FOR YOU SAY,I AM RICH.
Revelation 3:15-118;
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot:I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,I will thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest I am rich,and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;and white rainment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thy eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
These were the words of the Lord Jesus to his followers in the new testament,that is, the Laodecean Church.This spiritually represents the present day Church, living in the end times.
The people saw themselves as being rich and without need.They didn’t recognize how poor they were.But Jesus seeing their pitiful state of need,he offered them counsel.That they who feel their poverty should go and buy of him refined GOLD so they be rich.
Gold, being a rare and precious item is usually very expensive to acquire.To get it,one has to spend a lot of money,hence, it’s very costly.Yet the Lord said that one who goes to buy the Gold he offers will become rich in the end.In the human understanding,this might seem impossible.You may therefore ask, how can one buy such expensive valuable as gold and become rich?
Jesus should have said that the gold he offers is free and one can acquire it without paying for it.But it’s being sold at a certain cost.He is calling upon people to come and buy it.This implies that one has to give up something in exchange for the GOLD.
Contemplating on the words of the Lord,we see that what he offers to us is ideal and goes at an affordable cost.If one is willing and goes to purchase this gold,and then sells it,they will gain much profit.And from his proceeds he will get rich.
Many people would go to Jesus to get the gold were it being given at no cost.The fact that he gives it away at a cost keeps many away.Why? Because they are unable to meet the requirements.They aren’t ready to suffer what it takes to buy the gold.
What cost does one have to pay for the GOLD that the Lord offers? Let’s read Matthew 13:45-46;
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Who, when he had found one of great price,went and sold all he had and bought it.”
Both pearls and gold measure the same in terms of their value.Hence,they cost almost the same.Thus, it’s just as right to say,”The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man who found gold of , and went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Being a merchant, he must have had prior knowledge pertaining to a certain market where things like pearls were being traded.He decided that he should buy the pearl, regardless of what it would cost him.To get the money enough to buy it, the businessperson went and sold all that he had.He then used the money to acquire the pearl,which if he resold would earn great profits.The profit he would get would enable him to all that he’d lost at first, and still have much more to save.
If he wanted to become rich,the only way would be to sell his possessions and use the money for buying the pearl.Or else he would never acquire it.And the outcome of this is that he would remain poor and needy, while he thinks in his heart that all was well.
Jesus is inviting all who long to be rich to go and buy of the GOLD he gives.This gold sells at a cheaper price,such that one who buys and then resells it shall gain.They will get rich thereafter.
Spiritually,the ‘gold’ in this case is the offer of salvation and the gift of eternal life which only Christ can provide.It’s infinitely costly but eternally rewarding.To receive salvation,we must forsake all evil and everything that distracts from Jesus.In order for us to inherit the kingdom of heaven,we need to give up what belongs to the world and set our hearts on Christ.We also need to invest in what pays eternal dividends.Just like gold and pearls are expensive to acquire,so it is with getting eternal life.
We should not take a light attitude towards sin.We must keep away from sinning.For suchlike things as gossip, drunkenness,orgies, lying,theft, arrogance, adultery, fornication,and so on,are what defiled us.Unless we forsake them,we cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
Matthew 19:20-23;
“The young saith unto him,All those things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him,If thou wilt be perfect,go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:and come and follow me.
But when the young heard that saying,he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you,That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Today,choose to accept God’s offer of salvation and forgiveness through faith in his Son Jesus Christ.Repent and turn from your wicked ways.Make a fresh new start with God.Simply go to Jesus as you are.He delights in those who are humble and whose deepest need is a changed life;to serve his cause in self-denial.
The Lord gladly awaits you to admit your need and put your trust in him.He desires to use you as a vessel of honor,for his glory.As you follow him with wholehearted devotion,he will lavish you will his unceasing love; and make you his servant.He will also fill you with his Spirit to help you overcome sin.
Let not false reasoning cause you to see yourself as being rich and without need.You need Christ more now in your life.You need the gold he offers on sale more than anything else.Go to him and buy it.When you resell the GOLD,it will be worth much profit.Salvation is more important than all gold and pearls combined.Therefore,put away all wickedness: repent and turn away from doing what is evil.Then go forth in the power given you by God to work out your salvation with fear.Invest your life in what will last.
Remember,also to teach others about God’s saving grace.Help bring people into safety that can only be found in Christ.As you commit to living uprightly and sharing the message of hope to the lost, you store up for yourself treasures in heaven, and hence are rich in the Kingdom.
God bless you.
Maran atha!
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