… you are miserable… I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire.
Revelation 3:17-18 (TLV)
The process of purifying gold is a metaphor for how we mature in Christ. Every disciple of Jesus desires the fire of God so they can be more like Christ. The impurities in our hearts are invisible from the outside, just like the inner imperfections of gold. The goldsmith, with unwavering patience, holds the gold over an intense fire to melt it. The concealed impurities will rise to the top so the refiner can skim off the dross until the surface clears. He repeats the process until He can see His image in the purified liquid. This process calls for self-reflection and a desire for spiritual growth.
Apostle Peter was a living testament to the transformative power of genuine faith in Christ as he faced his trials by fire. It was beside a fire that Peter, in a moment of weakness, denied his Lord three times. Devastated after the third denial, he withdrew himself into isolation due to godly sorrow. Unlike Judas, he repented, and the Lord fully restored him, sitting with him once again around a campfire. Later in life, he assured God’s people that fiery trials would prove their faith in Christ is genuine. We all need to know that we have true faith in Christ, and it is only when God tests our faith through trying circumstances that we can know this from our hearts.
Apostle John writes about his vision of a bunch of lukewarm, self-satisfied believers characterized by nothing but worldly desires. Jesus tells them he is ‘sick of their lack of zeal’ for Him and His ways. This lack of zeal is a wake-up call for the church today, much of which resembles the lukewarm church in Laodicea. The message for any ‘lukewarm Christian’ is to buy gold from Jesus refined by the fire. It is impossible to please God without faith. Faith is the currency of heaven, as gold is the earth’s currency. A mature faith comes at an actual cost. Are you willing to lay down your life for others and suffer with Christ so you might reign with Him? Let this call for spiritual zeal ignite a fire in your heart for the Lord!
