placed in a furnace of affliction that makes you wonder if it will ever end. Some silver and some gold need to be held in the fire longer because they require deeper purging.

But let me say this, friend. No matter how hot things get and no matter how hopeless they may seem, remember this. As the silversmith holds the silver in the fire, he never once takes his eyes off the silver.

The refiner's fire will do its work and like our text says, and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Let us pray.