TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2025

EMBRACING THE DIVINE REFINER

BH 192: Are You Washed in the Blood?

MEMORY VERSE: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” Luke 12:49, NIV

TEXT: Luke 12:49-53

[49] “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

[50] But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!

[51] Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.

[52] From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.

[53] They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

INTRODUCTION: THE STARTLING MISSION OF JESUS

The words of Jesus Christ recorded in Luke 12 are among the most startling and uncompromising statements He ever made about the nature of His mission. We often think of the Messiah’s arrival in terms of peace, gentleness, and comfort—a beautiful Lamb sent to save the world. Yet, here, Jesus declares a profound, dual purpose: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). And further, He confirms: “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division” (Luke 12:51).

This fire is not meant for destruction, but for purification. This division is not born of malice, but of truth. Jesus is the fulfillment of the promised ‘Refiner’ who would cleanse His people and their priestly service (Malachi 3:3-4). His goal is singular and ultimate: to transform the innermost part of our hearts so that we may reflect the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

This divine fire is inescapable. It is the catalyst for the change God demands in us. It is the relentless heat that separates the precious metal of our true identity in Christ from the worthless dross of our fallen nature.

I. THE FIRE DEFINED: JUDGMENT AND PURIFICATION

To understand Jesus’ mission, we must rightly define the fire He came to cast upon the earth. This fire carries three interconnected meanings, all of which demand an internal, radical change in the believer.

A. The Fire as the Holy Spirit (Divine Energy)

The first dimension of the fire is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist prophesied: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). This fire represents the divine energy, power, and passion that the Holy Spirit ignites within the believer. It is the fervency of the Spirit that consumes coldness, laziness, and apathy in our service to God (Romans 12:11). This fire is the divine unction that empowers us to live and minister supernaturally.

B. The Fire as the Word (Penetrating Truth)

The Word of God itself is often described as fire: “Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord (Jeremiah 23:29, NKJV). The Word, when preached and received, is a consuming, penetrating truth that illuminates darkness and exposes hypocrisy. It burns away self-deception and challenges every unholy thought and motive. This fire forces us to confront the reality of our sinfulness and the absolute necessity of repentance and righteousness.

C. The Fire as Purification (The Refiner’s Heat)

The primary meaning of the fire in the context of Luke 12 is purification and refinement. Malachi 3:3 prophesied this specific action: “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.”

Sin defiles the soul, cutting humanity away from God and the covenant of eternal life. Jesus came, ultimately, to cleanse and deliver us from this defilement. No unclean person can offer acceptable service and sacrifice to God. The fire is the means by which God makes us holy, fit for His presence, and capable of a righteous offering.

II. THE REFINER’S METHOD: THE IMAGE OF THE SON

The essence of the Refiner’s work is perfectly captured in the powerful analogy of the silversmith.

A pastor once shared the story of a woman who visited a silversmith’s workshop. Curious, she asked, “How do you know that the silver is fully refined?” With a smile, the silversmith answered her, “Oh! That’s easy. When I see my image in it.”

God’s utmost intention for bringing this fire is precisely this: that we reflect the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

A. The Removal of Dross

The process of refining involves intense heat. Silver and gold ore are placed in a crucible over a fierce fire. As the temperature rises, the impurities (called dross) separate from the precious metal and float to the surface. The refiner must then carefully skim off this dross.

In our lives, the dross represents every impurity: pride, selfishness, unforgiveness, lust, covetousness, and the norms of the world. The fire of the Holy Spirit, the Word, and life’s trials forces these impurities to the surface of our consciousness—making them impossible to ignore. God sits patiently over the crucible of our lives, maintaining the perfect temperature, not to destroy us, but to purify us.

B. The Refining Instruments

The Word of God, discipleship, discipline, rebuke, correction, and persecution are some of God’s most common means of refining our character. These are not acts of God’s anger, but of His faithful love and commitment to our destiny (Hebrews 12:6-7).

1: Rebuke and Correction: These are the divine skimmers. They expose the dross of our character—the sharp word, the selfish motive, the subtle sin—so that we may repent and be cleansed.

2: Discipleship: This is the shaping process. It keeps us in the heat of accountability and models the image of Christ to us through godly mentors.

3: The Word of God: This is the consistent heat source. The Word, when applied, ensures the temperature is always high enough to force the impurities out.

We must embrace God’s Word, rebuke, and correction with joy, recognizing that they are not tools of condemnation, but instruments of transformation designed to make us beautiful.

III. THE PRECEDING BAPTISM: SUFFERING BEFORE FIRE

Before Jesus could fully ignite this fire upon the earth, He acknowledged a necessary precondition: “But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!” (Luke 12:50).

A. Jesus’ Constraint and Anguish

The “baptism” Jesus refers to here is not water baptism, but the overwhelming experience of suffering and death He faced at the cross. It was His agonizing descent into the depths of human sin and separation from God. The “constraint” speaks of the intense anxiety, distress, and anguish He felt until this mission—the ultimate act of purification—was complete.

