Only Melted Gold Is Minted

A quote that Smith Wigglesworth was fond of is; “Only melted gold is minted”. He believed that the trials, or fires, you are brought through in life bring you to a greater walk with God. Monica surely will be a double-eagle. There are several scriptures that speak of this refining, including;

Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

God says He will bring them through the fire, as the three Hebrew children in Daniel were brought through. As with the Hebrew children, there should be no delivering of self, but a trusting and relying on Him to bring you through. We are not sufficient for our self, but His grace is sufficient in our weakness. In the book of Malachi He is like a refiner’s fire;

Malachi 3:2, 3 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Isaiah 64:6 says all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. We have no ability or sufficiency from our self to change that, but His refining and purging our failures brings us to the point where we can be purified, and offer a true offering in righteousness. As it is with refining gold, it is during the trial by fire that God can purge and purify you, and the dross can be removed from your life. If we never go through trial or affliction, we never lose the dross! Once pure, and melted, gold can be shaped into whatever is desired; it is only at this point spiritually that you can be an offering in righteousness. Hence “only melted gold is minted”. It is only after our preparation by God that we can offer and be a pure sacrifice or offering to God.

While it is a physical example in the Old Testament, there is a spiritual parallel for us in the following verses;

Numbers 31:21 – 23 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses; Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

We have considered previously Brother Buckner’s message and some scriptures on consume and consummate, and realized that everything will be consumed in one way or the other; consumed into the kingdom of God, or consumed by the fire of God. These two contrasts can be seen in Malachi 4:1 – 3. We looked above to Malachi 3:16 – 18. Do you want to be in the book of remembrance mentioned? Fear and serve God, and be delivered! Look further at the verses around those used above, to Malachi 3:1 – 6. Will you allow Him to refine you? There is a choice you must make, and He is mercifully waiting;

Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

It is the enduring mercy of God that we are not consumed. Remember also that He provided salvation! Only what is sure and steadfast will abide the fire, and it will come forth clean. Under the law, the water of separation then made it pure – is the water of separation spiritually like baptism, and then baptism of the Spirit for us? Remember what Jesus said … thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness … There is a pureness, a holiness that we are called to, and this will only come fully through being refined. If we can abide the fire, our walk of trials will purge the dross, and sanctify and bring us to holiness, so we may see the Lord;

Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

All that we need to bring us to this holiness is in God. Our being able to continue serving Him acceptably is by His grace;

Hebrews 12:28, 29 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

Although scripture tells us Lot had a righteous soul, he had to come out of Sodom because he could not abide the fire. Even after coming out they could not look back; Lot’s wife did, and it was not just a historical event. There is a spiritual parallel that Jesus exhorts us about;

Luke 17:32  Remember Lot’s wife.

There can be no turning back if you are to be refined, and come forth as pure gold. We must follow God wholly, without holding back. When we are tried we are to abide the fire, and be clean; we should then rejoice in what God is working in us;

I Peter 1:6, 7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

While at the ironing board at about 6 am one morning, parts of several scriptures came in quick order; first, But none of these things move me …, and then … but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind …, followed by For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. This was an immediate blessing, knowing that God was encouraging to not be affected by the things of this life. But a study of these verses has expounded the blessing, realizing they cover all areas of time: future, past, and present. The first is in Acts;

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

This verse speaks of Paul’s reaction to future events. God does not want us on a roller coaster ride spiritually. In the verses before, Paul says he is going to Jerusalem bound in the spirit, and that the Holy Ghost witnesses that he will have bonds and affliction. Why are we moved by the minor road blocks the devil has placed, and that we see ahead? Step out and fulfill the plan of God for you, knowing He is bigger than anything you face. In II Corinthians 1:8 Paul said that when they were in Asia at one point in his walk … we despaired even of life … But now, at the point of the scripture in Acts, his walk and ministry are more important even than life to him. You cannot bear it now, but God will provide the ability to bear each thing He brings you to, in your walk with Him. Fully trust Him and allow Him to refine you through the things you see ahead.

God then brings us to the things that are behind us;

Philippians 3:13, 14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Have you allowed the enemy to condemn you for the things of your past? Do you try to do good to atone for sins of your past? If you do you are figuratively bound by the provisions of the law;

Hebrews 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sin every year.

