Increasing In The Lord Through The Fire

In Luke 2:52 we read that, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (NASU) The Greek word interpreted into English as “kept increasing” is prokopto (prok-op'-to). It’s defined as “to beat forward, to lengthen out by hammering (as a smith forges metals); to go forward, advance, proceed.” Jesus, the pattern Son, has shown, by his life in a human body, the way for you and I to go forward in Him; it is through submission to the refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:1-4).

In Luke 3:16 we read where John the Baptist declared, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” When we surrender our lives to Christ, receiving Him as our Lord and Savior, He sends us the Holy Spirit who will reshape and mold us into His Divine intent for our lives. Peter said that we shouldn’t be surprised at the “fiery ordeal” among us as though it were something strange (1 Peter 4:12). This is the only route revealed to us through the life of Jesus to be conformed to His image. Be encouraged, though, because like the three Hebrew young men who would not bow the knee to an idol, even though threatened with death, He will be with us too in the fire (Daniel 3).

By the way, the previous verses to our main text tell us that when, after celebrating Passover in Jerusalem, Jesus’ family left without Him. After noticing that He wasn’t with them, His parents returned and “anxiously” looked for Him. After three days, “they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.” Luke 2:51 says that Jesus then went back to Nazareth and “continued in subjection to them.” Later in His life, it would be this subjection to the will of His heavenly Father that would be the reason He walked in great authority. It’s ours as well.

The fiery trials that we MUST go through as His followers are not to destroy us, but rather to burn off the dross-like impurities within our fallen natures. There is no alternate route. There was no other way for Jesus, but to submit to the will of the Father and go to the cross at Calvary. It was here, at the place of His submission, that His victory was secured for mankind to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil and receive eternal life. It is the only place for us to be eternally joined together with Him. His way is our way.

It’s the word of the cross, of following Jesus’ example of submission to the Father’s will in working together with the Holy Spirit to bring to death our wills, our ways, and our dreams and desires that mankind simply cannot understand apart from God. In fact, it’s foolishness to them, “but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18) In the Kingdom of God, it is through death that there is life. The promise of God is that, “if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.” (Romans 6:5) So as we continue after remembering His death on the cross for our sins at Easter, let us also remember that He is asking us to join Him in a spiritual death so that we may be joined together with Him in the likeness of His resurrection. The devil will offer us alternate routes, which some in the church have received as truth and fallen away from devotion to Christ. This great apostasy, of defection from the Truth, is where we now find ourselves at. Be encouraged, though. As He forewarned us, this means that His return is soon to follow (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). Stand firm in the Lord and you will soon see Him in all His glory!