THE REFINER’S FIRE
by Ron Wood
Many years ago in an early period of ministry, I went through a painful experience connected with my work. I was called on to give up my salary, find secular employment, and help our pastoral team cut back on expenses so we could afford to build on our property. With the best of intentions, laying down my privileges out of sincere love for the church, I unknowingly entered into a season of intense personal suffering.
That season lasted five years. I remember saying, as I struggled to support my family doing things I was not trained to do, "How could God love me and let me suffer like this?" During those years, I preached just once, I worked among sinners, I felt useless, and I lost everything when the oil business went bust. I also lost a big part of my pride. God dealt ever so wondrously with me. He spared no detail in seeing to it that I was thoroughly humbled, completely crucified, totally emptied out. I came out of that season a changed man. A yoke had been put on my neck. My will had been exchanged for God’s will. I found myself loving the church more than I loved the fulfillment of my own calling.
A different kind of perseverance had been worked into me. I came out of it as his servant, not his co-director. I learned submission by obedience while suffering.
The Bible has a great deal to say about suffering. If Christ Jesus was not immune to suffering, then Christians are not either. Read 1 Peter 1:3-9 in the New Testament, and then examine verse seven. The New International Version says, "These (trials) have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine, and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." The idea of suffering is associated with glory. No suffering; no glory–they go together.
There is something about our human experience, I suppose our carnality while we are yet earthbound, that is unable to handle God’s glory apart from experiencing suffering. Suffering while maintaining a right attitude, that is with thanksgiving and without complaining, uncovers the eternal deposit in us of God’s grace and glory. Suffering polishes the tarnish off the treasure.
Suffering does not mean God does not love us. Often, it means just the opposite. In fact, the Bible lists the names of men and women in faith’s Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11) and says "God is not ashamed to be called their God." Their faith during adversity brought divine approval of their lives. They are an example for us all.
Suffering, however, must be handled righteously. If we cast off our faith in the middle of our trial, if we become bitter and start accusing everyone around us, then we have wasted the experience. Now, we have to repeat that grade again. As my coach in seventh grade used to say, "Take another lap!" When we endure trials without turning to God, when we are persecuted and begin to hate our enemies, when we take our eyes off Jesus in the midst of the storm, then we forfeit the grace we were inheriting.
Trials mold our character. We don’t come to Christ fully formed. If we are to walk as Jesus walked, then we have to be shaped into his image. Modern Christians want to bypass character and get straight to charisma. We want the power without the cross. We want the fame without the flame. But there is no escaping the refiner’s fire. Those who refuse the dealings of God, who reject discipline, who resist the hand of the potter as the clay is molded, will find themselves crumbling under pressure further down the road. Indeed, it is our Father’s great love that forces us into the fire.
The experience of redemptive suffering is not just for ourselves alone, but for the sake of the whole body of Christ. At first, we are rolling stones, not fitted stones. Until we learn obedience, we are rowdy, unfruitful, useless to God. And, we are not very pleasant to be around. Godly character enables us to become corporate. We learn to fit in. Christianity is not an isolated experience of God. It is lived in community, not on an island. It is walked out in a context of relationships, of honor, of submission, of serving. This shapes us. We grow in faith, hope, and love while we endure testing.
The fact is, Jesus endured suffering. He learned obedience through the things he suffered (Hebrews 5:8). His suffering was not at all due to the consequences of sinful choices, like so much of our suffering, but his was vicarious, or in behalf of others. He suffered for our sins, he took our punishment. In this regard, his suffering was unique. None of us can suffer for the sins of others. Jesus has already done that once and for all. However, we can suffer in order to submit and learn obedience. We can suffer while enduring hardship in behalf of the church. We can suffer for righteousness’ sake. And we can suffer while resisting temptation and overcoming evil.
