God's Purification of Our Sins
Sometimes, God has to take drastic actions to purify His children of sins. He can do this in a number of ways, but the one we see often is that God turns up the heart on their lives so much that they can't and won't sin because they are so uncomfortable. This condition is brought home by the message God gave Ezekiel, when He likened Israel to an empty bronze pot put on the fire to burn off the scum.(Ezekiel 24:11) Yes, sin is scum in our lives, and the heat of God will burn it off and bring purification. However, it is very painful and even devastating to go through that.
Let's say that the USA was attacked by an enemy, and they cut off the electricity by destroying the grid. At the same time they destroyed the computer systems, which disrupted banking and distribution of goods and services. The country would be in chaos, but a lot of the sins that are being practiced in abundance now would cease almost immediately, wouldn't they? We would be suffering from the heat or cold of the weather. We would be in the dark, and there would be a lack of food, so we would be hungry. We would have to focus on survival instead of sin. That is what God did to Israel, and that is exactly what He could do to the USA or to an individual on a smaller scale. Believe me, we do not want to experience God's purification by being put into the fire.
Instead, all we have to do, as God's children, is to turn away from our sins, stop doing them, and confess them to God.(I John 1:9) He will cleanse us of our sins and purify us gladly by the cleansing of the Holy Spirit. He will give us power to overcome any addiction or trial we have, but we have to decide to turn it all over to Him. What will happen? I do not know, but I am praying that we do not have to be thrown into the fire.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 27-30.
Let's say that the USA was attacked by an enemy, and they cut off the electricity by destroying the grid. At the same time they destroyed the computer systems, which disrupted banking and distribution of goods and services. The country would be in chaos, but a lot of the sins that are being practiced in abundance now would cease almost immediately, wouldn't they? We would be suffering from the heat or cold of the weather. We would be in the dark, and there would be a lack of food, so we would be hungry. We would have to focus on survival instead of sin. That is what God did to Israel, and that is exactly what He could do to the USA or to an individual on a smaller scale. Believe me, we do not want to experience God's purification by being put into the fire.
Instead, all we have to do, as God's children, is to turn away from our sins, stop doing them, and confess them to God.(I John 1:9) He will cleanse us of our sins and purify us gladly by the cleansing of the Holy Spirit. He will give us power to overcome any addiction or trial we have, but we have to decide to turn it all over to Him. What will happen? I do not know, but I am praying that we do not have to be thrown into the fire.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 27-30.