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REFINED BY FIRE

Explore the struggles and doubts we face during times of adversity and discover how our faith can grow through the refining process. Uncover the profound examples and teachings in Scripture that remind us of God's love and His purpose for our lives.

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REFINED BY FIRE

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  1. REFINED BY FIRE JoLynn Gower 493-6151 352-2458 jgower@guardingthetruth.org

  2. WORD FOR THE JOURNEY • Matthew 7:21-23  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROMME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' • Does: poieo: to perform (especially as a poet) • Practice: ergazomai: to perform or work • Matthew 7:13-14  "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

  3. THE COURSE OF DISCIPLESHIP • WHAT CAN ONE PERSON REALLY DO? • 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. • Isaiah 49:14-16  But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me. Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.”

  4. GOD CHOOSES TO REMEMBER ME • Lamentations 3:19-23  Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.  Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD'Slovingkind-nesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. • FOCUSING ON GO0D AND NOT CIRCUMSTANCES • Discipline should cause encouragement not discouragement • Hebrews 12:4-6  You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THELORD, NORFAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSEWHOM THELORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”

  5. THE ULTIMATE RESULT • Romans 8:28  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. • OUR UNBELIEF DOESN’T CHANGE GOD’S LOVE • OUR FAITH DOESN’T CREATE GOD’S LOVE • 1 John 4:18-20 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. • Mark 9:22-25  "It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief.”

  6. TIMES OF ADVERSITY • We struggle with doubts during times of adversity • Without struggle, our faith would not grow • The refining process involves struggle • STRUGGLE #1: THE DEVIL/DEMONS • Ephesians 6:10-12  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. • Struggle: pale: up-close and personal; wrestling

  7. TIMES OF ADVERSITY • STRUGGLE #2: THE FLESH • The body is not yet redeemed: • Romans 8:23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. • Mark 14:36-39  And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

  8. PROFOUND EXAMPLE • Romans 7:21-25  I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.  Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. • People exist as body, soul, spirit; at death the soul and spirit of Christians is with the Lord; the body goes into the grave awaiting redemption (rapture)

  9. TIMES OF ADVERSITY • STRUGGLE #3: THE WORLD • 1 John 2:15-17  Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. • Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. • 1 Corinthians 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God…

  10. THE WORLD IS PASSING AWAY • 1 Corinthians 7:29-31  But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away. • Form: schema: appearance or shape • 2 Peter 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

  11. WHEN YOUR THOUGHTS RULE • Psalm 13:1-6 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?  How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, and my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.  But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.  I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me. OVERCOMING THOUGHTS THAT FOCUS ON PROBLEMS RATHER THAN GOD

  12. TEARING DOWN STRONGHOLDS • 2 Corinthians 10:3-6  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. • Speculations: logismos: thoughts, imaginations • Lofty thing: hupsoma: something that is lifted up • Captive: aichmalotizo: to bring into captivity • Thought: noema: perception, purpose

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