Buy from Me Gold Refined in the Fire

We live in an age of technology. An age that people know everything. And if you don't know, you just Google it. And you know everything. About anything. You can just Google and you get the answer. Some of it is right, some of it isn't, but you'll get an answer. And it reminds me of Daniel 12.4. Daniel 12.4. And there it says, at the time of the end, that people will run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. You know, brethren, I was really surprised when I went overseas, and particularly when I attended, when I came into the airport in Lisbon.

The airport was full, full. The plane, the flight, there was not an empty seat. There and back. Not an empty seat. The amount of people traveling, it is like pre-COVID times. It really is amazing. So many people. And even here in the States, there's a lot of people flying and traveling and things like that. So it is as if everything's been lifted up, and people are just taking advantage of it and traveling. You know, if you need to get a new passport, or renew a passport, it's probably going to take you six months to renew a passport today. So if you're going to travel overseas, you haven't applied for renewing your passport, and remember, traveling, you need a passport that's valid for at least six months. You better look at that, otherwise you might not be able to go to the feast. But anyway, the point is, it is like people are traveling like never before. People are going around from A to B like never before. And it says, many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. Now, it's important to understand that knowledge is not wisdom. I mean, you can have a lot of knowledge, good and bad. It's like the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But that's not wisdom. It's a big difference. And now, particularly with AI, it's just amazing what is being done. And therefore, it's on the verge of pushing the limits of ethics that we have had before. Everything is just under pressure. But the thing that is more concerning is that the society is changing. You look at our society as very different than what it was 20 years ago. The attitudes, the values, the approach of doing things is very, very different. And we live in an age which is clearly depicted by Revelation 3, verse 17. Revelation 3, verse 17. And there it says, Revelation 3, verse 17. Right. There it says, because you say, I am rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing.

We live in a society that is wealthy. Oh, yeah, a number of us are struggling financially. No questions about it. But the society thinks they need nothing. The society is in a state that, well, we don't even need God.

The world is becoming very secular, becoming very secular. And then it says, and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

You know, people are pitiable. They're miserable. They're wretched. They're poor.

In a spiritual status, they are blind because they can't really understand what is going on. And they're naked because of sin, a complete lack of moral values in our society.

And so, what do you and I see? We see a great increase of mental illness over the last few years, a great increase in anxiety, in depression, in panic attacks, in obsessive-compulsive disorder, and even in post-traumatic stress disorder. It's just health issues particularly related to the mind. And the people are like in a cul-de-sac, as if they don't know how to get out of it. They really just don't know how to get out of this depression, out of this anxiety, or this OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or PTSD, the post-traumatic stress disorder. They don't see a way out. They don't know how to get out. And they're completely naked, spiritually speaking, in front of these situations. And it's all when you really look at it because of sin. Now, I'm not saying that people that are under the stress that it's their own sin, but many times some people get into terrible situations because of other people's sin around them that is affecting them. So whatever degree of self-righteousness we may have is not going to fix it. It's not going to fix it. And so what is the solution? The solution is actually in verse 18. Verse 18 of Revelation 3 gives us the solution. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in a fire so that all these problems will be addressed.

And so we need this true wealth of true gold in our spiritual lives.

And so today, brethren, I'm going to analyze just one verse in the Bible, which is Revelation 3, verse 18. And I'm going to go into these different sub-topics as discussed in Revelation 3, verse 18, to determine who are we to buy this gold from, what is this true gold, what are the white garments so that the shame of our nakedness be not revealed, and what is the I-self for us to see? And so to start with that, I think it's self-explanatory that who we ought to buy it from is from God. But then let's look at that in Isaiah 55, verse 1. Isaiah 55, verse 1.

Oh, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.

That is symbolic of God's Holy Spirit, of course. And you who have no money, come, buy, and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk. You know, the things that are truly spiritually fulfilling without money and without price, which in other words is it's a free gift from God.

And then we read in verse 6 of Isaiah 55. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he's near. You see, that's who we need to buy this gold from. We need to buy it from God while he may be found, while he's near. And what are we to buy? Well, in verse 7 says, Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord. You know, it was repent. And he, God, will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. You see, you and I have to repent. We have to forsake our ways, and God will forgive. And that, in a sense, is the first step through godly repentance.

