Gold Refined by Fire

My soul is like a weak, leaky jug that cannot hold anything for long, no matter what is poured into it. Although dirt can stick firmly to the walls of the vessel, even it eventually leaks out through various cracks, making room for the next liquids.

My memory is able to store information about everything that has passed through my vessel on its shelves, and then at the right time reproduce in the mind what I saw, heard and felt, filling the jug with it. Unfortunately, I don't forget what I allowed my eyes to see, and my imagination is able to reproduce all the pictures at the most inopportune time. The dirt of this world constantly defiles my vessel, and the water of life helps me to clean the contents and disinfect the walls from harmful impurities.

This is how I have to live in a constant struggle for my purity. And it creates the impression that the great conflict between good and evil consists in me learning to overcome myself and keep my soul from the attacks of my old man, who is not going to die, but always seeks an opportunity to attack me and take possession of my will. And in this fierce battle, I constantly call out to the Lord in prayer to save me from myself. Oh, if only I could forever defeat my fierce enemy called "my own flesh." Then all other victories would come to me very easily!

It turns out that I periodically get dirty, and then I ask for forgiveness, repent, need a renewing power to, after being cleansed, fall again into a dirty puddle or pour another portion of impurities into a clean vessel.

The pure water of life has the ability to dissolve everything it comes into contact with. This is a rather aggressive environment that does not allow anything to remain outside its field of influence that falls into it. But still, God's goal is not to dissolve dirt in water and feed my nature with this composition, but to make my vessel suitable for decent use and always keep it clean for everything pure that falls into it.

Seeing my constant struggle with myself, the Lord has provided for me at the end of time something better that will solve the problem of my constant defilement forever and fill my nature with exceptional power of victory, passing from glory to glory. How is this possible? My carnal mind is not able to come up with such a mechanism and then support it in operation. But the Lord has already provided for all this, and now advises me to acquire what is necessary.

Heavenly gold solves the issue of my purity very well. It is quite weighty and when it gets into my vessel, it is able to squeeze out everything foreign that is in it.

Water can dissolve the contents of my jug, wash its walls, but after that it leaks through small cracks or evaporates from the high temperature of various trials. And if dirt gets into the water, it can squeeze clean water out of the vessel or dissolve in the residual water, making the life force unfit for existence.

Gold does not mix with foreign materials and does not dissolve in them. Buying gold from the Faithful Witness, I fill my weak vessel with it, and this heavy metal quite successfully displaces everything alien and light from my heart. Once in my jug, gold does not leak through cracks, but remains in the vessel forever. I notice that when filling the vessel, there is a small space between the pieces of gold that have fallen into me, into which dirt can penetrate and envelop the precious metal. Although there is significantly less dirt, it manages to squeeze into the golden space and give the pure gold an unclean appearance. This causes mockery from those watching me, and I hear unflattering remarks addressed to me about the foolish idea of filling my vessel with precious metal. I have nothing to say in response, but I hope that the Lord has provided a solution to this issue as well, and at the right time will let me understand how this mechanism works. But the fact that there is significantly less dirt in my vessel is noticed by everyone. And the gold that has fallen into me gives weight and value to all my words and actions. The water of life very quickly washes out all the dirt from the inter-gold space and delights me with its purity and freshness, and I admire the pieces of uncontaminated gold, which I carefully put in my jug. I am guided by golden rules of life in all my decisions.

But I'm worried about one question. What should I fill the empty space between the gold with? Whatever I try to pour in there, the dirt of this world manages to displace it and create the appearance of its superiority. But it shouldn't be like that. After all, nothing unclean will inherit Heaven. Who will deliver me from this body of death? My wise Counselor tells me that although His gold is the purest product, it must undergo remelting in my vessel. I shrink in fear of the upcoming trial, but I understand that I cannot avoid it.

The Lord gently takes my jug and puts it in a fiery furnace. Something incredible is happening. The walls of the vessel heat up from the high temperature, and the contents of the jug begin to evaporate at first, and then melt. The pieces of gold began to quickly merge with each other, turning into a liquid composition, partially filling the microcracks in the walls of the jug. All the dirt could not hold in the depth of the molten mass and floated to the surface, burning from the high temperature. The liquid gold filled everything, leaving not a single crack between itself and the walls of the vessel. On the surface of the molten metal, the image of Jesus began to be reflected, Who was closely watching the remelting process.

I look at all this, languish from heartache and pangs of conscience for allowing my weak vessel to be so mercilessly defiled. But what is happening is happening in me, in my heart. And no matter how much it hurts me, no matter how much I scream in fear, I remain alive and healthy.

My Refiner knows what He's doing, and does His work confidently, anticipating the result obtained. And the result exceeded all my expectations. I look into the jug and can't believe my eyes. There is only gold left in it and nothing but gold. It has become so clean and strong that nothing can stain it or break it from the inside. Dirt doesn't have the slightest chance of getting inside the golden space. And even if something does lie on the golden surface, the water of life washes it away very easily, leaving no traces of the curse.

But the enemy of the soul is good at his inventions and tries to pour the acid of lawlessness into me to dissolve and cool God's love in it. But I close all paths to him and continue to buy heavenly gold, filling my vessel with it. And even if the acid managed to damage the pure gold and make openings in it for another portion of dirt, I know that another remelting will correct this defect, and I will again reflect the image of my Heavenly Refiner.

All my fears, torments, sins are very heavy for me, but love skillfully squeezes them out of my life and fills me with itself. It drives out fear, kills sin and frees the soul from prison, bringing it to God's light.

Questions for reflection on this chapter

1. Please read: Zech. 13:9; Prov. 17:3; Dan. 12:10; Mal. 3:3; Rev. 3:18; Job 22:23-25; 23:10; Ps. 66:10; 119:72, 127; Prov. 8:1,10; 16:16; Hag. 2:8; 1 John 4:18; Isa. 61:1; Matt. 25:34-36 in light of this chapter.

2. What did you understand from this chapter?

3. What other verses from the Bible came to your mind?

4. What does purification by fire mean? 1 Pet. 4:12.

5. Did you see the relationship between gold and agape love? Explain the symbol of gold in light of the lesson.

6. Why does the Lord advise to buy this gold from Him?

7. Is there a difference between my attempts to remove sin from my life or allow love to do it by buying it from the Faithful Witness?

8. Is God interested in the absolute purity of my soul? Will He do anything for this?

9. Why is it so important to have a pure character in the last time?

10. Does Jesus want to see His reflection in me? What does this mean?

11. Does the language of symbols help you understand God's expectations even deeper? If yes, share your revelations?

12. Do you understand the importance of the message to Laodicea in our time?

13. Do you believe that love casts out fear, removes sin, cleanses the heart? If yes, do you allow it to do this in your life?

14. Why did the Lord choose gold as a symbol for His love and faith, and not something else?

15. Are you scared of the fire of trials?