PATRICIAN

August 11, 2018

Removing Impurities
Christ sees the need to put His servants into a furnace (pugon in tagalog)
while His eye is faithfully watching with wisdom and love, the work of
purifying His children. They realize that trials do not come at random, and
He will not allow us to be treated beyond our endurance.

Malachi 3:3
For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 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

Tagalog:
At siya'y mauupong gaya ng mangingintab at mangdadalisay ng pilak, at kaniyang
3 

dadalisayin ang mga anak ni Levi, at kaniyang pakikinising parang ginto at pilak; at
sila'y mangaghahandog sa Panginoon ng mga handog sa katuwiran. 

Ephesians 2:10

Made Alive in Christ

2  10 
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Tagalog:
10 Sapagka't tayo'y kaniyang gawa, na nilalang kay Cristo Jesus para sa mabubuting
gawa, na itinakda na ng Diyos para gawin natin. 
Philippians 2:12

Do Everything Without Grumbling

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my
12 

presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your

salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and
to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become

14 

blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked

generation.”

Tagalog:
12 
Kaya nga, mga minamahal ko, kung paano ang inyong laging pagsunod, na hindi
lamang sa harapan ko, kundi bagkus pa ngayong ako'y wala, ay lubusin ninyo ang
gawain ng inyong sariling pagkaligtas na may takot at panginginig; 
13 
Sapagka't Dios ang gumagawa sa inyo maging sa pagnanasa at sa paggawa, ayon sa
kaniyang mabuting kalooban. 
14 
Gawin ninyo ang lahat ng mga bagay na walang mga bulungbulong at pagtatalo:  
15 
Upang kayo'y maging walang sala at walang malay, mga anak ng Dios na walang
dungis sa gitna ng isang lahing liko at masama, na sa gitna nila'y lumiliwanag kayong
tulad sa mga ilaw sa sanglibutan

☑ Refiner's fire – purifies and refines. Separates impurities that ruins its
value, making it more precious

❌ Forest fire – destroys indiscriminately

❌ Incinerator - consumes completely

 ☑ FIRE - And therefore purity and holiness will always be a dreadful thing.
There will always be a proper "fear and trembling" in the process of
becoming pure. We never play with fire! Therefore, Christianity is never a
play thing. Fire is serious. You don't fool around with it.

☑ REFINER'S fire. And therefore this is not merely a word of warning, but
a tremendous word of hope. The furnace of affliction in the family of God is
always for refinement, never for destruction.

 1 Peter 1:6–7, "Now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so
that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold, which though perishable
is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ."
 James 1:2–4,"Count it all joy, my brethren when you meet various trials, for
you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness
have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
 Hebrews 12:5–10, 14, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the
Lord . . . for the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom
he receives . . . If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then
you are illegitimate children . . . he disciplines us for our good that we may share his
holiness . . . Pursue holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

Every believer enters a season when God turns up the heat. Those of you who are
familiar with the process of refining gold know that the gold is first placed in a crucible and
subjected to intense heat. The heat causes the gold to melt and its impurities to separate
and come to the top, where they can be skimmed off.

This process is repeated as many times as necessary in order to increase the quality and
purity of the gold. For example, 10-karat gold does not have to be heated as much or as
long as 14-karat gold. Twenty-four karat gold undergoes an even more intensive refining
process.

The apostle James wrote: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). In other
words, ask God, and He will make it clear to you. James says that the enemy must flee
when we resist him and submit to God (James 4:7).