"Buy Gold!"

Scripture Passage

Revelation 3:1-6:17

Scripture Focus

So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. (Revelation 3:18 NLT)

Observation

There’s plenty of talk these days about gold, isn’t there? Talk show gurus, investment specialists, internet pitchmen and dozens of others, I suppose, are encouraging worried Americans to “buy gold.” Believe it or not, Jesus encourages His church to buy gold, as well—but gold from Him—“gold that has been purified by fire” (Revelation 3:18 NLT).

I trust it’s obvious that Jesus is not giving investment advice on how to survive financially in times of economic uncertainty. Rather, Jesus is giving spiritual counsel to people too confident of their own spiritual affluence—people who were spiritually bankrupt and absolutely clueless about their condition. To overconfident believers, Jesus says, “You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17 NLT).

Jesus’ story of the Pharisee and Tax Collector comes to mind. The Pharisee, of course, was all to willing to display his spiritual wealth before God (and anyone else within earshot): “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” The tax collector had a significantly different perspective on his spiritual wealth: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus concluded that parable with these words: “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14 NIV).

The point of either passage is certainly not to leave sincere believers uptight or unsure about their spiritual standing. But the irony is that those most confident about their spiritual wealth apparently have the greatest reasons not to be! Bottom line, “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” (Matthew 5:3 NLT).

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