Now, you and I know from John 6, verse 44, that no man can come to Christ unless the father draws him. And therefore, there is the story that we need to buy it from God. And if we look at 2 Timothy chapter 2, 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 25, and it's talking about Paul instructing Timothy, and he says to him, In humility, correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant him repentance, that they may know the truth. You see, repentance, true repentance, comes from God.

But it is our job to also do our part. You know, it's like a farmer, somebody working in the fields. You and I know that God gives the increase.

It's God that is going to help your whatever you've planted to grow and to be blessed and to have a lot of fruit. It's God that gives the increase. And therefore, because it's God that gives the increase, therefore you do not need to prepare the land, you do not need to plant, you do not need to water. Of course, it's ridiculous. You see, it's a partnership. You see, you and I need to do our part.

You know, 99.9% perspiration, and the rest is God's. But we have to do our part.

We have to do our part. So we have to come to God and ask for repentance, and you'll grant it. It's Him that gives the repentance, but it is something that we need to come to Him and confess and change our way of life. Turn with me to Proverbs 28 verse 13. And you may want to keep a marker in Proverbs because we will be looking at a number of Proverbs today. But Proverbs 28 verse 13, it reads, He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Now, how can you cover your sins from God?

Because God knows everything, right? You can't cover your sins from God. But God wants you to admit to confess to Him.

You know, quite often if we do something wrong, we kind of feel embarrassed to say to God, hey, I've done the thing wrong. I said the thing wrong. Sometimes we kind of hold it back. God wants you and I to confess to Him, to say it to Him openly. In other words, not to cover it and say, God, I've said this thing to this person and openly admit it.

It was not covered. Now, obviously God knows it, but God is looking for that attitude of heart, of willingly telling Him, I confess. And it's not confessing to the priest, right? Like the Catholics do. It's confessing to God. Now, obviously if you've offended, if you sinned against somebody, it is good for you to go to that person in privately and sort it out. But again, understand that is sin against you.

Matthew 18 talks about if somebody has sinned against you, against you, many times it's not a sin. Many times maybe just a slip up. Then you need to apply Galatians 6 verse 1, which is a slip up. So you got to look at that in balance. But the point here is we confess to God and we forsake it, because that's what it says here in Matthew 28 verse 13, and forsakes. In other words, we change our way of life. And then what do we have? As we obey and please God, He's going to give us more of His Spirit.

You read in Acts 5 verse 32 that God says He gives His Spirit to those that are not God says He gives His Spirit to those that obey Him. So we are building up what I call a virtuous circle. You probably heard of the word a vicious circle, which is kind of a negative thing that you get into this drain like a vicious circle.

But let's turn this around into a positive circle, which I'll just call it a virtuous circle. Now just you do more what God tells you. God blesses you with His Spirit. You understand more of the truth. You repent more, and God gives more of your Spirit. And it's just this way of living and practicing it, and you're growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. And that is what I call the virtuous circuit. And so, a scene that we were in Timothy, let's go back to 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and let's read chapter 2, verse 19 through 22.

2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 19. Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having the seal, the Lord knows those who are His. Because God looks at the heart, and God sees that you are trying to please Him, and you are confessing, and you're forsaking the way. And let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity, from sin. That's what we got to do. We got to depart from unrighteousness. But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood, clay, and some for honor, and some for dishonor.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the maker, for the master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. And so, that's what we got to do.

That's what we got to buy. We're going to come to God and buy the special gold, which starts from repentance and living and putting on a life without sin. Going back to Proverbs, Proverbs 23 verse 23, Proverbs 23 verse 23, buy the truth and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding. You see, this world has a lot of knowledge, but does not have true godly understanding and does not have godly wisdom. We need to buy the truth, not fake news, really be able to discern what is truth and ask from God because this is the truth.

God's Word is the truth and we need to dedicate time to study God's Word and study the scriptures to learn God's truth, God's wisdom, God's instruction, and God's understanding and apply it in our lives as we go through different difficulties and trials and tests. You see, when we go through difficulties and trials and tests, that's where the rubber meets the road and we're really tested. And we need to put truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding into effect under these tests so that you and I can be refined and changed into the purified golden character of God within us.

