Editorial: Paying the Price

From: The Christian Shepherd: 2000

Revelation 3:18 • 5 min. read • grade level: 10

“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” (Rev. 3:18¹⁸I 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. (Revelation 3:18)).

These words of counsel, spoken by the Lord Jesus in view of the lukewarm spiritual condition found in the assembly at Laodicea, strikingly show His loving desire and faithful care for His assembly. To those who have an ear to hear, desiring to be overcomers, the Lord’s counsel is vital, for it contains a promise of reward. It is also clear, revealing that it will cost something to walk pleasing to Himself in this world. And it is urgent because He, as righteous Judge, is about to solemnly disown the lukewarm Laodicean assembly.

Laodicea spiritually had no cup of cold water (Matt. 10:42⁴²And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. (Matthew 10:42); Mark 9:41⁴¹For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. (Mark 9:41)) to offer as refreshment, nor was the report of their condition “good news from a far country,” for it did not refresh His blessed heart as cold waters (Prov. 25:25²⁵As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. (Proverbs 25:25)). There were no mighty men evident in Laodicea—such as had willingly hazarded their lives, bringing Bethlehem’s water to refresh their beloved David (2 Sam. 23:15-16¹⁵And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! ¹⁶And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord. (2 Samuel 23:15‑16)).

Rather, the condition of the Laodiceans was so nauseous to the Lord Jesus that the assembly is about to be spued out of His mouth. May His warning and counsel make us willing to buy that which will refresh His blessed heart. It is to those who overcome that the Lord Jesus says, “I grant to sit with Me in My throne” (Rev. 3:21²¹To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:21)).

The Lord counsels each to buy of Him three things—gold, white raiment and eyesalve. Let us make a spiritual application of these, allowing them to picture morally the three great principles of Christian life that are found in the earliest epistle of Paul (1 Thessalonians). “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:3³Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; (1 Thessalonians 1:3)). These three—faith, love and hope—were not operative in the assembly at Laodicea—the last state of the church—as they had been at the first with the Thessalonians. If they are to be living and active in our lives, we must be willing to pay a price.

“Work of Faith”—Gold

The Thessalonians had “turned to God from idols” (vs. 9)—from that which was visible and tangible to that which was unseen—a proof that their faith was real and working. It had cost them much to take that step of faith. They experienced persecution—perhaps even loss of earthly goods (Acts 17:1-15¹Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: ²And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, ³Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. ⁴And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. ⁵But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. ⁶And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; ⁷Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. ⁸And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. ⁹And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go. ¹⁰And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. ¹²Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. ¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people. ¹⁴And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. ¹⁵And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed. (Acts 17:1‑15)). But when tried by the fire of persecution, their faith was found more precious than the gold (1 Peter 1:7⁷That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (1 Peter 1:7)).

The Laodiceans, who considered themselves rich, felt no need to pay the price for that which the Lord counseled them to buy. They felt increased with what their flesh desired and shunned the trials and persecutions connected with the path of faith.

Are we willing to pay the price of daily walking by faith? It will cost as much to walk thus today as it did the Thessalonian believers. But possessing that divine gold—tried and tested faith, which endures until it gives way to sight—is surely worth the cost!

Oh kindle within us a holy desire,

Like that which was found in Thy people of old,

Who tasted Thy love, and whose hearts were on fire.

(Little Flock Hymnbook #168)

“Labor of Love”—White Raiment

We read in Revelation 19:8⁸And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (Revelation 19:8) that the Lamb’s wife was “arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Not only will it cost believers to walk by faith (a work of faith), it will also cost Christians to live lives that are characterized by righteousness in this violent and corrupt world—a real labor of love in the energy of faith.

The world said to God, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14¹⁴But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. (Luke 19:14)), and they cast out and crucified His beloved Son. Now the Lord Jesus says to those who are called by His blessed name, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”

The Thessalonian believers bought their white raiment by serving the living and true God. Keeping His Word and not denying His name in a world governed by self-willed disobedience was the price they paid for that white raiment (practical righteousness of walk). It cost them (as it will us) misunderstanding and reproach in a world that thinks “it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:4⁴Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: (1 Peter 4:4)). May our hearts be so stirred that we willingly and joyfully pay the price for His white raiment.

“Patience of Hope”—Eyesalve

Unlike the Thessalonian believers, the foolish Laodiceans were not willing to patiently wait (endure) for “His Son from heaven.” They readily gave up what they were unable to see with natural sight—the believer’s proper hope of coming glory with Christ—in order to obtain the fleeting pleasures of this “present evil world” (Gal. 1:4⁴Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: (Galatians 1:4)). Morally, they were earth-dwellers. The Lord Jesus would drink no wine until He drank it new in His Father’s kingdom (Matt. 26:29²⁹But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. (Matthew 26:29)), but Laodicea was already “drunk with wine, wherein is excess” (Eph. 5:18¹⁸And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (Ephesians 5:18)).

There was no patience of hope in their lives, for their eyes were not anointed with divine eyesalve to see the beauty of His Person and the glory of His coming kingdom. They answer to Isaiah 53:2²For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. (Isaiah 53:2): “And when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” The present filled their vision and hearts, even as Sodom had filled Lot’s, so that they were blinded to Christ’s loveliness.

God grant us the spirit of the psalmist who said, “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things” (Psa. 119:18¹⁸Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. (Psalm 119:18)). May we be willing to pay the price for divine eyesalve (communion), that with eyes so anointed, we can by faith view the coming glory and thus patiently await His return.

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13¹³These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13)).

Ed.

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