In the Crucible with Christ
The Crucibles That Come
Lesson #2 for July 9, 2022
Scriptures:1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:8-11; Romans 1:21-32; Jeremiah 9:7-16; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
[From the Bible study guide=BSG:] A crucible is defined in the dictionary as (1) a vessel used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat, (2) a severe test, or (3) a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development.
These definitions also give us a helpful insight into what happens in our spiritual lives. This week we’ll highlight some reasons we may suddenly find ourselves under pressure and experiencing tests in places in which circumstances cause us to change, develop, and grow in character. This will help to give us an awareness of what God is doing in our lives so that when we enter a crucible, we will have an idea of how to respond.?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sabbath Afternoon, July 2.†‡ [Is it always obvious when we are “going into a crucible”?]‡
1 Peter 4:12: My dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful test you are suffering, as though something unusual were happening to you.?American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation* (2nd ed.,1 Peter 4:12). New York: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible].†‡
[BSG:] Many of us are surprised about suffering because we often have an oversimplified view of the Christian life. We know there are two sides—God, who is good; and Satan, who is bad. But often, we then automatically put everything that feels good in the box with God and everything that feels bad in the box with Satan. But life is not so simple. We cannot use our feelings to decide what is in God’s box or Satan’s box. Sometimes walking with God can be challenging and hard. And following Satan can appear to bring great rewards. Job, who is righteous yet suffering, illustrates this when he asked God, “ ‘Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?’ ” (Job 21:7, NIV).?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sunday, July 3.†‡§
1 Peter 5:8: Be alert, be on the watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.?Good News Bible.*†
1Peter 5:8-11: 8 Be alert, be on the watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that your fellow-believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings. 10But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation. 11To him be the power for ever! [sic] Amen.?Good News Bible.*‡
Romans 1:24-32: 24 And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other. 25They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised for ever! [sic] Amen.
26 Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions….
28 Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do…. 32They know that God’s law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them.?Good News Bible.*†‡
Jeremiah 9:7: Because of this the LORD Almighty says,
“I will refine my people like metal
and put them to the test.
My people have done evil—
what else can I do with them?”?Good News Bible.*†
[BSG:] “If the Spirit of God brings to your mind a word of the Lord that hurts you, you can be sure that there is something in you that He wants to hurt to the point of its death.”—Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour & Company, Inc., 1963), p. 271.—[as quoted in the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Wednesday, July 6].‡§
[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] God requires perfection of His children. His law is a transcript of His own character, and it is the standard of all character. This infinite standard is presented to all that there may be no mistake in regard to the kind of people whom God will have to compose His kingdom. The life of Christ on earth was a perfect expression of God’s law, and when those who claim to be children of God become Christlike in character, they will be obedient to God’s commandments. Then the Lord can trust them to be of the number who shall compose the family of heaven.—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons* 315.1; God’s Amazing Grace* 148.4. (1900).†‡
Jeremiah 9:13-14: 13The LORD answered, “This has happened because my people have abandoned the teaching that I gave them. They have not obeyed me or done what I told them. 14Instead, they have been stubborn and have worshipped the idols of Baal as their ancestors taught them to do.”?Good News Bible.*†
[BSG:] First, we experience pain as God allows circumstances to bring our sin to our attention. A little earlier, Jeremiah unhappily writes, “ ‘The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out’ ” (Jer. 6:29, NIV). Thus, sometimes drastic action is needed in order to get our attention. Second, we experience anguish as we feel sorrow for the sin we now see clearly. Third, we experience frustration as we try to live differently. It can be quite uncomfortable and difficult to keep choosing to give up the things that have been so much a part of us.?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Wednesday, July 6.†‡§
[BSG:] There is a big difference between cutting down and pruning. We cut down plants that we don’t want anymore; we prune plants that we want to develop into greater fruitfulness. Both processes, however, do involve a sharp knife. Indeed, pruning requires cutting parts off the plant that might seem to a novice gardener like destroying it. In a spiritual context, Bruce Wilkinson writes, “Are you praying for God’s superabundant blessings and pleading that He will make you more like His Son?
“If your answer is yes, then you are asking for the shears.”—Secrets of the Vine (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 2001), p. 60.