You see, so when God tells us, or Christ tells us in his letter to the loudest seans, that by a counsel you to buy from me gold purified in a fire, it's actually living God's ways practicing God's ways under stress, under difficulties, under trials, and we, going through that process of purification, our golden character becomes more like gold.

Now, in German's books South Africa, they have something called the Gold Mine Museum. Now, if you ever go to South Africa, it is something worthwhile to visit.

Because you go down a true gold mine, one that's close, so you don't go down very deep, because some of those gold mines are miles and miles deep, but it's kind of just the first or second level. And then they also have in that area a museum. It's like a little show area where you have different things of that age of like a couple of hundred years ago. And in one of them, they've got a huge furnace, a huge furnace. And when they open that furnace, you're sitting there like an audience, like you're sitting here, and you're about the distance, like maybe some of you towards the back are, and where I am is where the furnace is. So that sort of distance. And when they open that door of that furnace, there's this blast of hot air that you right at the back can feel it. And it just about burns you. And inside it is bright, bright yellow-red furnace. And at first you go in there, they put some gold. And then when they open it up after being for a little while, they take it from a little container where that gold is. And it's like around like a little bucket. And they have special long, think of it like scissors-like, like pliers, like a long pliers. So, and they have special suits and gloves, etc., to be near that. And then they take this thing, and this is long, it's like about three or four feet long. And then they take this, and then they take this liquid gold, and they pour it into a rectangular container of the shape of a bottle of gold. And they pour this liquid, this liquid into this container. And they leave it there for a little while to cool. And then once it's cooled down, they turn it upside down, and you got a bar of gold of basically pure gold. And then they say, if you can go there and pick it up with one hand, you can take it home.

Literally. But you can't pick it up even with two hands. It's solid gold, and it's heavy. And really, and... But the interesting thing is, that gold has been purified. Its impurities have been taken out through fire. Fire takes out the impurities of that gold, and now you have pure gold. Well, not pure, they say. It's 90-point-whatever-percent pure. So it's still not 100-percent pure. If you want it 100-percent pure, then you'll have to go through another phase of doing that and remelting it. But, you know, it's amazing how that pure gold is made pure through a real hot furnace, and that has got a high value. That gold has got a very high value. It's the same thing with our character.

For us to have a pure, god-like character, it has to go through trials. Through trials. And you know what? There is nothing in the whole universe. There is nothing in the old universe that is so precious as godly character. Nothing. You cannot buy it with gold or diamonds or with all the money in the world. And even God, the way He's made it, He doesn't create it. We have to develop godly, righteous character through trials, through going through the furnace of different trials in our lives. It's like the parable of the ten virgins. Let's turn to Matthew 25. Matthew 25. And if we look at right towards the end of that parable, there were these virgins that did not have enough of God's only spirit. And they said, well, let us buy some. And then in verse 8, Matthew 25, and the foolish said to the wise, give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. And so this oil symbolizing God's only spirit, but it's again in parallel similar to the concept of godly character. We need to apply and live God's way. And as we develop and apply God's way, and we live that way, God gives us more of his spirit. The two go hand in hand. And they did not have enough of God's only spirit. And you don't get more of God's only spirit like that. It takes time to love God's way, to seek God while he may be found, to overcome, to grow, to ask daily in our prayers, give us our daily bread. And your daily bread, and my daily bread in a spiritual context, is God's only spirit. And that's the bread from heaven, through Christ, of course. And so we can't buy with money, godly character. And this is the same thing, yeah, with these virgins. Then they say, well, go out and buy from God, you know, and they didn't have it. So golden character, just between the inverted commas, you know, was godly character. It is so valuable, it's so priceless that it cannot be simply be, oh well, let me go to a shelf there like you take a book, and it says, okay, let me get some of it. You can't. It's got to be developed. It's got to be developed. And so it takes time to refine godly character. For you to have this, let's call it, 24 carat golden godly character, it requires time. Time of us going through the different trials in our lives and developing that character. And so how can we develop that character? One example is in 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 6 and 7, it says, stir up the spirit that is in you. 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 6 and 7 says, therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of god which is in you through the laying on of my hands. We receive god's early spirit after baptism through the laying on of our hands. And then it says, for god has not given us a spirit of fear, of depression, of anxiety, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. You see, we need to put to practice daily what we know we need to do.