Why would you go back repeatedly to pay again for something that was already paid for? Jesus completely paid the price for those sins if you will walk sanctified in faith: put them behind you;

Hebrews 10:12 – 14 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

As you are tried by fire, impurities will be purged from you that you might be as pure gold. Why would you continually try to purge again the old dross, or sin? Jesus wants you to move ahead in Him. Let the refining fire of Christ forever purge this dross from you. Walk in assurance that Jesus has saved you from who you were, and move forward to victories with Him.

Have you had victories in Jesus in your past? They are for His glory; you need to forget what is behind, realizing Jesus brought you from great sin and by His grace enabled you to accomplish them. Seek the next greater thing in the plan of God for you. Paul mentioned the … high calling; the word calling in the Greek means an invitation. Paul had not reached his highest invitation, and certainly none of us have. In asking God to show us what His calling for us is, we miss that it will always be increasing. When God removes the doubt and fear we will have faith to move heaven and earth; why should we settle for a lesser or reduced calling today? Do not let the past stop you from moving ahead in God; let Him purge your failings, and then seek His plan for you.

We also have the problems of today that Paul calls … light affliction;

II Corinthians 4:16 – 18 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things that are seen are temporal; but the things that are not seen are eternal.

The apostle had reached the place with God where all the great trials he had faced could be declared light affliction. Looking back from these verses we see the issues of life he is talking about;

II Corinthians 4:7 – 10 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

We have faced nothing similar to the trials of Paul, yet we are bound and hindered by the momentary things of life. It does not matter if the compressor on your car is out; it does not matter if someone has broken your windows; it does not matter if vandals have damaged your house; it does not matter if legal fees have mounted; it does not matter if you have faced 26 years with your handicapped daughter. Allow God to give you a vision for the eternal things that are not seen, and He will bring you to overcome that which you face in the temporary things. Life is short, and we do not know what tomorrow will bring;

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a time, and then vanisheth away.

What of the eternal things that are promised in the scriptures above? It is not possible for the natural man to comprehend the wonderful things God has prepared for His servants;

I Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

In the Old Testament Ahab was confronted by Ben-hadad, thirty two kings, and a great multitude, while the children of Israel numbered only 7,000. Yet God told Ahab He would provide a miracle in trying to change wicked Ahab;

I Kings 20:13 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

God plainly stated that this miracle would happen so Ahab would … know that I am the Lord. Although given this prophecy, and great deliverance, Ahab refused in spirit to be changed or refined by the trial and victory. There came a prophecy of Monica, and God said … and ye shall know that I am the God of Miracles. In our unbelief we were no better than Ahab, but God is removing the doubt and fear and delivering this promise into our hands. What will we do with it, and for Him? We must be willing, obedient, yielded, prepared vessels or we will fail as Ahab did. What will you do with it or for Him? Jesus said in the prophecy … this story shall go abroad … and spread forth the news of the miracle working God. Are you prepared to spread the news? Let Him refine you, that you are prepared to receive and share the promise that is to all;

Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

When Peter said these words he was speaking of the Holy Ghost, but the spreading of the news of the miracle working God is also … to all that are afar off. Grasp the promise, realize the eternal things are what will last; go out and fulfill his plan for you to His glory;

II Corinthians 2:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Just after being saved God gave the following poem that exhorts to overcome the minor issues of life that our flesh cannot abide;

When life seems dull and dreary,

and things just don’t work out,

lift your hands toward heaven,

lift your voice and shout,

Glory! Halleluiah!

Praise be to His name,

I’m in love with Jesus,

I’m so glad He came.

The trials of life will become dimmer,

As you walk along the way,

Sweet victory will be yours,

As you overcome today.

Be not weary in well doing,

Share Jesus as you can,

Overcome and be victorious,

As you fulfill God’s plan.

Walk with God in a humble, yielded, joyful spirit as the refining of the consuming fire of our God brings you through every attack of the enemy. Let the grace of God be your sufficiency as you are brought to the place of being a pure offering unto Him, that can be shaped into the plan of God!