The Fires of Life

Introduction

But we probably predominantly think of it as being destructive. We watch the forest fires that destroy thousands upon thousands of acres. You may have or have a loved one who’s had a home destroyed by fire. We’ve probably all to one degree or another literally been burned by fire. And when we think of the scriptures, we think of fire in a negative way often, don’t we? We think of the fire of hell. That never quenching eternal fire of damnation and judgment. But the Bible speaks of fire in a positive sense as well. In fact, if you count the references, there’s more positive said about fire than negative. You remember that God is represented many times in the Old Testament as a flaming fire. I find it interesting that when God does represent Himself in tangible known ways to human beings, that unlike the dumb, lifeless idols, God represents Himself in something that’s living and active, like fire.

1. The Fire of Testing

He appeared to Abraham and to Moses in a flaming fire. He led the children of Israel with a pillar of fire. And our lives are full of the flames of fire. And I’d like for us to talk about that this morning, the reality of the fires of life. But I want to talk to you about them in a positive way. Both of the fires that we’re going to talk about this morning that we experience in life can again be viewed positively or negatively. But I want us to highlight the positive. The first fire of life that we all experience, that depending upon your view and how you use it, can be positive or negative, but is intended by God to be positive is the fire of testing that we all face.

If you’ve been involved in our online studies Sunday night and Wednesday night in the book of 1 Peter recently, you’re familiar with this analogy. That many times the trials, the tribulations, the temptations or persecutions of life are viewed as fires. And again, at first glance, we would think, well, of course they’re fires, because that’s negative. Trials, temptations, and persecutions are like destructive fires that can burn us and destroy us. But again, we might be surprised that they’re spoken of often as a positive fire in our life. Look with me at our familiar text in the book of 1 Peter, chapter 1. We want to revisit this text that again we’ve we’ve recently studied in our online studies. 1 Peter chapter 1. And as a good student of the New Testament, you recognize this, that these trials of life, these various trials that Peter said his audience was undergoing, and really all Christians will undergo, can be viewed positively.

Now that’s counterintuitive than the way we would normally think that any trial, any persecution, certainly, must be viewed as negative. So much so that we should seek to avoid it at all cost. But a deeper and might we say more spiritually mature view of trials and persecutions teaches us that they can be viewed positively. And in some sense, be embraced, and as New Testament writers would say, even rejoice because of these trials. 1 Peter 1, verses 6 and 7 says, in this, that’s the hope that we have, in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. Let’s pause there before we finish our reading. He says, you rejoice in your hope, and we’re with him in verse 6, aren’t we?

We can rejoice in hope because we recognize that there is a temporary trial that we’re undergoing now. And we might think, Peter, you’re right. That’s the good news, but first, there’s the bad. There is the fire of trial that we’re undergoing. And it’s all bad. But if we endure that bad trial, we’ll receive the hope, the outcome of our hope. That’s the good. But again, look at it deeper and maybe more maturely. Look at verse 7 as he continues that here is the purpose of those trials, or one purpose, or one outcome of those trials, verse 7, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to the praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The fire of testing, Peter says, can not only be viewed as that which must be endured until we receive the fulfillment of our hope, but it can be viewed in and of itself in a positive way. The testing of your faith.

Let’s make a short list, and you can make a longer list.

If you’re not receiving discipline, maybe that’s proof you’re not a child. And so it’s proof of our sonship, our daughterhood. Another benefit and blessing of trial, of the fire of trial, is as Peter says, it tests our faith. Test maybe in two senses. The first sense is the way we normally use the word test. It sees whether it really is what it claims to be. I’ve used this illustration before so many times that maybe I need to come up with a new one. But how do you know that a boat is going to float instead of sink? You put it in the water. Well, you can conduct all kinds of laboratory tests that you want, but the greatest test is to put it into the water.

And then, and maybe only in the fullest sense, maybe only then will you know that you have a boat that won’t sink. How do you know that your faith is genuine? That you trust in God, that it’s real, that it’s not just that I trust God on the mountains, but I don’t know about in the valleys of life. I don’t know another way, certainly don’t know a better way than to just push off from shore and endure the trials and to see. And there’s value in that, isn’t there? There’s value in that this side of judgment because I want to know. I want some trial to test my faith, to make sure that it’s genuine, living, and active before I stand on the judgment seat of God and be tested by Him because I can make corrections.

If I fail the test, and again, I may view that strictly as a negative, that I failed that test. But it can become a positive because I can realize I need some, there’s some growing to do. There’s some change I need to do in my life. I need to grow my faith, and how can I do that? How can I make my faith a faith that will stand the next test? But there’s another sense in testing. Testing in the sense of examining, but also testing in the sense of making it stronger. For this illustration, we think of a tree. Deeply rooted and has weathered storm after storm. And those storms have not only tested in the sense of examined that tree, but they’ve made it stronger.

