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God's Refining Shop

Alan Watkins
04/19/20 - Sun AM

Malachi 3:3

Why is this so hard?

• We are refined to be more valuable.
• We need purification so God will see His face in us.

I.  We Are God's Creation.

• Man is God's crowning glory (Psa. 116:15).
• We are precious to God (Isa. 43:4).

II.  We Are Tested to Burn Off Impurities (2 Tim. 3:16; Eph. 1:17; Rom. 3:23; 6:23; 3:10; 8:28).

• God uses difficulties to refine us.
• Paul's physical weakness made him strong in God's service (2 Cor. 12:7-8).
• God won't let this life spiritually injure us in a way we can't recover.
• The difficulties of life are a Refiner's pot (1 Cor. 10:13).
• God is always watching us; giving us a way of escape.

III. What Is God, the Refiner's, Purpose?

• God is not wasting our time; He is educating, improving, molding us to be better.
• We must long for heaven when things are hard (Phil. 1:21-23).
• God is building our character (Jas. 1:2-4; Gen. 22:1).
• A seaworthy ship is tested by how it rides out a storm; our faith is similar.

1. We are refined to desire heaven.
2. We are refined to strengthen our faith.
3. We are refined so we will appreciate our blessings and be thankful; we don't appreciate our blessings until we are tested (Luk. 17:17; Col. 3:15; Phil. 4:6-7; Psa. 119:105; 1 John 1:7).
4. We are refined so we will learn from the diffuculties of life to comfort others (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

IV.  What is the Refiner's Product?  Just as silver is heated until the refiner can see his face reflected in it, we are refined so God will see His image in our lives (2 Cor. 3:18; Col. 3:10).