Buy Gold - Rumor notes 19

 

Revelation 3

14 "To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write: "The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God's creation, says these things:

15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.

16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.

17 Because you say, 'I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;' and don't know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.

19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.

21 He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne.

22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies."

I counsel you to buy from me...

Buy the truth, and don't sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding. (Proverbs 23:23)

Ho, everyone who thirsts, come you to the waters, and he who has no money; come you, buy, and eat; yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which doesn't satisfy? listen diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Turn your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (Isaiah 55:1-3)

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. (Matthew 13:44)

What is used to purchase this?

Whatever we value or cling to in place of the currency of heaven.

Give Him our false hopes, pride, idols, religion, works to impress God, double-mindedness.

Offer up gratitude, praise, appreciation of the goodness of God which opens access to the riches of glory in Christ.

Jesus invites us to sell our soul to Him in exchange for trust, love and life in fulness of joy.

gold refined by fire, that you may become rich

What does gold represent? And how do we define rich? Rich is very much a word requiring a context in which to understand what is valued. In our world we are conditioned to value based on the collective desires of our society as well as what we consider important for ourselves. But Jesus is speaking from the context of His kingdom and from heaven's perspective. So it should be no surprise that what is viewed as highly desirable and valuable from the standpoint of true reality might be significantly different than what we value on earth where selfishness is the primary motivation.

Heaven and God's kingdom revolve around healthy bonded relationships and all that is needed for such. Thus we need to look back to our original design from Eden to catch a glimpse of what is most valuable for a human being. We also look to Jesus, the only normal and perfect human being who has ever lived to find a revelation of what is most important to live as a human reflector of God's glory. In the life and heart of Jesus is witnessed our example of what is most valuable to seek so as to be able to experience intimacy with God and each other in ways that are truly fulfilling. So we might begin by paying attention to what Jesus valued most as important clues to know what we should value most.

When it comes to changing our thinking about what is valuable in God's kingdom in contrast to what we naturally value here, consider these words of Jesus who is the King of heaven. This came from a study I did some years ago trying to understand the nature of rewards when I realized that most of what we think of as rewards usually foster selfishness. So what would an unselfish person value?

Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)

Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation. Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.

But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful. (Luke 6:22-28, 35-36)

Looking carefully through this list of valuables according to Jesus' perspective is a real eye-opener.

In the gospel of John, the same John who wrote this book of Revelation, Jesus is seen talking a lot about the need for belief or faith. Without faith it is impossible to live in a relationship of pleasure with God according to Hebrews 11:6. Humans are hard-wired to desire pleasure, satisfaction, fulfillment and joy. We are also designed to crave fellowship and intimacy where joy is experienced most fully. This is expressed in the statement about our first parents in this way.

They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:25)

This is not merely a description of their physical condition but far more is about their emotional and relational state of being. To be naked means to live vulnerably and free of fear, transparent in every respect, free of all deception, blame, suspicion or anything remotely of that nature. We are by design meant to live openly, honestly, transparent and vulnerable which is how we make ourselves available to enjoy intimate bonds of heart connection with others. Only as we come back to this original design for humans can we find true fulfillment, peace and the joy for which we were created. Vulnerability is the very atmosphere of heaven and reflects the truth about God that has been obscured by the accusations and lies of the enemy about Him. We were created to image the truth about God's heart, His disposition and the relational joy ever experienced between all members of the Godhead.

Shame is a word describing loss of self-worth, a stripping away of a personal sense of value. Shame itself is a lie of Satan used to exploit vulnerability, which is why the Hebrew words translated naked in the above verse and cunning or crafty in the next verse referring to the serpent, both come from the same root. Exploitation lies at the very heart of sin, which is exploitation of the vulnerability of God's design in all creation. Thus the rebellion launched by Satan exploits the very perceived weaknesses of God's design of creation needed for love to flourish which is vulnerability and transparency and trust. Yet what is actually most valuable (gold) is this intimacy free of shame.

When Moses alerts us that our first parents were naked and vulnerable but not ashamed, he is summarizing the original design that was exploited by Satan and most needs to be restored in us. Yet sin conditions us to imagine vulnerability is something to always be avoided.

Since this is the original design, not only for humans but reflects what is most valuable for all of God's children everywhere, what might this tell us about it means to be rich with gold that comes from God? What does gold represent and what does it mean that this particular gold has been purified by fire?

Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!" says Yahweh of Armies. "But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like launderer's soap; and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness. (Malachi 3:1-3)

But he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I shall come forth like gold. (Job 23:10)

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials [temptations], knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 NAS95)

For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble; each man's work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man's work is. (1 Corinthians 3:11-13)

Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials, that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ-- (1 Peter 1:6-7)

What composes the fire that tests this gold? This is very important to unpack lest we get confused.

