I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Revelation 3:18

Gold Refined by Fire

Revelation 3:14-22

 

Not long ago I discussed suffering with a friend, and I mentioned that Scripture uses the refining process for gold – the heating, melting and vaporizing process used to remove impurities and enhance the purity of gold – as a metaphor for human suffering and the purity of faith that often results from suffering.  After our conversation, I wanted to make sure what I said was accurate, so I ran some Bible searches.  Reading the resulting Scripture, I came across Revelation 3:18, which discusses buying gold refined by fire from Jesus so that we might be rich.

I immediately asked, how do we buy gold from Jesus?  How is it refined by fire?  What does that mean?

I backed up and read Revelation chapters 2 and 3 containing seven letters from Jesus, each to an angel representing a unique local church.  Most of the letters include a mention of good things that local church does, and then suggestions for how it should improve.  Not the final letter (see Revelation 3:14-22).  The letter to the church in Laodicea mentions not a single good thing it is doing.  They are self-righteous, living in material wealth, believing they need nothing, and their spiritual eyes are blind to their spiritual condition.  They attend church, but Christ Jesus is not inside the church.  He stands outside knocking, hoping someone will hear His voice and let Him in. 

Reading the letter to the church in Laodicea, I grieved for people who claim to be Christian, who believe they are Christian, who attend church and attend to religious piety yet who do not have relationship with Christ Jesus.  Many have never repented because they think they are good, and suffering in their delusion of self-righteousness they sincerely believe they can earn their way to communion with God, but salvation is by God’s grace through faith alone (see Ephesians 2:8-9).  They have never been convicted of their sin, so they do not realize their need for a Savior.  We must each acknowledge our separation from Him, acknowledge our sinfulness, acknowledge we deserve death, beg Him for mercy and grace, repent and follow Him, and thereafter pursue His holy transformation (see 1 John 1:1-10).  This is a ripe mission field today as many churches refuse to even mention the word sin, and many around us are triggered by any suggestion that we are all sinners (see Romans 3:23-24), including them.  But the wages of sin is death (see Romans 6:23), and it grieves me to think there could be regular church attenders who do not know Christ Jesus because that is how Jesus describes the church in Laodicea.

Focused on eternity, Jesus urges members of the congregation to “buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich…” (Revelation 3:18).  Jesus alone is the cure.  Jesus alone offers true, satisfying and lasting wealth.  And we purchase His gold by surrendering ourselves to Him, by offering ourselves as holy living sacrifices, by relinquishing prideful delusions of self-righteousness, by following Him.

In a passage that we know so well, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).  He is speaking to the local church in Laodicea.  Jesus is standing outside the church while the congregation is meeting inside, without Him.  If anyone inside hears His voice and opens the door, He will enter the church.  It only takes one.

How does Jesus enter a church?  He takes up residence within the heart of each person who believes, repents, and follows Him, and He goes to church with them.  This means, the church in Laodicea was full of non-believers.  They thought they believed, but Christ Jesus did not know them (see Matthew 7:21-23).  Jesus urges each person in the church to repent and refine their faith through fire to gain true wealth through Him.  Material wealth will be gone in an instant, but true wealth, true relationship with Christ Jesus, true spiritual transformation is eternal.  With eyes on eternity, Jesus reprimands and disciplines, urging us to be zealous in faith and repent and seek Him will all our being (see Revelation 3:18-19).

With that introduction, let’s consider the full letter.  Please remember, Jesus is speaking.

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”  Revelation 3:14-22 (ESV)

The Angel of the Church

Jesus speaks to “the angel of the church in Laodicea….”  Jesus instructs John to write to the angel of the church, not to the church directly.  What do you think about this?  Have you ever considered the possibility that each local church has angels?  What do they do?  The word translated as angel means “messenger” or “one who is sent.”  Jesus addresses the angel as the church’s representative.

For context, let’s consider a few other passages regarding angels.

