Look! I Am Sending My Messenger, And He Will Prepare The Way Before Me
Purification Is Paramount To Our Salvation
MALACHI 3:1-3
“”Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts. “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 launderers’ soap. 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.
”Malachi 3:1-3 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/mal.3.1-3.nkj
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There are two messengers in verse one. The first is understood to be John the Baptist (MATHEW 11:10, LUKE 7:27). The second is Jesus, the Messiah, for whom both Malachi and John the Baptist prepared the way.
Jesus came to undo the works of the devil, crushing His head under His feet (GENESIS 3:15), to build His Church, and pay the debt of the world on a cross (JOHN 3:16), and at the cross, He died for the sins of the world and said, “It is finished (JOHN 19:28-30).
But all glory to God, for Christ died on a cross, went down into hades (mans common grave) and on the third day was risen. This event was witnessed by many people, removing all doubt that Christ defeated death itself.
Paul said, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”
I Corinthians 15:1-8 nkjv
Furthermore, in the time Christ spent down in hades, He preached to the dead, giving hope to all people going back to the time of the flood.
“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”
I Peter 4:1-6 NKJV
In the process of refining metals, the raw metal is heated with fire until it melts. The impurities separate and rise to the surface. They are then skimmed off, leaving absolute pure metal. Without this extreme heat and melting, there could be no purification.
As the impurities are skimmed off, the reflection of the worker appears in the clear pure surface. As God purifies us, His reflection in our lives will become more and more clear to those around us.
Our God said the Levites (Israel's leaders) should be especially open to His purification process in their lives, the strong soap was alkali used to whiten cloth, also used here as a symbol of the purification process.
Today, God is using our trials and challenges as the furnace to take us through the purification process, removing all the impurities out of our hearts and minds, preparing us for service here on earth, Jesus return, and our future of eternal life in paradise with God (REVELATION 21:3-4).
However painful and difficult lifes trials and challenges become, we need to understand that God is in control. There’s no reason to fear our testing, for He does not allow anyone to be tested more than he can stand (1 CORINTHIANS 13:10).
But like all students, we must all pass each test before we can move on to the next level. It is a process that will step by step renew our minds and bring transformation that we become more Christ like in the way we think; as we grow, we shall come to understand what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (ROMANS 12:1-2).
James said, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:2-4 NKJV
The purification process is a life-long process that is paramount to our salvation, but you can be certain, that God, who started a good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day Christ Jesus returns (PHILIPPIANS 1:6 nlt).
My brethren, in order for the Holy Spirit to do His good work within us, we must submit to His ways and His will, cooperate and walk with Him.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
And finally my beloved, “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Galatians 6:6-10 NKJV (see also GALATIANS 5:16-26).
All glory to God forever and ever. Amen.
