“I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”
Isaiah 48:10 (NIV)
1. BE IN THE FIRE WITH THE LORD AND SUBMIT TO THE PROCESS!
“…Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
Isaiah 43:1-2 (NLT)
2. WITHOUT HEAT, THE DROSS CAN NOT BE REMOVED, AND WE CAN NOT BE PURIFIED!
I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities.”
Isaiah 1:25 (NIV)
“Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel”
Proverbs 25:4 (NIV)
3. THE PURPOSE IS NOT JUST TO MAKE US HAPPY BUT TO MAKE US HOLY!
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
1 Peter 7:6-7 (NLT)
VICTORY GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. Has your understanding of how God refines us changed? And How?
2. If you are currently in a refining process, what "dross" has risen to the top that needs to be removed?
3. What was your reaction to the "dross" that was revealed?
4. Read Proverbs 25:4. How do you see God shaping you as His vessel, and for what purposes specifically?
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