The author of Hebrews begins his book presenting Jesus as superior to angels by quoting Old Testament passages about Jesus.  Discussing angels, he quotes Psalm 104:4:

Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”  Hebrews 1:7

After quoting six passages from Psalms and one from Deuteronomy, he writes the following about angels:

Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?  Hebrews 1:14

Angels are ministering spirits sent by God to serve humans.

Matthew quotes Jesus saying,

 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.  Matthew 18:10-14

Paul writes to Timothy:

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.  1 Timothy 5:21

The Amen.

In the second part of Revelation 3:14, Jesus says,

‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.  Revelation 3:14

What does this mean?  Jesus is speaking.  He says the words He is about to speak are words of “the Amen.”  It seems He is describing Himself as “the Amen.”  What does this mean?

In Greek word “Amen” is the same word, pronounced with a hard “e.”  It means “let it be so,” and “truly.”  It is used 126 times in Scripture and is most commonly interpreted as “truly.”  A common use of the word is “truly I say to you….”  27 times it is translated as “amen,” which usually occurs at the end of a prayer or benediction. 

In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes,

15 Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:15-22

Jesus is the truth.  He is faithful.  He is true.  He is Yes.  He fulfills God’s promises.

Beginning of God’s Creation

After describing Himself as “the Amen,” Jesus describes Himself as “the beginning of creation.”  This does not mean God created Jesus first.  Jesus is God.  He had no beginning, and He will have no end.  He is eternal.  He is the eternal I am.  So what does this mean?

Jesus is preeminent.  He is the Creator.  He is the One who made the beginning happen.  This is similar to what Paul writes in Colossians:

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.  Colossians 1:15-20

Spit you Out

In verses 15-16, Jesus says,

15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”  Revelation 3:15-16

In his commentary David Brown writes,

“I will [mello]—‘I am about to;’ I have it in my mind: implying graciously the possibility of the threat not being executed, if only they repent at once. His dealing towards them will depend on theirs towards Him. spue thee out of my mouth—reject with righteous loathing, as Canaan spued out its inhabitants for their abominations (Lev. 18:28).[i]

It is interesting that Dr. Brown connects Revelation 3:16 with Leviticus 18:28. Chapter 18 of Leviticus begins with God saying through Moses,

I am the Lord your God. 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you.  Leviticus 18:2-3

Chapter 18 continues listing in detail unlawful sexual relations.  Jesus sums it up by saying keep sex between a married male and female couple, but Leviticus leaves no stone unturned on the possibilities.  It discusses sex with your mother, sister, father’s daughter, mother’s daughter, animals, lying with a man as with a woman, etc. etc.

26 But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you 27 (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), 28 lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. 29 For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”  Leviticus 18:26-30

God describes His removal of the inhabitants from the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, that occurred as the Israelites conquered the Promised Land as vomiting because they made the land unclean.  “Lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean…”

God caused the land to vomit the Canaanites out because of His, in Brown’s words, “righteous loathing.”  Is that an image similar to what Jesus is referring to?

Rich / Poor

In verse 17 Jesus says,

17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  Revelation 3:17

Laodicea was a very prosperous city.  It was a major crossroads with a thriving banking sector, a wealthy trade in black wool, and manufacturing of an eye salve sold across the region.  It was so wealthy, that when an earthquake devastated the region in 62 AD, Laodicea rebuilt without any assistance from Rome.

They saw themselves as self-sufficient.  In their material wealth, they no longer thought they needed God.  This is the curse of wealth.  I suggest that our entire nation is afflicted by this curse to at least some degree.  Dr. Brown writes,

Alluding to Hos. 12:8. The riches on which they prided themselves were spiritual; their spiritual self-sufficiency (“I have need of nothing”) was fostered by worldly wealth, as poverty of spirit is fostered by poverty in worldly riches.[ii]

Jesus alludes to Hosea 12:8 when speaking through John to the angel of the church.  God, through the prophet Hosea, says,

Ephraim has said, “Ah, but I am rich; I have found wealth for myself; in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.” I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast.  Hosea 12:8-9

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says,

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

I have often heard people returning from mission trips to third world countries comment on the people there, that in the midst of dire economic circumstances they exhibited incredible love, kindness and generosity toward each other, and they were on fire for the Lord.  So many around us often address people around them with clenched fists, trying to hold onto material possessions, rather than acting in kindness and generosity.