His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. (Revelation 1:14) Ever notice that shame can feel the most intense when someone is gazing at you?

The sinners in Zion are afraid. Trembling has seized the godless ones. Who among us can live with the devouring fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burning? He who walks righteously, and speaks blamelessly; He who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from looking at evil-- he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure. Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. They will see a distant land. (Isaiah 33:14-17)

Yet, if James implies that what tests us is temptations or trials, does this mean God is involved in our temptations? Tests from God are very different in purpose than tests from Satan.

Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. (James 1:13)

We are back again to sorting out the motives and methods of God. How we relate to temptations or trials will be greatly affected by how we perceive God's disposition towards us. In turn, how we perceive God and His methods and motives directly affects how we respond to Him as well as how we will react when others mistreat us, malign our reputation, attack and humiliate us or abuse us.

We must come to see and appreciate how God uses persecution, mistreatment by others and temptations from other sources to accomplish growth in our lives without blaming Him or becoming defensive or reflecting the same spirit back to others they are bringing against us. If God is using evil treatment of us to refine gold in us, we must not defeat His refining work by becoming angry, resentful, self-justifying or accusing. To do so would be to refine the image of the accuser in us instead of the image of God. This will not result in our receiving the gold refined by fire from Jesus as part of the remedy He offers those who are poor, wretched and miserable but don't know it.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. (1 Peter 4:12-14 NAS95)

What is being boiled out of the gold by this fire? What needs to be extracted and removed that contaminants us?

In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. We love Him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:17-19)

The consensus of these passages leads me to believe that gold represents enduring faith, or trust, and love. This trusting love needs to be purified and cleansed of all resistance in preparation to live in the fiery presence of the passion of God's love. And resistance is involved because of fear.

Interestingly, the same fire that we are being prepared to not only endure but to thrive within, is partly the fire used to purify out all impurities and contaminants that would prove fatal for us on the day of the full revelation of God's heart, the day of judgment. John says that fear has to do with punishment (NRSV). Punishment imposed by God as payment for sin is one of the biggest lies the enemy has infected our minds with for too long. It is impossible to love someone if they are using threats of punishment to command your love. Thus it is vital that we become cleansed, purified of every notion that God is the instigator of punishments for not loving Him,. All such fear produces resistance to love deep inside of us that if not removed will result in torment when we are exposed to the full power of love in the end.

The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. They told the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath has come; and who is able to stand?"

(Revelation 6:15-17)

Notice that the rich and powerful are among those who are terrified at seeing the face of the Lamb. They value the wrong kind of gold, the gold standard of commerce upon which the entire world has established its power. Now confronted with the opposite system of value, they find themselves keenly aware of their poverty because they are unable to trust the heart of the One who appears in glory for those who have embraced what is truly valuable – trust, love and freedom.

This is the outcome of resisting the fire of God's passionate love to do its work of removing fear out of our heart. The people who dwell on the earth, who think and feel and react like all those who dwell on the earth as Revelation identifies them, are those who cling to the dark views of God that the great accuser circulates and insists is fact. Thus, when they are exposed to the full face of love as represented by a Lamb, their irrational reaction is that of terror, because they have locked their hearts in fear induced by believing that God is a punisher and operates in the spirit of artificial (commerce) rewards and punishment rather than pure love.

he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. (Revelation 14:10)

These who react in terror to love have perfected their characters out of harmony with the design of heaven, which is trust (willing vulnerability) and transparent love (considering others better than themselves). Because they have clung to double-minded opinions about God, believing He is light and dark at the same time, good and evil, rewarding and punishing (manipulative and exploitive), the only thing they are able imagine when they see the passion of love in His eyes at His coming is that He has arrived to carry out the threats they have believed originate with Him. They have destroyed their capacity to trust that the passion in His eyes is nothing but pure love for them, because they have resisted His love all their lives and refused to allow it to transform their thinking and characters.

The refining fire can only accomplish its work while our characters remain open to change before the point they are finished permanently. After the sealing process is finished, both in the lives of those who have accepted love's refining work as well as those who have resisted it, every person will be sealed into the mold they have chosen shaped by their belief about God and how reality functions. From then on, everything they see and experience must be interpreted through the lens of what they imagine is true, whether or not it is true. This is why some run in terror from the face of pure love, because they are cannot believe that God is only love and doesn't use fear to manipulate His children. This is why our first parents hid after they sinned, because they felt terrified when they heard love walking in the garden. Fortunately they had not yet been sealed beyond recovery, so God was able to still work out a plan of salvation to restore them to trust if they would cooperate.

