A Refiner’s Fire
Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
You won't hear this from most, but it is the Word of God. Just as Jesus was led into the wilderness, as Peter was sifted by the devil, we have our time of testing and, humbling and purifying. Jesus comes as the Refiner's Fire. We have very little choice, in this life we will be tested!
I see many posting judgments against people who went through a divorce or some other sin like these people have no hope. These people forget that Jesus made a priority to see the Samaritan women at the well. The scripture says, It was imperative for Him to go.
He also appeared before His ascension to Mary Magdalene, a women who He cast out seven demons. Our testing or furnace could come in the form of temptation, divorce, death or sickness! It does not make us discards in the sight of God!
We don't become people of no hope! God never tempts us, but we have in us the habits and appetites of the old man that need to be purged from us.
In the end what matters is God forgives sin. At the foot of the cross is level ground. Everyone is as guilty as the next. No exception! We all need a Savior! There is only One and His Name is Jesus! No matter what you have done, He will reveal Himself to you. There is no sin so dark that the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse! He did not come looking for good people! He came for the sick, for the sinner. He came for you and He came for me!
What matters is not what we have done, but our faith in what He accomplished on the cross! It does not matter how we have started, but how we finish!
Don't listen to the Pharisees of our time!
Believe on Jesus!
Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Jesus did not pray that Peter would not be sifted, He allowed the sifting.
My thoughts from the Philippines.
Good to hear from you mhm-philippines, Thanks for sharing with Us!
@STEEMCHURCH
The affliction in life isn't forever, and it's possible to eventually have a balanced life with a minimum amount of affliction, but those who value affliction, will receive more of it.
I think the Pharisees of our time include people who follow the literal meaning of the words in the New Testiment without knowing how things have changed since 70 AD.
There will be a new Revelation, and it will be better than the last - there is and will always be a new Revelation, and it always gets better.
Greetings to you, William @mhm-philippines from Davao City, Philippines.
The true man of God always goes through this process. Just look at Moses, Jesus, Peter, John and Paul. Stephen et al. Nobody said it lasts forever, but it has a design to make us like Jesus. Rom 8:29.
Nobody is looking or likening affliction. Joy does come in the morning,
But if you look at the point of this post. It is to encourage those who have had something happen in their life. Don’t listen to the legalistic naysayers. God still has a future for you.
There is no revelation that will disagree with what God has already said.
This is our defense against being deceived. Plus the anointing of the Holy Spirit teaching us the true meaning of God’s Word.
I believe many of us ARE interested in affliction - not consciously of course but unconsciously.
When it is taught that a man of God experiences and endures through affliction, the good students will desire to experience and endure through affliction too, especially when it is "required" to be a true man of God.
I don't think it is true though that affliction is required to be a true man of God - affliction is a part of life and wisdom is gained through affliction, but I don't think affliction should be honored in such a way that others will aspire to experience the same thing.
In first world countries, legalistic naysayers is mainly a thing of the past, but I have noticed that countries like Africa and maybe the Philippines are tuned into the old legalistic way.
Universal salvation is definitely not taught by Christ. A lack of the revelation and understanding of the Holiness of God. We either benefit by faith in what Jesus did for us. Him taking our consequences of sin. Or we pay for it in full. The other is a humanistic and feel good approach to God. Not biblical. Jesus even called some children of the devil.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire
The book of Revelation is different than the letters by Paul, and as I understand it, you follow the doctrine of Paul more than the Gospels and the book of Revelation.
If you notice this particular set of scriptures, it says that every man will be judged according to their WORKS, not their faith as the Apostle Paul implies in some of his letters.
The Gospels are also more in line with the book of Revelation in that it requires us to do what Christ did, and experience what he experienced in order to receive what he received. I could quote scriptures from the Gospels and Revelation that point to this but I think a lot of that text will be discarded or reinterpreted, similar to the way that women having to wear covers on their head was discarded, even though the Apostle Paul made it clear that women must keep their heads covered in public.
Another way to interpret hell and destruction is the fact that nothing physical stays the same - everything is destroyed over time (i.e. thrown in the lake of fire).
Sorry to say, but this is silly and not even close to being biblical. As I asked before, if we are going to hijack my blog, please email me and we will discuss. Otherwise we will shift to no reply and prayer for the blindness to lift.
Okay, William.
I'll send you an email... I forgot about it being listed on your profile.
Thank you.
Cool!