Brown continues writing,

knowest not that thou—in particular, above all others. art wretched—‘art the wretched one.’ miserable. So א C; but A B prefix ‘the.’ [Ho eleeinos, ‘the pitiable:’ especially to be pitied.] How different Christ’s estimate from men’s own estimate of themselves! blind. Laodicėa boasted of a deeper than common insight into Divine things. Not absolutely blind: else eye-salve would have been of no avail, but comparatively.[iii]

Buy from Jesus Gold Refined by Fire

In Revelation 3:18 Jesus says,

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Laodicea was wealthy from banking, production of black wool, and eye salve.  Jesus refers to the sources of their material abundance with spiritual overtones.  He begins counseling them to “buy from me gold refined by fire…”.  How might we purchase anything from Jesus?  He offers life and everything good, but needs nothing.  We buy by surrendering ourselves to Him.  We offer ourselves as holy living sacrifices (see Romans 12:1).  For many, it is through suffering that gain eyes to see what is really important in life, and the noise of daily business disappears, and we gain clarity on the One who sustains us.  It is through suffering that our faith is refined.  Suffering is the refining fire. 

In Brown’s commentary we read:

18. Gentle, loving irony. Take my advice, thou who fanciest thou ‘needest none.’ Not only art thou not in need of nothing, but in need of the commonest necessaries. He graciously stoops to their modes of thought. Thou art ready to listen to any counsel how to buy to advantage: then, listen to mine (for I am “Counsellor,” Isa. 9:6), “buy of me” (in whom, according to Paul’s epistle to the neighbouring Colosse, intended for the Laodiceans also, Col. 2:1, 3; 4:16, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge). “Buy:” not that we can, by any merit of ours, purchase God’s free gift; nay, the purchase money consists in renouncing all self-righteousness (v. 17). “Buy” at the cost of thy self-sufficiency (so Phil. 3:7, 8), and of all things, however dear, that would prevent receivingChrist’s salvation as a free gift—e. g., self and worldly desires. Cf. Isa. 55:1. of me—the source of “unsearchable riches” (Eph. 3:8). Laodicea had extensive money transactions (Cicero).[iv]

Brown’s commentary suggests we buy by surrendering our self-sufficiency.  We often realize our frailty, our helplessness, our absolute need for Christ Jesus when we endure suffering.  Can you think of times in your life when this has been so?

Jesus’ words allude to Isaiah 55, when God says through the prophet,

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.  Isaiah 55:1-4

How do we buy and eat?  Listen diligently to Him.  Eat His words.  Incline your ear, go to Him and hear His holy word.  This echoes the words of Jeremiah:

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.  Jeremiah 15:16

And Jesus who, while being tempted in the wilderness, quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 saying,

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  Matthew 4:4

We seek Him.  We live by His holy word.  We keep our focus on Him above everything else.

God Disciplines Those Whom He Loves

At Revelation 3:19 Jesus says,

19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Jesus began His ministry preaching a message of repentance.  From His heavenly glory, He continues preaching the message.  His words allude to the message in Proverbs:

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.  Proverbs 3:11-12

Jesus Stands at the Door Knocking

Revelation 3 continues at verse 20 saying,

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

This is Jesus speaking to the angel representing the church in Laodicea.  He is talking to the local church.  It is a local church where Christ Jesus stands outside knocking.  It is a local church where Jesus is not even inside.  What does this mean?  Jesus dwells within each believer.  Does this mean the church does not have a single believer?

If anyone hears…. It only takes one.  One true believer will unlock the door for Jesus to enter the church.

How do we ensure God the Father, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not only allowed, but thriving, within our church?

