The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

and the LORD tests hearts.

–Proverbs 17.3–

This coming September, my wife and I will be celebrating our 11 year wedding anniversary. What most people don’t know is that I have cooked almost every dinner for us over that time period. That statement is not an exaggeration.

This arrangement works for us because I love to cook. As an artist, it is a creative outlet for me and therefore is very calming and relaxing.

One of my wife’s favorite meals is mussels.

The problem with mussels is that they need a lot of work done to them to clean them so that they can be cooked with.

Due to their natural state of living in sand and mud, the mussels have be soaked in a flour and water bath for 45 minutes which causes them to spit out any sand or dirt that is inside the shell. Next, they must be scrubbed with a wire brush to remove the caked on debris from the outside of the shell. And, finally the tough fibers that hold the mussel to the pier, rope or rock, must be pulled out.

The truth is that mussels are naturally impure and cannot clean themselves.

A chef needs to come to them and remove the impurity.

A crucible is a ceramic bowl. In that bowl, a metal smith will heat up silver that by nature is unclean and impure.

By heating the silver in the crucible, the dirt deeply imbedded in the silver separates out rises to the top of the crucible. At that point, the metal worker skims off the junk from the top and removes the debris that makes the silver impure. At that point the smith now has material that is useful for making products to help him support his family and work.

The truth is that sliver is naturally impure and cannot clean itself.

A metal smith needs to come to the silver and remove the impurity.

Romans 3.23 says, “for [you] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

And, Romans 7.18 says, “nothing good dwells in [you], that is, in [your] flesh. For [you] have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”

Due to your natural state of being, born into and living in sin, you heart is impure and unclean when tested against God’s standards for life and love. Therefore, you need a lot of work done to you in order to make your heart clean you so that you can be acceptable to God in Heaven.

The truth is that you are naturally impure and cannot clean yourself.

You need someone to come to you and remove the impurity of sin.

The amazing thing is that the Bible also tells you exactly who it is that comes to you to remove impurity in your heart.

Romans 5.8-8 tells you that, “while [you] were still weak, at the right time Christ died for [your ungodliness]…God shows his love for [you] in that while [you] were still [a sinner], Christ died for [you].”

Through faith Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for you, Jesus has done the work of making you into one with a heart that is called clean and pure before the throne of God in Heaven.

As the days go on, the Lord will continue to test your heart, reveal your sin, and speak to you the forgiveness and purity given through faith in Jesus Christ.

Rejoice in your salvation!

Amen.

Pastor Fred

July 24, 2017