Reflections From the Psalms
The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. (Ps. 12:6-7)
It does not matter how the Truth of God is challenged, discredited, and attacked – in the end, the Truth of God will be shown to BE TRUE. This is not only true out here in the world, but it is true within the believer. That which is of Jesus Christ can endure any fire. That which is NOT of Jesus Christ will perish – and the sooner the better.
God, through Paul, was perfectly clear on this matter. Paul wrote, “For no other foundation can any man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (I Cor. 3:11-15)
It certainly ought to be something in which to rejoice, that in the end, all that is of Christ will remain, but all that is NOT of Christ will be gone. Only that which is birthed of God will endure – though all hell come against Him. That which is not birthed of God, but built by man, or the enemy, is already dead. It will pass into history. Though we ought to rejoice in this Truth, it is also a wake up call – what are we building? Or even more importantly, what is being built in us?
If God is building you and I in His Son, then even if this is tried with fire seven times, what will emerge in Christ will be all the more purified. But that same fire will burn up that which is not of Christ. Paul’s exhortation is that we NOW lose all that is of natural man, and let it be, “burnt,” in order to find and live in that which is of Jesus Christ.
We need to see the utter and complete certainty of these words. God is going to be proven true and faithful, and Jesus Christ is going to be Lord of all. Not maybe. But it is certain. All else will be gone. The question is where WE will stand – again, what is being built in us NOW?