They forced it to have a deeper root system. And to be stronger prepared. Every test, every trial, every temptation, every persecution either makes me weaker, or as it should, it makes me stronger. Another benefit or blessing that I can view in my testing is that when I’ve gone through that test and hopefully been made stronger and been shown that my faith is genuine, that when I come through it, I am now equipped, better equipped to help others who are coming through the storm of life. I can stand on the other end of the tunnel and cheer you on and say, you can make it through this dark times because I did it. I can stand on the other end of the tunnel and yell back into the darkness and give you clues and hints of how to navigate through that darkness, of what to look out for and what to do.

Things that helped me get through that trial. And let me add this little note to that benefit of trials and tribulations and temptations. I fear maybe that this is a neglected part of our Christian experience of not sharing that I went through that same thing myself. Maybe I don’t want to appear vulnerable and weak. I don’t know why. You already know I am. But I hesitate to share with you what I’ve learned in both my successes and my failures. What a blessing that would be for me to say, you know, look, I failed this test once, but I succeeded another time. And so let me help you. If nothing else, let me be your cheerleader, your encourager, your barnabas to help you through those trials. And so these trials of life are a part of life, and they can and sadly have destroyed the faith.

But they can be strengthening. Personally and universally strengthening to my faith and to yours if I view them properly and if I use them properly. It’s time for us to rise to the occasion and almost welcome the challenge. The challenge to our faith that each day brings. Saying, bring on the test. Let’s see how I’m doing today. Let’s see how I can conquer this obstacle. Let’s see how I can get through this dark tunnel so that I can be on the other side to help you. Paul told Timothy, remember in the book of 2 Timothy chapter 3, 2 Timothy chapter 3 and in verse 12, Paul warned Timothy, Paul, who had gone through so much persecution and was undergoing it at the present time, told his younger apprentice Timothy, you will too.

And he tells us the same thing. Yes, 2 Timothy 3, verse 12, yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. We’ve made this point in our study of 1 Peter, but it bears repeating here. Do not think that persecution, Christian persecution, is, number one, a thing of the past. Well, that’s what they experience. That’s what the apostles experience. And also do not think that it is something reserved for those who are living in those less fortunate, less free countries than we are. Oh, yes, I realize that in some communist dictatorship that Christians are being beaten and persecuted today. But I live in America in the 21st century, and so Christian persecution doesn’t exist. Wrong. Paul did not say, all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, parentheses, if you live in the wrong century or in the wrong country.

He says, all. Now, I admit that persecution may take different forms. I’ve never been beaten for my faith. I’ve never spent a day in prison because I’m a Christian. I’ve never had rocks hurled at me. At least not for being a Christian. But two things. Number one is that doesn’t mean that that time’s not coming. But also, it doesn’t mean that some form of persecution doesn’t exist already. Understand this, Satan doesn’t care what it takes to cause you to lose your faith. If it takes the threat of being beheaded, or if it takes the threat of being ostracized and ridiculed, he’ll use whatever weapon he has. In our study of the book of 1 Peter, you may notice that this is not to say that they were not suffering physical harm type of persecution, but over and over again when Peter talks about these various trials, he talks about words like defame, revile, speak evil of you, think strange of you.

2. We Must Cultivate the Fire of Zeal

All of that’s happening today. And all of that is persecution. But all of that can make us stronger and more united. And more committed in our faith. We all face the fire of trial and testing. And we must cultivate the fire of zeal. Now, this is a fire that, again, can be viewed negatively or positively. The word zeal, turn with me, if you will, uh, to the book of Titus, chapter 2. The word zeal or zealous is translated in our scriptures, is a word that’s translated basically two different ways, depending upon whether it’s positive or negative. Those two different ways actually rhyme in the English language. Those are the words zealous and jealous. Same word in the original. One is almost always used negatively, one is almost always used positively.

Not always, but most of the time. And they both speak of the concept of fire. And that’s really the root word of this meaning, the root meaning of this word is the idea of something being hot, boiling. Used negatively, jealousy is that idea of being so consumed by something or someone. Coveting, jealous. Someone has something that I want, and it just, I become obsessed and consumed about it, that it drives my life. Negatively, it drives it into the ditch. But use positively, zealous means again, something that I’m obsessed by. I’m consumed by, that it drives me. But in a positive way. And it’s a fire that consumes. Look with me in the book of Titus, chapter 2 and in verse 14. Speaking of our Savior Jesus Christ, Paul says, He gave himself, this is Titus 2.14, he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people, zealous for good works.

