“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:2–3, NKJV)

Malachi prophesied that the Messenger of the covenant, the Lord, would suddenly come to His temple. But who could endure the day of His coming? He would bring sweeping changes. Judgment would begin in the house of the LORD. He would cleanse His temple and purify His people. He would turn up the heat and refine them like silver. Jesus was destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel and a sign that would be spoken against (Luke 2:34).

Jesus would challenge the self-righteousness, pride, and hypocrisy of the religious leaders, and they wouldn’t like it. Rather than humbling themselves before the message, they would despise the Messenger. But they did not realize that He came not to condemn them but to save and cleanse them. He would purify the people so that their offerings would be holy, and they would be righteous.

We think that worshiping the Lord means experiencing His love, mercy and grace. Truly, He is these things. But He is also holy, holy, holy. We should not be surprised if our encounter with God strips away our pride, exposes our faults, and convicts us of our pretense.

“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” (Hebrews 12:11, NLT)

The question is, when the Refiner puts us into the fire to make us pure gold, can we endure it?