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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Reconciliation by Fire, continued
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: . . . . (I Peter 4:17)
Notice (above) how Peter interprets the fiery testings of the saint:
There is a suffering "according to the will of God." The purpose of such fiery suffering is to reconcile the saint to God. It is Divine judgment on all that the saint is, does, thinks, imagines, speaks.
The baptism with fire cleanses sin from us. It prunes out of our personality all that is useless and dead. It truly is the Day of Reconciliation, leading to the tabernacling of God in Christ in us.
The blood of the Lamb removes the spots from the wedding garment of the Bride of the Lamb. The hot iron of fiery testings removes the wrinkles.
Turning to Second Thessalonians we find the same concept:
So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: (II Thessalonians 1:4)
How does Paul explain the fiery trials, the baptism with fire, through which the church of the Thessalonians was passing?
Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: (II Thessalonians 1:5)
"Which [persecutions and tribulations that ye endure] is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God."
"That ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God."
If we are willing to endure our necessary sufferings in the present hour we will be able to rest with all the saints when the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed from Heaven (II Thessalonians 1:7).
Our God is the Consuming Fire. He calls us and then seeks to "slay" us.
And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him [Moses], and sought to kill him. (Exodus 4:24)
Why would the Lord seek to "slay" Moses after having called him to go and deliver Israel from Egypt?
It was because Moses' son had not been circumcised. God seeks out the part of our nature that has not been "circumcised," that has not been brought into covenant with God. Then we are compelled, as was Jacob, to struggle for our life.
God is not merely a philosopher or a kindly teacher who guides us into a happy life. God is a fiercely possessive Spirit who makes a covenant with us by blood, by the sword of His Word, by fire.
Christian people are sure they know all about the Lord until He baptizes them with the reconciling fire. Then the believers are offended because God is not being "nice" to them. He is wounding; He is tearing down their works of fleshly self-love; He is demanding truth in the inward parts.
Blessed indeed is the individual with whom God is dealing in this manner. The results will be the "peaceable fruit of righteousness." Blessed indeed are those who are mourning because the Lord Jesus is judging the darkness in their personalities.
To be continued.