Gold is purified through a process of extreme heat exposure called the refining process in which it is melted in a furnace that can easily reach up to 1000 degrees. This process results in impurities in the gold becoming solid and moving toward the top of the furnace, where it is then simmered off or removed. 

No believer would dare to willfully volunteer to be put through such a process of refining, However, the refining process is not optional for any believer that desires to have a deeper walk with the Lord. The Apostle Peter compares our faith as the Gold that must be tried by the fire of trials, tribulations and hardships that we must all face in life. What we must embrace, is the revelation that it’s through this process that we produce praise, honor and glory! The Word of the Lord tells us that our God is a consuming fire, a jealous God! – Deuteronomy 4:24. Are we truly willing to be consumed by HIM? If our answer is yes, then we must accept the reality that we will encounter our own seasons of refining by fire. 

The very term “refining” is defined as “the removal of impurities or unwanted elements from (a substance), typically as part of an industrial process” When I hear this in conjunction with the context of what we are discussing here I think of what the Bible terms as “Sanctification”. This is a term not heard very much anymore in today’s modern Church culture but simply means “to be set apart”. This refining process is an illustration of what the Holy Spirit does when we give our hearts to the Lord. He begins a refining process in our lives by removing toxins and impurities from our lives that would hinder the purpose and plan that God has for our lives. When getting in the presence of a Holy God his power and glory will begin surfacing those impurities so that we can lay them down and embrace the Master as he molds us to his masterpiece for his Kingdom!