A couple points about that passage. We recognize that what Paul is saying is that this is one purpose for our being redeemed. Remove from our mind the notion that Christ came, shed his blood, washed away our sins, so that he could set us cleansed and pure on a shelf somewhere, waiting for the day of judgment. That’s not a biblical concept. The idea of just sitting around waiting after having been redeemed. He says he redeemed you for this purpose, that you might be his special people. Zealous for good works.

Not just sit there and look pretty, but to be up and active. And so the word zealous. He didn’t just set you apart also for good works. Occasionally, when it’s convenient, when you think about it. He set you apart. He redeemed you, set you apart for good works, that you might be on fire, that you might be consumed by that concept and idea. Zealous for good works. We use the language sometimes of somebody that’s on fire for the Lord. And that’s why he’s redeemed us. That sin, again, that the Hebrew writer talked about that ensnares us and weighs us down, has been removed so that we might push forward and be active. And on fire. Now, Paul in Romans chapter 10 would warn us that there’s some danger in this.

When he spoke of his Jewish brethren who were zealous but without knowledge. And that wasn’t good.

And so we could take off and be on fire. But just like fire itself, if it’s not channeled and used properly, it can be extremely dangerous and destructive. And so zeal must be based not just strictly upon emotion. Oh, the emotion is there. That’s the fuel for the zeal. But it must also be based upon logic and understanding and knowledge of God’s word. But there must be zeal. And that fire, look with me in the book of Hebrews, chapter 10. That fire needs to be kindled from time to time. You’re familiar with this text, Hebrews chapter 10. Preachers have hit you over the head with it for centuries. Hebrews chapter 10, look at verses 24 and 25. He says, and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another. So much so as you see the day approaching. Excuse me. I fear that we’ve used this as a club to hit you over the head to make you be here every time. That we’ve missed. We’ve missed really what this passage is about. The things on both sides of the saying, not forsaking the assembling. He says on the front end of that, consider one another to stir up into love and good works. What a powerful imagery.

We’ve all seen that fire maybe in the fireplace or in the fire pit or somewhere. And it’s kind of dying down. In fact, you can’t see fire anymore. You can’t even see the red glow. It’s all covered over with white ashes. And you might think the fire’s gone.

You might be tempted. Well, I could even touch that. It’s not even hot anymore. But what does it need? It needs to be stirred up, doesn’t it? In fact, years and years ago, they invented something just for that. That you can poke and stir, and what happens? The white ash falls off, the red glow appears again, and when it’s exposed to the oxygen, the fire is back.

Not forsaking our assembling together, but exhorting one another, so much so as you see the day approaching. Is that a day of trials? Is that a day of destruction? Is that the day of judgment? They all apply. So we need this fire of zeal, and we need one another to stir that up and to keep that fire going. And we need that zeal in so many arenas of our Christian life. I need that zeal to be able to stir you up so that you can have that zeal so that you can stir me up. It’s a mutual aid society we have here. We’re helping one another. We need that fire, that zeal to be evangelistic, to reach out and to teach those who are lost. And do not let the most recent circumstances of this dreadful year tamp out your fire.

It may force you to be more creative, to find ways that you can still share the gospel, that you can still encourage one another, that you can still, and we need the zeal for this, to build up this church in unity and harmony and love. And again, I might have to be creative. But if I have that fire that consumes me, I won’t let a mask or a shutdown or anything. Put out the fire. I might have to find a new way to use that fire. But if it’s burning so bright within me, it can’t be contained. It can only be channeled. And I need that fire to improve everything I do in service to God. That I can’t be held back. Because I’m on fire.

Conclusion

A fire made more intense, not just by my association with you, but by having successfully gone through the fire of testing. And like God Himself, who represented Himself in a flaming fire.

Just as active in my service to Him. Would you become a Christian? Would you light that fire this morning? Recognizing that Satan, after you repent, confess, and be baptized for the remission of your sins, that Satan will do everything he can, use every weapon in his arsenal to extinguish that fire. But know that the fire of testing and the fire of zeal can keep it alive. Could you become a Christian this morning? Maybe you’ve done that in the past, but your flame is going out. Recognize that these good people can stir you up and can encourage you. Can applaud and cheer you through the dark tunnels of life. Can we help you this morning? If we can, if you need to come to Christ or come back to Him to light that fire, then why not come as together we stand and as we sing.

From the throat shines for you and me let us listen to the call of love Zion call Please ring in coming from the Wear it ring Let us listen to the call of love on the road to the gold burdens we must bear but we have help from rest above for we receive courage new when we kneel in prayer let us listen to the call of love Zion’s call please ring in coming from