To make specific metals, you must combine key ingredients and forge them in particular temperatures and ways. Likewise, to get a purified element, you need to separate it from all the rest. This purification process is called sanctification when you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.
We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know
Jesus tells us, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
- Matt. 22:29, NASB 1995
So many believers struggle with doubt, confusion, and frustration. Many walk away because they do not realize they are responsible for studying and living by God’s word and Christ’s example to become more like Jesus. They don’t understand they must work with Jesus daily and submit to God’s ways in complete obedience.
As believers grow their personal relationship with Jesus by studying the Bible, through worship, and constant prayer, which is talking with him about everything, their hearts will long to be like him. Jesus will reveal sinful thoughts and habits that do not honor God. Because of their love for Jesus, their willingness to let him refine them will deepen.
Many believers are also unaware that being Christ’s disciple in this broken world will be hard, and they may endure rejection, abandonment, persecution, and even death. Following Jesus doesn’t make them exempt from any challenge, test, trial, or pain because Jesus wasn’t exempt.
Being Christ’s disciple is the opposite of the world’s ways, meaning the world will be against them.
You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
- Matt. 10:22, NASB 1995
However, when we walk with Jesus on Earth, we will spend eternity with him in Heaven!
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 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.
- Rom. 12:1-2, NASB 1995
Don’t Play the Blame Game
The world often blames God for all the bad in the world. However, our imperfect human condition, sinful choices, consequences, the devil’s influences, schemes, lies, strongholds, and the world’s broken condition cause the bad. Using blame is one of our enemy’s favorite tools to detour us from making ourselves or the devil accountable.
True disciples of Jesus can’t expect to make bad choices and demand that God bail them out or free them. We choose to serve God. God doesn’t serve us like a genie. Giving him less than the ultimate authority, respect, and loyalty in our lives dishonors him, and that will not go well on earth or in eternity. So why does God allow challenging things to happen? Let’s look at five reasons.
What Good Comes from Our Challenges, Tests, and Trials?
We live in a broken world, and we need God. The sin of Adam and Eve launched humanity into sin and corrupted a perfect planet. God, in his loving grace and mercy, had a master plan. He sent Jesus to pay for our sins and to show us how to live for Him because he knew we would choose sin. But without God, we cannot be good or earn or buy salvation to heaven. We are imperfect and live in a broken world, and we need God.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
- Rom. 3:23-24, NASB 1995
Reveals the strength of our faith. God knows the level of our faith, but we may not. He often allows challenges, trials, and tests to help us realize what we must work on with Jesus. Our faith is alive and needs to be exercised just like our muscles. The first step in growing our faith is to study God’s word. If you don’t know how to do this, join a Bible study group or ask for a mentor. We will not strengthen our faith without understanding and living out God’s word.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
- Rom. 10:17, NASB 1995
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
- Heb. 11:1, 6, NASB 1995
“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.”
- 2 Peter 1:5-7, NASB 1995
Refines and builds our character. As we strengthen our faith, our character is refined. Jesus helps us prune our selfishness for thoughtfulness and generosity. We gain the traits in the prior verse from 2 Peter 1:5-7. We also gain the characteristics of the fruits of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
- Gal. 5:22-23, NASB 1995
Choosing to be Christ’s disciple from love and honor for giving his life for you is choosing to become like him. Your transformation comes through his refinement. The fires of challenges, tests, and trials reveal and cut off our character’s diseased and dead aspects to make room for new and stronger Christ-like characteristics.
“So that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”
- Col. 1:10, NASB 1995
Prepares and empowers us to help others. When Christ has healed us, and we share our testimony, we may be surprised how many people are suffering in silence and need to see our path with Jesus. God never wastes anything. He is a master at turning our messes into his message of hope. Whenever you face a challenge, ask God for insight and write down what you learned along with verses God will give you, then share them.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
- 2 Cor. 1:3-4, NASB 1995
Makes us Christ’s light and hope for the lost, struggling, imprisoned, broken, and hopeless. There is no hope, salvation, healing, redemption, restoration, forgiveness, grace, mercy, or unconditional love without God and Jesus. The following passage is the reason for trusting our refinement on earth. God is only preparing us for our missions and eternity with him!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
- 1 Peter 1:3-9, NASB 1995
Christ’s Disciples Need Refined
Choosing to follow Jesus in service and obedience for the rest of our life is choosing to be his disciple. My heart and loyalties are with my Savior, Redeemer, and loving Father and Creator, God. My greatest desire is to run into the arms of Jesus when my body dies; that can only be possible if I work with him and embrace all the refinement he deems necessary.
I’m honored that the Creator of the universe would choose me to play a small part in His grand plan. I’m baffled, amazed, and humbled that Jesus would choose to die for me and every imperfect person just to give us the opportunity to live with him forever! No matter what refinement I endure on this broken earth, it is all worth living with God and Jesus forever! Prune away, Jesus, prune away!
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
- John 15:1-2, NASB 1995