The important question is this: How will we relate to the refining fire ourselves? Will we cling to lies that make us afraid of God, thinking that God can only overcome evil and wickedness by resorting to force and violence? Or will we allow the love revealed by the Lamb to purify us of everything that is out of harmony with love and transform us into His likeness?

The likeness of God as first mentioned before the creation of humans, may correlate to the gold that is currently being refined within us. This gold is to be our character. It is also represented by the articles of gold in the Most Holy place of the sanctuary. This character can only be formed by our choices and in cooperation with God's refinement process in our lives, and it is non-transferable.

Jesus alluded to this in the story of the virgins awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom Remember how the prepared virgins responded to those who had failed to prepare.

The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'What if there isn't enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' (Matthew 25:8-9)

The lies about God that infected our first parents caused the reflection of His image to be defaced in them and severely damaged how they related to Him and each other. This defacing of the image of God has persisted and been amplified throughout history. Jesus came to restore humanity back into reflecting the truth about God. He began by reflecting in His own life the light of the pure love that alone flows from the heart of God. Jesus restored the original design of the human species by living as a perfect reflection of God His whole life, thus earning the right to represent humanity as our new Adam/Father. In taking up this responsibility He received full authority to each person's true identity, refuting the sinful identity given to us by the first Adam. Then because He also absorbed all the dark effects of the sins of the whole race into Himself at the cross, He neutralized the power of Satan's arguments that every sin had to be punished or the scales of justice could never be satisfied.

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (Hebrews 2:14 NAS95)

He now represents us as our high priest to the rest of the universe and makes available to all who will allow Him, the means by which we may be purified by His love from all the lies, fears and impurities that distort our reflection of God. This is what is represented by purified gold, along with silver. The person overseeing the purification of silver looks into the heated caldron that boils the silver to watch the surface to see when their face is reflected to know when it is finished. Thus God allows the heat of trials to come into our lives, together with His love, in order to give us opportunity to let go of every idea of fear that creates dissonance with His pure love, light and truth. As we allow this process to proceed and fulfill its intent, we may be purified like gold and silver and come out reflecting the same image that Jesus reflected.

Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

When we cooperate with the purification process, we fulfill God's original stated intent for humanity. We are designed to reflect the image of God passively like a mirror, yet this only moves us toward the ultimate goal. What God designed for us to become through reflecting His love is to cultivate and perfect permanent characters like the Godhead, secured, sanctified and so anchored in the truth of Their love that it will be forever impossible for us to ever again be deceived by lies

God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...." (Genesis 1:26)

Behold, how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn't know us, because it didn't know him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is. (1 John 3:1-2)

But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. (Matthew 5:44-45)

In a strange sort of way, God uses even our enemies to refine our characters when we choose to reflect His image to them instead of the distorted image of Him coming from them. This is why we are called to love our enemies, for in so doing we give them opportunity to see the truth about God they may never have seen before, and possibly we may be used by God to rescue them back into His love.

Likeness goes beyond image however, and refers to character which is beyond beyond mere reflection. This is why the next verse in Genesis describing the actual creation does not include the word likeness but only the word image twice. Likeness of character is not something that can be created by God but is only developed through a life of choices resulting in formation of character. Thus God created humans with potential for change, transformation, growth and maturing. In this way He actually shares creation capacity with us, giving each person opportunity to decide what likeness they will embrace. Thus in a sense, our creation was not finished in seven days but is still going on, though now we are responsible as we participate in finishing creation by choosing whom we will serve, who we will believe about our true identity which in turn will determine what kind of character we will perfect.

If we consent, God can work in us through His Spirit to transform our hearts and minds into thinking, acting and living like beings far more valuable than gold, yet represented as gold. Maybe silver represents the initial design of reflecting God's image just as silver is used in mirrors, while gold represents the finished character developed through choices to reflect His image without resistance. Our part is not to try to make ourselves like God but rather to use our will, the authority God has given each one of us, to consent continually so He can finish what He began in us.

I thank my God whenever I remember you, always in every request of mine on behalf of you all making my requests with joy, for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:3-6)

For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is. (1 John 3:2)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:1-3 NRSV)

I want to cooperate with the fire of God's passionate love, to get free of my resistance and to work through whatever circumstances He allows to come into my life so I can be purified of all the fears, resistance, unbelief and everything inside me that is not like God. I am tired of sin inside me fighting against love, keeping me in fear, causing me to circle around over and over in confusion because of my resistance to the Spirit. I am convicted that only as I surrender my will and give God permission to do whatever it takes to save and restore me, that God will be able and is eager to heal me and bring me into the intimacy and joy that my heart craves to experience and that brings Him joy and glory.

Heal me, O Yahweh, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for you are my praise. (Jeremiah 17:14)