Purified

 

My husband has family members who run one of the largest metal recycling companies in our state. They have several locations where they collect different types of metal scraps and prepare them for processing. Once the scraps arrive at their facilities, powerful machines separate the metals, purifying them under high pressure and high temperatures until they are in their purest form. After that, they sell these metals to manufacturers, who turn them into new products.

What’s interesting is that recycled metals are just as valuable as mined materials once they’ve been purified. In fact, mined metals undergo a similar refining process when taken directly from the earth. They must also be purified to remove any impurities before they can be used in manufacturing. So, whether the metal is recycled or mined, it all gets similar treatment and holds equal value on the market.

In the body of Christ, we observe two main groups of believers: those who grew up in Christian homes and have always been part of the church and those who have come from the world or strayed from their faith. Sometimes, those who have remained within the church walls compare themselves to those who have come from the world and feel more righteous. Other times, those from the world feel inferior, thinking they will never reach the purity of those who have not experienced the world. However, they forget that everyone must undergo the same purification process to develop a pure heart.

Just as raw metal requires refining, recycled metal, which has a history and a past, also needs refining.

None of us are born as spiritual virgins; we are made pure through the cleansing power of God's Word. Ultimately, our pasts don’t define our worth. In God’s eyes, we all hold the same value when we are made pure by Him.

…make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. (Eph. 5:26)

So that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him…(2 Co.  11:2)

Create in me a pure heart, oh God…(ps. 51:10)

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Ro. 3:23)