What is the “gold refined by the fire”?
1 Peter 1:6 - “Now you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you're grieved by the various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it's tested by the fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory, at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen Him yet, you love Him. Now though you don't see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy, and exceedingly full of glory”.
He uses here simple picture. Gold needs to be refined. How do you refine gold, so it becomes pure, and its value increases? You've got 9ct gold - you know, the ring, 9ct gold. That coin on the ring, that's 22ct gold. Which is more valuable? 22ct gold. What's the difference? The refining. What is gold that's refined? Gold ‘refined’ means it was put through fire, that was just enough to melt it, not consume it; and when it melts, the impurities surface, and they're skimmed off by the refiner. That's gold; now your faith...
Your faith is what pleases God. Your faith is about trusting Him, believing His word. Gold goes through a process where the refiner puts heat onto it, until it melts; skims it off, lets it cool, and it's now refined; and he keeps doing it, until it's pure. Faith: I believe God, I trust God, I start to act on what He says. Then when pressure, and resistance, and opposition comes… I persevere, until my heart motives are pure, and I come out of it, and my faith and love have been tested by the fire. It's really quite simple.
So faith is ‘refined’, and becomes authentic, when you: hold onto God's word; and trust Him, in the face of opposition, hostility, difficulties, delays, contrary circumstances, and resistance by people that you thought would love you. Faith that's refined means: you're not just doing things, but you're experiencing reactions, hostility, difficulties, pressures, because you're following Jesus. He said that He watches how you respond, and if you hold onto Him, and His word, when everything is turning to custard; when it's difficult, it's hard. People around you walk away, or accuse you, or blame you, or do this or that. If you keep holding onto Him, and trusting Him, your faith is refined. Your character becomes different, and you become like gold refined in the fire.
He said: “I counsel you, buy from Me gold, refined in the fire”. This thing can only come from God. Every one of us goes through fiery trials. There's no one who doesn't. The moment you step out to follow the Lord, and trust Him, you will go through fiery trials - and God watches it. He said that this trying of your trust in Him is more precious to Him than gold that's been refined in the fire. God is looking for is your faith, because that's what pleases Him. Your faith is refined, when you face hardship, difficulties, opposition, persecution; yet you hold onto God and keep your heart right. Then your faith becomes refined. Your character begins to change. There's a depth in you, and a substance in you.
Think of the many Christians you know, who come along, and they will hear a message, and get excited; but when a bit of pressure comes… they fold! They didn't have their faith refined by the fire. It will always come. Jesus said in His parable, in Matthew 13, which is the fundamental Parable of the Sower and the Seed - several things will happen, when you receive the word of God. First, the devil will try and take it away from you - you've got to hold it! Secondly, the sun will come up - you've got to be able to stand up to the sun, and the heat. Thirdly, the thorns and the thistles are going to come - and He said: they'll grow up! Other things will distract you, and take you away... He said: you've got to overcome those distractions and stay focussed. He said: finally, you bring forth fruit; some 30, some 60, some 100.
He uses that parable to say: this is how it works. It doesn't matter what role or function in the church, that's irrelevant, and unimportant. That's unique to every one of us. What does matter, is your personal relationship, and how you conduct yourself, when pressure comes on you. This is what qualifies, or disqualifies you; and everyone has their trials, which are private, personal. No one can go through them, but you. God is watching every one of those things. He sees how you respond, and you are either growing in your character and patience, endurance and love, the fruit of the spirit, the character of God; or there's things coming up - your garments are defiled.