It
burns up the dross and refines the gold. It has a cleansing effect; and
also for this reason the Lord permits it.
[489]God foreordained that all the members of the new creation should be
made in the likeness of his beloved Son. (Romans 8:29) This does not
take place by meditating upon wrongful things, but by resisting these
and keeping the mind upon heavenly things. The Christian now has his
face unveiled; that is, he is enabled by his mental vision to understand
the things of God's Word, and when he looks into the Word, the Bible, he
sees reflected from that Word the character-likeness of the Lord; and
having the Lord's spirit in him, he is being transformed from one degree
of glory to another. The apostle Paul puts it thus: "We all, with open
face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the
same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord".
(2 Corinthians 3:18) The pathway of the Christian is not strewn with
flowers or ease or comfort, but as Jesus said, it is a narrow way and
few there be that walk in it.--Matthew 7:14.
[490]St. James says: "Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken
in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of
patience". (James 5:10) The prophets of old suffered much and they will
not be privileged to be a part of this heavenly kingdom class; but their
suffering was for a two-fold purpose: (1) to develop them, which will
result to their benefit when they are resurrected as perfect men; and
(2) to serve as examples for the church, the followers of Jesus.
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