When I meet him today "in a flaming fire, "when I welcome him today "a consuming fire" in me, shall I be afraid to meet him in flaming fire in thatday—No; I shall be accustomed to it; and knowing what a blessed thing it is to become familiar with meeting him as "a consuming fire," knowing what a blessing that has brought to me today, I shall be delighted to meet him on that other day, when he shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire. "Our God is a consuming fire." Bless the Lord!

"Who may abide the day of his coming? Who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s FIRE." Good. Then when I meet himnow, in the consuming fire that he is, I meet him in a fire that is refining, that purifies. "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." That is separation from sin; that is purification from sin. And that sets us where we offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness: we become the servants of righteousness unto holiness, that we may meet the Lord. So, then, bless the Lord that he is a consuming fire,—that he is as a refiner’s fire.

Look again at that expression in Revelation: "His eyes were as a flame of fire." In that day his eyes will rest upon each one of us, and he will look clear through us. When his eyes are as a flame of fire, and those eyes in that great day rest upon every one of us, and look clear through us, what will that look do for every one who is wrapped up, body and soul, in sin?—It will consume the sin and the sinner with it; because he would not be separated from the sin. And today, just now, those eyes are the same that they will be in that day. Today his eyes are as a flame of fire; and "all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." Very good, then. As all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do, whether we will have to do with him or not, why not accept the fact, choose to have it so, and on our part open up everything to the eyes of him with whom we have to do? And having opened up the life thus to him, to the flaming fire of the glory of his shining eyes, what will that do?—Those eyes of living flame will look clear through us, and will consume away all the sin, and all the dross; and will refine us so that he shall see in us the image of himself.

It is written that we are to serve the Lord "as of sincerity." Sincere is genuine; it is true; it is as strained honey. Originally, it is honey strained, and strained again, over and over, until, holding up the honey to the light, it is found to be sine-cera,—"without wax," no trace of cera to be seen floating in it. That is what he says you and I are to be as certainly as we are Christians. God cleanses us in the blood of Christ, and holds us up in the light of the Lord, and the world can see only the light. And so, "ye are the light of the world."