The fires of God purify our hearts of all pretensions and wrong motives. We experience the fires in the depths of our soul as deep emotional and sometimes physical pain. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 tell us that there will be a day when we stand before the Lord. In that day our works and our words will be tried by fire. These fires will manifest our works as dead works of the flesh or as good works of the Spirit.
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"I owe more to the fire and the hammer than to anything else
in my Lord's workshop.
I sometimes question
whether I have ever learned
anything except through the rod."
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
(1834-1892)
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"Now if any many build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved: yet so as by fire" (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)
Gold, silver and precious stones are, in this context, the good works of the Spirit. Wood, hay and stubble are the dead works of the flesh.
My prayer has always been, Lord, let me and my works be tried with fire in this life so that there will be no wood, hay and stubble when I stand before you in heaven.
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The only things that
burn up in the fires of testing
are those things
which have us bound.
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The Fires Deliver Us From Bondage
There is no clearer demonstration of the principle of deliverance from bondage through the fires of the narrow way of the cross than Shadrach, Meschech and Abed-Nego. They were thrown into the fiery furnace, because they took a righteous stand. They refused to bow in worship to Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 3:24 tells us that consequently they were bound and thrown into the furnace.
To Nebuchadnezzar's great amazement, when he looked into the furnace, He saw Shadrach, Meschech and Abed-Nego walking around in the midst of the fires. And they were not alone. There was One walking with them in the fire Who could only be the Lord Himself. Neither were they burned. When they exited the furnace, there was not even the smell of smoke upon them. The only thing that was burned in the fire was that which had them bound.
" . . . Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (Daniel 3:25).
Just like the three Hebrew children, when we go through the fires, we are not alone. The Son of God goes through them with us. And the only things burned are those things which have us bound.
The Blessings of Tribulation
We all come to the Lord with a heart encapsulated in stone and engraved with all kinds of rules and laws. Through the trials and tribulations of the cross, God chisels away that stone from our hearts as well as our bondage to it.
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).
The Christian life is not one of magic but of process. The following scriptures speak of the many blessings of the tribulations of narrow way of the cross. My favorite is James 1:2-4 (Phillips Version).
"When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character, men of integrity with no weak spots."
" . . . Tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God is poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:3-5 NAS).
"For [our earthly fathers] verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but [God] for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised by it" (Hebrews 12:10-11).
"See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying,' Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.' And this expression ‘Yet once more,' denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:25-29 NAS).
" . . . reproofs of instruction are the way of life; to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman" (Proverbs 6:23-24).
"Turn to my reproof; behold I will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make known my words unto you" (Proverbs 1:23).
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