Refining

God created humans as with a basic innocent good spirit and amazing bodies. That changed in the garden of Eden. A sin nature was added that was to affect all mankind. This was not just a surface impurity but changed our very spirit. It would be impossible for man to rid this from himself without God’s help. Thus, when people accept Christ into their life they are given the Holy Spirit to live within them and change them from the inside, cleansing them from all sin. Jesus was the perfect example and also told what God desired to transform humans back into the perfection that was created in the beginning. Not only were past sins covered by the blood Christ shed but the nature of the being is renewed until salvation is possible as Christians enter Heaven. There, in the presence of a Holy God, no sin is tolerated. Additionally, there are no temptations to influence perfection. Eternal spirit life can continue without the need for a tree of life to sustain it. God has accomplished what mankind could never do. Obliterate all sin and gain perfect love in the presence of the Creator forever. The process is not without some pain and effort while we are still on earth. It is described in the verses below.

Deu 8:2 And you shall remember all the way which Jehovah your God led you these forty years in the wilderness in order to humble you, to prove you, to know what is in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
Deu 8:16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know, so that He might humble you and so that He might prove you, to do you good in your latter end,
Deu 8:19 And it shall be if you do at all forget Jehovah your God and walk after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you shall surely perish.

Psa 66:10 For You have proved us, O God; You have tested us, as silver is refined.
Psa 66:11 You have brought us into the net; You have laid affliction on our loins.
Psa 66:12 You have allowed men to ride at our head; we have gone through fire and through water, but You have brought us out to plenty.

God does test those that are His just as shrubs are trimmed to make them more productive and effective. He allows the world to try and control believers to test whether they will trust Him, obey Him and seek Him in times of trouble. In the end He will reward the faithful with the abundance of Heaven. In the present time He gives rewards for correct choices also.

Isa 48:9 For My name’s sake I will put off My anger, and for My praise I will hold back for you, that I do not cut you off.
Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
Isa 48:11 For my sake, for My sake I will do it; for why should My name be defiled? And I will not give My glory to another.
Isa 48:17 So says Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah your God who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.
Isa 48:18 Oh that you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Isa 48:19 And your seed would have been like the sand, and the offspring of your bowels like its grain; his name would not have been cut off nor destroyed from before Me.

God is patient with those trying to follow Him. He knows that eventually they will praise Him. He tests His followers by affliction. They are not destroyed because they carry the name of Christ and believe in Him. They become part of God’s glory and will not be turned over to Satan. They are taught that right actions are rewarded and are thus led in the ways that are correct. God desired that all would have just followed His laws and been given His peace as one right action followed another as waves follow one another. Their offspring would have been blessed, just as Abraham’s were, and none would have turned against God and been destroyed.

Zec 13:1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the people of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
Zec 13:2 And it shall be in that day, says Jehovah of Hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall be remembered no more. And also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
Zec 13:3 And it shall be when any shall yet prophesy, his father and his mother who gave birth to him shall say to him then, You shall not live; for you speak lies in the name of Jehovah. And his father and his mother who gave him birth shall thrust him through when he prophesies.
Zec 13:4 And it shall be in that day, the prophets shall be ashamed, each one of his vision, when he prophesies. And they shall not wear a hairy garment to deceive.
Zec 13:5 But he shall say, I am no prophet; I am a man, a tiller of the ground; for a man taught me to buy from my youth.
Zec 13:6 And one shall say to him, What are these wounds in your hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of those who love Me.
Zec 13:7 Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the Man who is My companion, says Jehovah of Hosts; strike the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. And I will turn My hand on the little ones.
Zec 13:8 And it shall be in all the land, says Jehovah, two parts in it shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left in it
Zec 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 answer them; I will say, It is My people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.

In the last days the Holy Spirit will be very active. The people of Israel will realize that they have sinned against God and have prophesied wrongly. They will kill any son or daughter that tries to prophesy. They will know that they are just human farmers. When Christ comes they will ask how he got his wounds and will hear that those who were trying to follow God were led astray and in error killed Him. God then chose to discipline (turn His hand) against Israel for what they had done. God saw how Satan had turned the people against Him and how Satan tried to scatter those that followed Christ by attacking them.

(God instead turned their scattering in His favor and use the attacks to spread Christ’s good news.)

After the great tribulation, in the war of Armageddon, only 1/3 of Israel would survive and become refined. They would learn to follow God forever and call on Him and have relationship with Him. In turn, God will call them His people and they will say that Jehovah is their god. Christ would then rule in peace for 1000 years before Satan is released from his pit of captivity to test people again for a short while before Heaven comes to a new earth.

Good news for gentiles:

The same promises given to Israel are for all gentiles grafted into God’s people. Therefore, all people go through testing until they die. Those that trust in Christ and follow him are also given tribulations so they will learn to call on God for help and turn from wrong choices inspired by Satan. Ultimately, all who are Christ’s will attain a Heavenly reward and will live with God in peace forever. They will then give God glory and praise forever and will live in harmony with God.

2Co 4:17 For the lightness of our present affliction works out for us a far more excellent eternal weight of glory,

Be encouraged, suffering also gives patience and draws us closer to God. Thus, suffering results in obtaining more glory the closer we become like God.

Heb 5:8 though being a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

Even Jesus suffered and gave His highest obedience to the will of His Father when He accepted death and suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. He always will be our greatest teacher, having done all that he expects us to follow. Praise God, He is worthy of highest glory.