So here's the question. I'm a sinner. I want fire to meet me as refining and not consuming.

How can I qualify as a sinner?

To meet fire as refinement and not judgment.

And the answer of the whole Bible is

trust in the purifying mercy of God.

So what does it mean to trust in the purifying mercy of God? That's the question John Piper answers from Malachai 217 to 36 in this episode of Light and Truth.

This sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on November 29th, 1987.

I want to open this text by asking four questions. Question number one.

Who is like a refiners fire? We get the answer to this question from

verse number one and I want you to try to identify three individuals as I read to you, verse one of chapter three.

Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me,

and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple

the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight behold he is coming says the

Lord of hosts the first individual we meet in this verse is I.

Behold, I sinned and the I is identified in the last phrase of the verse, says the Lord of Host.

So the I is God the Father, the Lord of Host, Jehovah, who is the second individual in this verse.

The second individual is the messenger who prepares his way.

Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me.

Now who is that?

Well, in the New Testament, this very verse is quoted three times to identify John the Baptist,

the one who prepared the way for Jesus, but you don't have to go to the New Testament to find out that this is a

prophet who's going to prepare the way for somebody.

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