Salvation by the Fire of Divine Judgment

 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:11,12)

As we have stated, the Divine fire will test every person's work of what kind it is. Was it wrought in Christ or was it a human or sinful effort? All of us must be brought through the fire of God. We must become "fireproof" if we would enjoy the Presence of the Father throughout eternity; if we would be with the Lord Jesus where He is.

The fiery trial mentioned by the Apostle Peter is the Divine judgment that must fall continually on us and all our works.

The subject of the fourth chapter of First Peter is salvation by the fire of Divine judgment. The stage is set by the opening passage:

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. (I Peter 4:1,2)

The suffering we Christians experience is often a judgment on the sins in our flesh. The fiery sufferings burn away our sins so that we live in God's will rather than in the lusts of our flesh ("lasciviousness [immorality], lusts, excess of wine, revellings [orgies], banquetings [drinking parties], and abominable idolatries"—I Peter 4:3).

Since we are in the last days the Judgment Seat of Christ already is in session.

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (I Peter 4:17)

When the believers are judged because of their sins they are chastened by the Lord so they will not be condemned with the world.

But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (I Corinthians 11:32)

The process of salvation is the process of removing the worldliness, lust, and self-will from our personality and filling us with the Life of Christ. God accomplishes this deliverance by bringing us through the fires of Divine judgment.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (I Peter 4:12)

The same fiery trial purified the Son of God. Even He learned obedience to the Father by means of the things He suffered, and being made perfect He became the Captain of our salvation.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)

If the Lamb of God was made perfect through sufferings, what will be true of us who are altogether sinful and desperately wicked?

To be continued.