Rev 3:17 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:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the
fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed,
and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with
eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Daniel and
Revelation - by Uriah Smith
The Admonition.--
"Buy of
Me," says the true Witness, "gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest
be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothes; . . . and anoint thine
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eyes with eyesalve,
that thou mayest see."
This shows at once
to the deceived Laodiceans the things they LACK, and the extent of their
destitution.
It shows, too, where
they can obtain those things in which they are so fearfully poor, and brings
before them the necessity of speedily obtaining them. The case is so urgent
that our great Advocate in the court above sends us special counsel on this
point. The fact that He who has condescended to point out our lack and counsel
us to buy, is the one who has these things to bestow and invites us to come to
Him for them, is the best possible guarantee that our application will be
respected and our requests granted.
But by what means
can we buy these things?--
Just as we buy all
other gospel graces. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,
and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price." Isaiah 55: 1.
We thus buy by the
ASKING, buy by throwing away the worthless baubles of earth and receiving
priceless treasures in their stead, buy by SIMPLY COMING AND RECEIVING, buy,
giving nothing in return.
What do we buy on
these gracious terms?--
Bread that perishes
not, spotless raiment that soils not, riches that corrupt not, and an
inheritance that fades not away. Strange transaction, this! Yet the Lord
condescends to deal thus with His people. He might compel us to come in the
manner and with the mien of beggars, but instead of this He gives us the
treasures of His grace, and in return receives our worthlessness, that we may
take the blessings He has to bestow, not as pittances dealt out to mendicants,
but as the legitimate possessions of honorable purchase. The things to be
obtained demand special notice.
"Gold Tried in
the Fire."--
Gold literally
considered is the comprehensive name for all worldly wealth and riches.
Figuratively, it must denote that which constitutes spiritual riches. What
grace, then, is represented by the gold, or rather, what graces? Doubtless no
one single grace can be said to answer to the full import of that term. The
Lord said to the church of Smyrna that He knew their poverty, but they were
rich. That
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testimony shows that
their riches consisted of that which was finally to put them in possession of a
crown of life. Says James, "Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God
chosen the poor of the world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He
hath promised to them that love Him?" James 2: 5. "Faith," says
Paul, "is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen." Hebrews 11: 1. To be "rich toward God," rich in the
spiritual sense, is to have a clear title to the promises, to be heir of that
"inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you." 1 Peter 1: 4. "If ye be Christ's, then
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:
29. How do we obtain this heirship?--In the same way that Abraham obtained the
promise, that is, through FAITH. (Romans 4: 13, 14.)
No wonder, then,
that the entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews should be devoted to this important
subject, setting forth the mighty achievements that have been accomplished, and
the precious promises that have been obtained, through faith. In Hebrews 12: 1,
the grand conclusion of the argument is given when Christians are exhorted to
lay aside every weight, and the sin (of unbelief) that so easily besets them.
Nothing will sooner
dry up the springs of spirituality, and sink us into utter poverty in reference
to the things of the kingdom of God, than to let faith go out and unbelief come
in. Faith must enter into every action that is pleasing in His sight. In coming
to Him, the first thing is to believe that He is. It is through faith as the
chief agent under the grace which is the gift of God, that we are to be saved.
(Hebrews 11: 6; Ephesians 2: 8.)
From this it would
seem that faith is a principal element of spiritual wealth. But if, as already
remarked, no one grace can answer to the full import of the term
"gold," so doubtless other things are included with faith.
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for." Hence hope is an
inseparable accompaniment of faith. (Hebrews 11: 1; Romans 8: 24, 25.) Again
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Paul tells us that
faith works by love, and speaks in another place of being "rich in good
works." (Galatians 5: 6; 1 Timothy 6: 18.) Hence LOVE CANNOT BE SEPARATED
FROM FAITH. We then have before us the three things associated together by Paul
1 Corinthians 13--faith, hope, and charity, or love; and the greatest of these
is charity, which is "rich in good works." Such is the gold tried by
fire which we are counseled to buy.
"White
Raiment."--
On this point there
would not seem to be much room for controversy. A few texts will furnish a key
to the understanding of this expression. Says the prophet, "All our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Isaiah 64: 6. We are counseled to buy
the opposite of filthy rags, which would be complete and spotless raiment. The
same figure is used in Zechariah 3: 3, 4. John, in Revelation 19: 8, says
plainly that "the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."
The Eyesalve.--
On the eyesalve
there is as little room for a diversity of opinion as upon the white raiment.
The anointing of the eyes is certainly not to be taken in a literal sense, for
reference is being made to spiritual things. The eyesalve must denote that by
which our spiritual discernment is quickened. There is but one agent revealed
to us in the word of God by which this is accomplished, and that is the Holy
Spirit. In Acts 10: 38 we read that "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Ghost." The same writer through whom came this Revelation from
Jesus Christ which we are studying, wrote to the church in his first epistle,
as follows: "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all
things. . . . But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you,
and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you
of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye
shall abide in Him." 1 John 2: 20, 27. By referring to his Gospel, it is
found that the work which John here sets forth as accomplished by the anointing
is exactly the same that he there attributes to the Holy Spirit. "The
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom
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the Father will send
in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14: 26 (See also John
16: 13.)
Thus in a formal and
solemn manner are we counseled by the faithful and true Witness, under the
figures of gold, white raiment, and eyesalve, to seek from Him an increase of
the heavenly graces of faith, hope, charity, that righteousness which He alone
can furnish, and an unction from the Holy Spirit.
But how is it
possible that a people lacking these things should think themselves rich and
increased with goods?
A plausible
inference may here be drawn, which is perhaps also a necessary one, as there is
room for no other. It will be observed that no fault is found with the
Laodiceans on account of the doctrines they hold. They are not accused of
harboring a Jezebel in their midst, or countenancing the doctrines of Balaam,
or the Nicolaitanes. So far as we can learn, their belief is correct, and their
doctrine sound.
The inference
therefore is that having a correct doctrine, they are content.
They are satisfied
with a correct form of religion without its power.
Having received
light concerning the closing events of the gospel era, and having a correct
theoretical knowledge of the truths that pertain to the last generation of men,
they are inclined to rest in this to the neglect of spiritual power which
changes the life and builds strong character.
It is by their
actions, doubtless, not by their words, that they say they are rich and
increased with good. Having so much light and so much truth, what can they want
besides? If they defend the theory, and as far as their outward life is
concerned, conform to the increasing light upon the commandments of God and the
faith of Jesus, is not their righteousness complete? Are they not rich, and
increased with goods, and in need of nothing? Here is their FAILURE. Their
whole being should cry out for the spirit, the zeal, the fervency, the life,
the power of a living Christianity.
*******
Truth.
We need the
SPIRITUAL truth! We need to LIVE spiritual truth.
We will study this
more indepth tomorrow by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
Please, Father, save
us!
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