Suffering can be used of God. It is God’s way of proving our faith. Peter said that faith must be proved to be genuine. Faith that has not been tested is not acceptable to God. Until faith is tried by fire, it cannot be declared trustworthy. This word in 1 Peter 1:7 is translated in the KJV, "trial;" in the NIV, as "proved genuine;" and in the NASB, as "proof." This word carries the idea of an assayer who puts ore to the test to see if it is really gold. He certifies that it is genuine and not fool’s gold. Apart from the test, how will anyone really know? The fire proves our faith is authentic, the genuine article, the Jesus-kind of faith.
This whole concept of enduring trials so that our faith can be approved is a major theme in portions of the Bible. Endurance is not pleasant, but it is necessary. No one ever matures apart from endurance. Do you know what a biblical definition of endurance is? Try this: "A long obedience in the same direction." Biblical endurance can’t be practiced overnight. Endurance involves a season, not an event. Endurance means continuing to do what is right, overcoming internal weaknesses, resisting external opposition, remaining doggedly in the battle until you are the last one left standing.
Why does suffering come our way? Can we avoid all suffering? I don’t think so. In my studies on suffering, I have found three direct sources. Of course, there is another indirect source, and that is simply the fact that we live in a fallen world. When the tower of Siloam fell and killed people, Jesus said it was not because they were more sinful than anyone else. When a blind man was brought to him, he said the disease wasn’t due to sin done by the man. Some suffering occurs simply because the world we live in has been subject to evil ever since Adam’s fall. This is a world of weeds, rust, disease, sin, crime, corruption, decay. Devolution and disorder reign, apart from salvation in Christ.
There are three sources of suffering. First, we suffer because of our own sinful actions and choices. Some pain we invite by foolishness. The prodigal son suffered in a pig pen because he made stupid choices. We understand that kind of suffering, don’t we? If we drive recklessly and have an accident, we shouldn’t blame it on God.
The second kind of suffering doesn’t come from our actions. In fact, we can be minding our own business and behaving well, and suddenly, become the target of harassment. This happened to Job. If you read his story, you will discover that Satan made a target of Job and tried to destroy his faith. We do not live in a morally neutral universe. There is a prowler loose, not yet caged, whose goal is to devour, steal, and destroy. Prayer and watchfulness are called for to avoid needless troubles.
The third kind of suffering comes from God. This is trouble that can’t be rebuked. This is the refiner’s fire, the master craftsman’s method of putting his work to the test. God never builds anything without examining it. This is true of our own house of faith as individuals. It is also true of the house of God’s dwelling, the community of faith we call the church. God puts our relationships to the test. He puts the fire to ministry teams. He lets churches go through times of trouble. Will we walk in love? Will we keep the unity of the Spirit? Is there covenant between us? God tests everything he builds. He wants it to last and he doesn’t want it to fall apart and hurt people.
I may not like tribulation, but I can’t escape it. What do I have to gain if I endure testing? After Job passed the test, God gave him back twice as much as he had before. Vindication was sweet. When God brought Israel through the wilderness for forty years, their stubborn and rebellious nature was dealt with. He used wilderness trials to "humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not." (Deuteronomy 8:2) If I endure testing by God, I will earn his "well done." And, I may lose some more of my sinful pride.
Do you feel like you are in the wilderness? Have you found yourself experiencing a fiery trial? Do you feel like your faith is being tested? Under the pressure of a shakedown cruise, every system is subjected to more stress than it will normally ever see. Let endurance have its complete work.
When God has finished with the test, He will fill you with more of his glory. He will qualify you for the next level of responsibility. He will certify you as trustworthy, able to bear weight, worth following, a faithful model of the kingdom message. You will be a workman who has been approved. That "well done" is truly worth enduring the fire!
© 1998 by Ron Wood. Ron and his Lana have been pastors more than 30 years. He served as State Coordinator for the U.S. Strategic Prayer Network in Arkansas. They are members of Reconciliation Ministries International led by Bishop Joseph Garlington and have been sent to Africa to help equip emerging apostolic and prophetic leaders. Permission hereby granted to duplicate without any changes or omissions with byline intact. Visit our web site: touchedbygrace.org or e-mail us at ron@touchedbygrace.org.
