Our Need To Purchase Gold

Wade E Taylor

“Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”  Revelation 3:17-18

My being “rich and increased with goods” relates not only to the natural blessings and provision that I have, but also, to the abundance of spiritual ministries and materials that are available.  To “have need of nothing” relates to my being satisfied with all that I have, with no desire for any changes.

“Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright (and) pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”  Revelation 19:7-8 ASV

Notice that she is to “dress herself in fine linen” (the garment of the Bride).  My being “naked” means that I am satisfied with having only the garment of salvation, and that I have remained as being a spiritual baby (naked).  This will result in the Lord seeing me as being “miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

The problem is not that the possession of things, natural or spiritual, is wrong, but that I have not placed the Lord Himself to be first in the totality of my being – seeking Him for Himself and placing Him in control of all that I do.

“But seek you first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33

When the possession of things becomes my priority, the result will be a lack of spiritual desire and growth.  We are called to live and function in the realm of the Spirit.  To those who are coming short of this, there is a corrective word - “I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire… ” (Revelation 3:17a).

“Gold” speaks of the divine nature.  My being “tried in the fire” means that His nature is being personalized (becoming an experiential reality) within my spiritual life and experience.  Of foundational importance in the Kingdom is our becoming “dependent” upon the Lord, acknowledging Him to be our head.  It is difficult, if not impossible, for any one of us to do this, especially when we feel secure and satisfied with ourselves, and desire only to remain within our present spiritual experience.

In order to purchase “gold,” I must first unconditionally submit the totality of my being (my independence), along with all that I possess, both natural and spiritual, to the Lord and ask Him to cause me to become dependent.

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments, and do them.”  Ezekiel 36:26-27

“I will… cause you to walk in My statutes.”  This is the heart of the “New Covenant.”  This “cause” is the enabling grace of God that is received through the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” (you will receive power after the Holy Spirit is come upon you. Acts 1:8). 

Because this “power” (I will cause you to walk in My statutes) is given to us, and because we are called to be overcomers, it must be “tried in the fire.”  We will be “tested” concerning our commitment to become dependent.  Our being “tried in fire” may affect the provisions that we presently have, but it will greatly affect our dependence upon these things.

We are to “anoint our eyes with eye salve that we may see.”  When our eyes are anointed, we will see beyond all the blessings that we have received.  Because we have chosen to become poor concerning our dependence upon temporal things, we will become rich in spiritual things.  There is a higher purpose that is to be the center of our seeking - a spiritual kingdom in which we have a submissive relationship to Jesus.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:3

The Lord is calling us into this higher dimension of spiritual life.  Paul saw this, and prayed for an “out-resurrection” from among the living dead (Philippians 3:11).  These living dead are those who are satisfied with being “rich and increased in goods.”  They have the blessings of God, but are devoid of spiritual substance and life.

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  II Corinthians 4:16-18

May each of us carefully search our hearts as to our priorities, and then make this commitment to the Lord:

“Lord, I desire to purchase of you gold that will mold my life into your image and likeness, that I might become the expression of your life in the earth, in my day and time.”