After baptized, God has given us this power, this spiritual power of God, to overcome our weaknesses as we are being tested through the furnace of our different trials and tests in our lives that come our way so that we develop this godly character.

Turn with me to Proverbs 17 verse 3. Proverbs 17 verse 3 says, the refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts. We have to be practicing what we know daily and God sees our hearts and He will then give us more of His spirit. Also look at Proverbs 22 verse 1. A good name is to be chosen, rodded, and great riches, loving favor rodded and silver and gold. You know this godly character, just like we read about Christ when He was a young man. He says He grew in favor of God and men. As we get closer to God, we get this good name, good reputation, loving favor, particularly from God. It's far better than silver and gold. Look at the example in Proverbs 27 verse 21. Proverbs 27 verse 21, the refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold and a man is valued by what others say of Him, particularly what God says of us. That is the true value what God sees in us and God says of us. YHAR is a faithful man or a woman dedicated to God's work. That is the greatest richness to be favored by God.

You see, brethren, therefore, what is it that once you've developed, it cannot be taken away from you?

You know, gold and money and houses and all these things, when you and I die, all goes away.

But your character is written in the spirit of man in man and is stored for your resurrection. So that when you and I are resurrected to live for eternity in God's family as His children, sons and daughters, that character, that golden character, remains. That is the most valuable, quote-unquote, not thing, but let me just use the word thing, that we can develop in this life or attribute. And what is the cost of that? What is the cost for you and I to develop that purified, golden, godly character? Well, you probably remember Luke 14. Just before you were baptized, the minister told you, let's count the costs. Remember that? Luke 14, count the costs. Well, let's look at it again. Probably, pardon, Luke 14. Luke 14. And we'll start reading verse 28. Luke 14 verse 28. For which of you intending to build a tower does not sit down first and count the cost? Do I have enough money to build this tower? Blessed, later on, as we read in verse 29, you can't finish it, and it's kind of half built and left around. Or verse 31. Or what king going to make war against the little king does not sit down first and consider where he is able, with ten thousand men, to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he says, hey, let's make peace. Verse 33. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple. That is the cost. That is the cost. Total dedication to God. We were reading from Revelation 3 verse 18, so let's go back to Revelation 3, because we're talking about this gold tried in the fire. Revelation 3 verse 18. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire. I think it's becoming a lot clearer what this gold refined in the fire is. But look at, let's just jump briefly to verse 20 through 22. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I, that's Christ, will come in to him and dine with him and he with me. Imagine Christ is coming at your door and he wants to come in your life. He wants to be part of your life. And he says, if we open the door, we allow Christ in our lives, and that is we overcome.

To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne, just like Christ is sitting with a father in his throne. And then he says in verse 22, he who has an ear, let him hear.

That applies to all of us. That applies to all of us. We have to overcome.

You know in Galatians 5, verse 22 and 23, talks about the fruit of God's early spirit. And it says there's many characteristics of the fruit of God's early spirit. Love, joy, peace, long patience, and goodness, kindness, faithfulness. So there's many attributes. But the last one there is self-control. Galatians 5, verse 23, the last one of those nine attributes is self-control.

And then he says in verse 24, and those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh. We've given up everything of our physical flesh. We have crucified the desires and the interests of the flesh. That is the cost. That is the cost of godly character. You see, today we have a lot of knowledge through Google and all these other things, these search engines. But a lot of people don't have understanding. You see, we have to understand where maybe other people come from, some of the situations to come to wise decisions. But then there is like a fourth stage. There's knowledge, understanding, wisdom. And then there's a fourth stage, is actually having the strength of will to do what is wise, regardless of how much it costs us. And that is character. That is character. And look back to Proverbs 8 verse 19. Proverbs 8 verse 19.

It says, my fruit, that is of wisdom. It's talking about I-wisdom in verse 17. Of wisdom, of godly wisdom. Is better than gold. Yes, then fine gold. And my revenue, then choice silver.

You see, wisdom, by doing that wisdom, it actually becomes character. Character is better than gold. Look at also Proverbs 16 verse 16. Proverbs 16 verse 16.

