Surrender To Sanctification
Malachi 3:2-3 (ESV)
But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.
Growing up, I was a very adventurous child. As soon as the school bell rang for lunch, I would shoot up out of my seat and into the playground. I’d swing, climb and jump to my heart’s content – albeit, not very well… did I also mention I was a very clumsy child? Numerous play times very quickly produced accidental injuries that my mum would have to bandage. She’d sit me down at the kitchen table to assess the damage, a painless task at first, and then the antiseptic would appear – its first sting on my broken skin and the panic on my face was enough to let my mum know she’d have just a few moments before I dashed out of my chair to run and hide.
In some ways, sanctification is like applying antiseptic. It is the process of cleaning and healing, restoring the human heart to its original intended state. It can be very painful at times. Maybe like me – you even hide from its sting. Our passage today reminds us that God is refiner and purifier – of us! He purifies us because he loves us. He recognises who he has called us to be even when we are covered in the dirt of the world or the cuts and bruises of our past hurts. He loves his children and cleans the dirt to save our souls, because we are precious to him. He wants to remind us we are called to be bearers of his image! This is the beauty of sanctification, being made holy – the necessary pain, the TCP of Christian life.
I leave you with this question – will you hide from God’s loving purifying? Or will you surrender to being made more like him - holy?
Prayer — Lord, thank you that you love me so much that you care about the state of my heart. I am sorry for all the times I have tried to hide my sins and emotional wounds from you. I recognise my need to be made holy. Lord I ask you to wash me clean, help me to reflect you in all that I do.