People have wondered what Paul actually meant by a “thorn in my flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7, NIV).?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Thursday, July 7.†‡§
[EGW:] Paul had a bodily affliction; his eyesight was bad. He thought that by earnest prayer the difficulty might be removed. But the Lord had His own purpose, and He said to Paul, Speak to Me no more of this matter. My grace is sufficient. It will enable you to bear the infirmity.?Ellen G. White, Letter 207, 1899.?[as quoted in Manuscript Release,* No. 1091, par. 6; Manuscript Releases,* vol. 14, 57.1; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1107.5].†‡
2 Corinthians 12:7-10: 7 But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan’s messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud. 8Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. 9But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. 10I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.?Good News Bible.*†
[EGW:] He who reads the hearts of men knows their characters better than they themselves know them. He sees that some have powers and susceptibilities which, rightly directed, might be used in the advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these persons into different positions and varied circumstances that they may discover in their character the defects which have been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to correct these defects and to fit themselves for His service. Often He permits the fires of affliction to assail them that they may be purified.—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing* 471.1.†‡
[EGW:] The Lord brings His children over the same ground again and again, increasing the pressure until perfect humility fills the mind, and the character is transformed; then they are victorious over self, and in harmony with Christ and the Spirit of heaven. The purification of God’s people cannot be accomplished without suffering.... He passes us from one fire to another, testing our true worth. True grace is willing to be tried. If we are loath to be searched by the Lord, our condition is one of peril....?Ellen G. White, My Life Today* 92.2.†‡
Romans 5:10-11: 10We were God’s enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God’s friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ’s life! 11But that is not all; we rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now made us God’s friends.?Good News Bible.* [Do we clearly understand how the death of Christ makes us God’s friends? What is it about Christ’s life that saves us?]‡
1 Peter 3:14-17: 14But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, how happy you are! Do not be afraid of anyone, and do not worry. 15But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honour him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, 16but do it with gentleness and respect. Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will be ashamed of what they say. 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if this should be God’s will, than for doing evil.?Good News Bible.*†
1 Peter 4:13-19: 13Rather be glad that you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may be full of joy when his glory is revealed. 14Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ’s followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 15If any of you suffer, it must not be because you are a murderer or a thief or a criminal or a meddler in other people’s affairs. 16However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don’t be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ’s name.
17 The time has come for judgement to begin, and God’s own people are the first to be judged. If it starts with us, how will it end with those who do not believe the Good News from God? 18As the scripture says:
“It is difficult for good people to be saved;
what, then, will become of godless sinners?”
19So then, those who suffer because it is God’s will for them, should by their good actions trust themselves completely to their Creator, who always keeps his promise.?Good News Bible.*†
[BSG:] The figure of the devil was real for Christians throughout history. The Protestant Reformers viewed his existence as real. However, during and after the Enlightenment, philosophers and theologians built a worldview that rejected the existence of persons or phenomena that operated beyond the known world. This worldview conditioned liberal Christianity, today, to deny the existence of the devil as a real person. Instead, this group declares that the devil is merely a mythical representation of the principle of evil. Consequently, evil is now regarded as the result of ignorance or is a product of a long, violent evolutionary process from which the human race emerged. Thus, [they say] evil is the result of a material, genetic, and social determinism. Even if some Christians would admit the existence of the devil, they would find it difficult to believe he is indeed as wicked and powerful as depicted in the Bible.
As Bible-believing Christians, however, we regard the existence of the devil as real. For Jesus, Satan was a real being, not a symbol of some inner dark aspects of His mind (see, for instance,Matt. 4:1S11). Paul, too, saw the Christian as engaged in a fight that is waged against “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12, NIV). And here, in our lesson, Peter reminds us to be on our guard against the attacks of the devil (1 Pet. 5:8). However, though he is real, the Christian does not focus on the devil. [By beholding, we become changed; we do not want to be like the Devil!] Yes, we must be aware of his existence and careful not to fall for his deceptions, but the center, the essence, and the joy of our life is Christ and His salvation.?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 28.†‡§
[EGW:] And the life of toil and care which was henceforth to be man’s lot was appointed in love. It was a discipline rendered needful by his sin, to place a check upon the indulgence of appetite and passion, to develop habits of self-control. It was a part of God’s great plan of man’s recovery from the ruin and degradation of sin.?Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets* 60.1.‡
82022, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. HBold type is added. IText in brackets is added. §Italic type is in the source. &Compared with the first source, this source has punctuation and/or capitalization differences only. [email protected]
Last Modified: June 7, 2022
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