How much better to get wisdom than gold? And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. But understand, understanding and wisdom has to be put into practice. And that is character. That is what we can take with us beyond death for our eternal life. That is so valuable. Look at Psalm 119. Psalm 119, the longest psalm of them all, in verse 127. Therefore, I love your commandments more than gold. Yes, then fine gold. You see, so we get back to the beginning. It's to live God's way. It's to practice God's principles. It's to repent and to obey God.

Brethren, that is the important thing.

But look at Proverbs 18 verse 3. Proverbs 18 verse 3. When the wicked comes, contempt comes also, and with this honor comes reproach. Regrettably, many will not do it.

Many will not do it. And that's a frightening situation. In Zechariah chapter 13 has an interesting prophecy. Zechariah chapter 13. Zechariah chapter 13 verse 8 and 9. It'll come to pass in all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds in the land, in it, shall be cut off and die.

Two-thirds of humanity, at the time of the end, will die.

Because they are not listening to what God says. But one-third shall be left in it. And I'll bring that one-third through the fire, through the Great Tribulation, and refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested.

Brethren, we need today to put on what the Bible calls those white garments. We must not wait for the Great Tribulation.

We got to do it now, while there is time, while the Lord may be called. And so, going back to what we read in Revelation 3 verse 18, what are these white garments that we need to be clothed in? Well, in Revelation 3 verse 5, let's look at Revelation 3 verse 5. Revelation 3 verse 5 says, He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I would not blot out his name from the book of life. In other words, he will have eternal life.

And so, what are these white garments? If you look at Revelation 19 verse 8, Revelation 19 verse 8 says, And to her, that's the bride, was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. The fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. These white garments symbolize to us God's saints being overcome by living by God's laws and His right way of life.

Under trials and difficult circumstances today, before the Great Tribulation, sons and daughters of God, they will become with godly character when they are resurrected at Christ's coming. And that way, the shame of one's nakedness will not be revealed. Why? Because they will be dressed with white garments. Revelation 16 verse 15 tells us when that nakedness will be exposed. Revelation 16 verse 15, it says, Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments. Lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. That nakedness will be revealed at Christ's coming, and today we have to walk with those garments by being overcomers today. Otherwise, we will be revealed and will be ashamed at Christ's coming.

You and I would be spiritually naked before God if we're not clothed with clean white garments which represent the converted godly character that we are developing and putting on which is being tested by fire. The character of living God's way regardless of difficulties and stresses.

And so, where do we get that ointment? To anoint our eyes with ourself that we may see. You read in Luke 11. Luke 11.

And we'll start reading in verse 34 and 35. Luke 11, verse 34 and 35.

The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore, take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. The light which is in you does not become flickering. It's solid. If we are overcoming Satan's dark way of life, if we are overcoming this world's dark way of living, and if we are also overcoming our carnal human nature by repenting and getting rid of sin from ourselves, then you and I are developing godly golden character with the help of God's own Holy Spirit within us. And spiritually speaking, our eyes are therefore set upon the loving God and His loving way of life, with all putting on all God's wonderful attributes of His character. Look at Proverbs 7 verse 2. Proverbs 7 verse 2.

Keep my commandments and live, and my laws as the apple of your eye. God's laws, God's way of ours to live for developing godly character, we need to keep them. We need to guard them. Guard them in our hearts and in our minds. They've got to be in the forefront of our minds and of our being. We've got to be protecting our minds and hearts as you and I protect the apple of your eye.

We've got to be careful what we allow into our minds, the environment, what we see, what we say, to be clean. So getting back to Revelation chapter 3 verse 18.

Revelation chapter 3 verse 18.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, this godly character, that you may be truly rich, and as white garments because we're putting it to practice in our lives, that we may be clothed, that the shame of our nakedness may not be revealed at Christ's coming, and we will anoint our eyes with eye salve so that we may see and protect that. Revelation 3 verses 18, brethren, in a way, in a way, is a summary of the whole purpose of why God has given us life. Our purpose is to overcome and to develop godly, golden character, refined and purified through tests and trials like gold. We are to live our lives clothed in pure white and clean garments through conversion by living according to God's laws and His right way of life in a spirit of repentance and being cleansed in godly character.