The warning to the church in Laodicea is frightening, and unfortunately, it is not an isolated event in Scripture.  There are many examples in Scripture, presented as warnings to us, of churches who have unique access to God and His holy word, yet who do not believe and fail to engage in relationship with Him.  Shortly after God handed them the Promised Land, granting them the privilege of indulging in the material blessing of its abundance, His people, the ones designed to be His holy nation, began worshiping other gods (see Joshua 2:6-15).  Surrounded by material blessing, they forgot the One who provided the abundance.  They began to rely on their own abilities, and rather than worship the One who delivered them from slavery, they followed the society around them, doing the things they did and worshiping their gods.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus wept for Jewish religious leaders and their followers because they enjoyed unique access to God and His holy word, they were God’s chosen people who attended to all sorts of religious discipline, but they were blind to the Truth.  Let’s consider three of the passages showing Jesus’ heart for the unbelieving Jewish community. 

Some Pharisees warn Jesus that Herod wants to kill Him.  During His response, Jesus says,

34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”  Luke 13:34-35

Jesus longs to gather them, but they are not willing.  As Jesus rides a donkey toward Jerusalem amid adoring crowds, He stops and weeps over the city.  Luke describes a portion of the scene as follows:

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”  Luke 19:41-44

The people of Jerusalem are blessed with unique access to God and His holy word and His Son, but they are blind to the Truth, even as He rode past them on a donkey.  Later, as Jesus carried the cross to Golgotha and guards forced Simon of Cyrene to help Jesus, Luke records the following:

28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Luke 23:28-31

Jesus wept for the Jewish community because they had special access to God and His holy word, but they did not have eyes to see the Truth.  They were spiritually blind.  They were God’s chosen people and they wasted their opportunity to commune with Him, to engage in relationship with Him, to dine with Him.

Similarly, Paul grieves over his Jewish brothers and sisters.  He begins Romans 10 writing,

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.  Romans 10:1-4

They sought to establish their own righteousness by fulfilling laws of their own design, and they failed to submit to God. They were self-righteous, trusting in their own abilities and possessions, worshiping a god of their own design, failing to trust God, failing to surrender to God, failing to worship the only true God. 

Jesus concludes His messages to the seven churches in Revelation by making the same claim against the Christian church in Laodicea.  They had unique access to God’s holy word, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but they were spiritually blind.  They could not see the truth.  They were a Christian church claiming relationship with Him, but Christ Jesus was not inside the church.  Because the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus dwell within each believer, this suggests the church did not have a single believer.  This claim brings to mind Jesus’ frightening statement at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’  Matthew 7:21-23

Jesus Concludes the Letter

Jesus concludes the letter at Revelation 3:21-22 saying,

21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”  Revelation 3:14-22 (ESV)

“He who has an ear, let him hear…”.  Not everyone has ears to hear.  Some are simply unable to hear the message God communicates through His holy word.  They may be able to quote the words, they may have the words taped on their mirror or refrigerator, but they do not know what the words mean.  Quoting Isaiah 29:14, Paul writes

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-19

Conclusion

We live in a land of abundance.  By standards of the world, we are wealthy.  How might we avoid the trap of relying on our wealth rather than God, worshiping our bank accounts not God, seeing ourselves as self-sufficient when God is the source of all things, including the abundance we enjoy?  How might we avoid following the footsteps of the Israelites in the Promised Land who chose to worship other gods, and the footsteps of religious leaders during Jesus’ earthly ministry who had access to God’s holy word but failed to understand it, and the footsteps of the church in Laodicea who claimed to be Christian but who did not have relationship with Christ Jesus? 

We must keep our focus on God through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  It is through a clear view of His awesomeness that we begin to see our nothingness.  We must eat His holy word regularly, delighting in His abundant sustenance.  We must use our times of suffering as an opportunity to focus on that which is really important, knowing God will shine His glory through the situation and He is preparing us for ministry we would otherwise be unable to do.

May God continue to use you.  May God’s glory continue to flow through you.  Amen.

[i] Brown, David, et al. A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Acts–Revelation. William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited, n.d., p. 670.

[ii] Brown, David, et al. A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Acts–Revelation. William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited, n.d., p. 670.

[iii] Brown, David, et al. A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Acts–Revelation. William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited, n.d., p. 670.

 

[iv] Brown, David, et al. A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Acts–Revelation. William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited, n.d., p. 670.