Refiner's Fire and the Fullers' Soap
/Malachi 3:1-3 ESV
1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.
Refining: repeated heating and removing dross, hearing and removing
Fuller’s field: washing with water and soap, treading, washing, treading, rinsing
You give me a sacrifice. Every time you give me a sacrifice I will refine that sacrifice. I am refining my bride and refining my church and preparing her for myself.
The process of spiritual refinement includes a mixture of multiple spiritual processes. The dross or dirt is the sin or disobediences contained in our vessel that God wants gone. They include mindsets and opinions that get in the way of what He wants to do in us as individuals but also corporately so that He can use us collectively as a body to have an impact on the world around us. Like the treading and washing and heating and skimming, so is the process of chastisement through trials, mixed with God’s word and His Spirit dealing with our hearts as He brings us through a process of refinement.
We will address it more at some point but without a proper understanding of the work of Jesus and how continued faith in His sacrifice keeps us positioned where the grace of God can perform the spiritual work, the work of refinement is at risk of being reduced to either legalism or a self help program that is empty of a true move of grace.
What happened when Isaiah came into contact with the presence of God in chapter 6?
Is it safe to say that when an individual faces God’s presence, that it often results in internal conviction and an awareness of unworthiness in the presence of a holy God?
“Well, brother I am worthy because I’ve been clothed w Jesus’ righteousness.” I know that—I’m trying to talk to someone who has truly been in a state of repentance, has entered into the presence of a holy God and thinks they may have had an experience like Isaiah and said, “Woe is me! I’m unclean. I have unclean lips. We are all unclean!”
If this can happen to an individual that experiences the true presence of God, what would happen to a group of people that would experience the presence of God?
In that spiritual state, Isaiah, saw himself and said, “I’m unclean, but somehow, people can come out of the corporate presence of God and look at their neighbor and say, “unclean.” In a scenario like that, I would imagine that flesh would begin to manifest instead of spirit, that dross would be revealed but not necessarily removed.
Mark 9:2-3 KJV
2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. 3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.
The disciples focused on those words, “rise from the dead” and they asked, “why does it say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus responded, “He did come and they treated him how they wanted.”
Jesus is letting us know that Religion hates true repentance— after all, that was the ministry of John the Baptist!
Romans 12:1-2 KJV
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Jesus Transfigured/ we transformed— both where we get the word metamorphosis. Where an internal nature becomes manifested outwardly. One that used to be an earth dweller receives new life and begins to operate from a new position of heavenly vision. Is there a better example of the metamorphosis truth in God’s creation than the butterfly? Is there a better statement than the words of our Lord:
Luke 6:45 KJV
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
So what really is in the heart? The Lord knows what is in the heart of those that belong to Him. And He is coming to refine that place that belongs to Him…. “🎼You won’t relent until you have it all…”
And so that is the cry of those that belong to Him
Psalms 26:2
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins (mind NASB) and my heart.
Psalms 66:10
For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
Because the Lord says that the mixture of righteousness and sin isn’t going to work anymore
Isaiah 1:25 NASB
“I will also turn My hand against you, And will smelt away your dross as with lye And will remove all your alloy.
People that walk in covenant with God both in the old and in the new covenants, desire righteousness because they want to please God. Biblical Christianity results in the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Revelation of the New Covenant allows the Holy Spirit access to the places that are deeper in the heart. The Spirit of God brings conviction and works in the life to bring change:
Philippians 2:13 KJV
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
1 Peter 3:15 NASB
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts/always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
2 Timothy 2:19-22
19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.” 20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
It is interesting that 7 times in the New Testament, the word that we’re looking at here for honor is translated as sum or price and one time it’s translated as precious. Several times the word is attributed to Jesus and we know what the Father thinks about Jesus because the voice spoke from glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. The word has an idea of value connected to it. We know the value that the human race has in the eyes of God, because He purchased righteousness for humanity with the blood of Jesus. Yet, there is this problem where some of the vessels in the house are not honorable.
He says that everyone that names the Lord is to abstain from wickedness— the KJV and ESV translate it as iniquity and really the word in the Greek is adikos and means unrighteousness. So the idea is that those that call on the name of the Lord are to abstain from unrighteous acts.
Let’s examine some truth here
Romans 3:23 NASB
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:24 NASB
being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
Romans 3:25 NASB
whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
Ephesians 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
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Acts 17:30-31 NASB
30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
1 Peter 4:17-18 NASB
17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?