The cross was the necessary completion that fully purchased the right to ignite the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit (the atonement) and established the standard for purity (righteousness).

B. The Principle of the Cross

This verse establishes a foundational spiritual principle for every believer: Suffering precedes Glory; Baptism precedes Fire.

We cannot inherit the power and purity of the Holy Spirit’s fire without first accepting and passing through our own symbolic baptism of suffering—the taking up of our cross daily (Luke 9:23).

The World’s Way: Seeks glory without suffering, ease without effort.

The Kingdom Way: Demands that we patiently endure God’s means of purification, even when the process feels crushing. The suffering we experience—whether it’s the discipline of correction or the crushing weight of persecution—is directly connected to the ultimate perfection of our character.

IV. THE INEVITABLE DIVISION: THE COST OF THE FIRE

The immediate, earthly consequence of the fire of purification is division. Jesus unequivocally states: “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division” (Luke 12:51).

This is a profound spiritual truth that cuts against our natural desire for unity at all costs. The division Jesus speaks of is not one He causes for its own sake, but one that is required by the radical purity and absolute standard He introduces.

A. The Clash of Kingdoms

The fire of Christ separates truth from falsehood, light from darkness, and the Kingdom of God from the norms of the world. Once a person embraces this fire of purification, their lifestyle becomes an implicit rebuke to those who choose to remain in the darkness of sin and compromise.

This division often manifests most painfully in the most intimate places: the family unit.

B. Division in the Household

“From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other… They will be divided, father against son and son against father…” (Luke 12:52-53).

The family is the most cherished unit in human society, yet it is often the first place the fire of Christ reveals a fundamental separation. Why?

1: Conflicting Values: When a believer chooses holiness, prayer, ethical integrity, and obedience to the Word, their faith will forbid them from embracing the comfortable norms of the world that their unbelieving relatives may cherish (e.g., materialism, moral compromise, unholy habits).

2: The Pressure of Conformity: The unbelieving family member sees the change and feels judged, not by the believer’s words, but by their transformed life. The pressure to conform to the family’s old way of life creates division.

3: Persecution from Within: Believers in Jesus will, therefore, be persecuted (even by close relatives). This internal persecution is often the most painful form of the Refiner’s fire, forcing the believer to make a stark choice: family loyalty or spiritual purity.

We must be prepared for this reality. Our commitment to Christ must be greater than our desire for immediate, earthly peace. The peace He gives is internal and unshakeable, even amidst external familial conflict.

V. PATIENT ENDURANCE: THE PATH TO REFLECTION

The process of purification is rarely comfortable. The heat is intense, the pain of separation is real, and the constraint can feel crushing. This is why the instruction is to patiently endure God’s means of purification.

A. The Power of Endurance

Perceive this truth: Gem does not become gold until it goes through fire.

The diamond must endure immense pressure. The clay must endure the kiln’s heat. The raw metal must endure the crucible. Similarly, the believer must endure the process of character formation. The quality of our faith—its strength, its purity, and its capacity to serve God—is directly proportional to the heat we have successfully endured.

The suffering of the refining process is temporary, but the resulting character is eternal.

B. The Final Reflection

The end goal of the fire, the division, and the discipline is that single, glorious moment when the Refiner looks down into the molten surface of our soul and sees His own image—the perfect reflection of Jesus Christ.

When the fire is complete, and the dross is skimmed away, the believer shines with an undeniable, stable glory. This refined character is what enables us to offer the acceptable service and sacrifice to God that Malachi prophesied. Our prayers, our worship, and our ministry move from being tainted by our flesh to being truly righteous offerings.

Do not run from the heat. Do not resent the correction. Do not compromise for the sake of false peace. Patiently surrender to the process. You will reflect the glory of the process, only when you are truly refined by His fire.

CONCLUSION: ARE YOU WASHED IN THE BLOOD?

The question posed by the hymn, “Are You Washed in the Blood?” is the perfect response to the fire of change. The only way to survive the Refiner’s heat is to be covered by the blood of the Lamb. The blood cleanses the defilement of sin, and the fire purifies the character of the saint.

If you have been to Jesus for cleansing, then embrace the refining fire He has brought. Let the Word search the innermost part of your heart. Let the disciplines of correction strip away the dross. Endure the division with grace, knowing that you are fighting for eternal values.

The ultimate desire of your Father is to make you a model of kingdom values—a pure vessel ready for His eternal presence. Let that fire be kindled in you today.

PONDER: Have you been to Jesus for cleansing, and are you now submitting to the heat of the refinement process?

PRACTISE: Embrace God’s Word, rebuke, and correction with joy. When facing division over your faith, choose spiritual purity over worldly peace.

PRAY: Father, search the innermost part of my heart and cleanse me from all impurities. LORD, make me a model of kingdom values, refined and shining with Your glory, in Jesus’ name.

RBT: John 7-8