Revelation 3: 18-20

Jesus said He was about to spew the church from His mouth, which left room for the church to repent. The church was materially wealthy, but without its spirituality centered in Christ, the church was spiritually poor. So Jesus offered it spiritual, pure gold, refined in the fire. That’s an allusion to 1 Peter 1: 7, in which gold figuratively stands for faith that’s been tested. Jesus urged the church to buy this spiritual gold from Him. The purchase price was getting rid of pride, self-sufficiency, and indifference.

Though the church covered itself in works and self-confidence, it wasn’t fooling anybody but itself. Even the world could see its naked and shameful hypocrisy. So Jesus told the church to further purchase and wrap itself in His white garments of salvation, made of righteous deeds (Isaiah 61: 10; Rev. 19: 8).

Additionally, and most importantly, Jesus told the church to buy from Him, His anointed eyesalve, for it couldn’t spiritually see straight. Only with its eyes opened by the Holy Spirit, would the church be able to discern that it’s not what it thinks it is. Allowing the Spirit to work within it, the church’s eyes would finally be opened to behold its precarious position.

The church could be saved, Jesus wanted the church to know. In fact, He expressed His love for it. That’s why He pulled no punches. He laid everything on the line. That’s what true love does (Job 5: 17). There is no sugar coating. Jesus’ intent with His message was made very clear. He was reproving the church in order to discipline it. 1 Corinthians 11: 32 says that we are disciplined by the Lord so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

Again, it is repentance that Jesus seeks from the church. However, if the church, as a whole, does not abandon its self-sufficient, lukewarm condition, His appeal is also directed towards the individual. He said, and says to every Christian at all times, that He stands before the heart. If the heart is opened and He is invited in, He will come in and sit for a meal. (In the Near East, sharing a meal is considered the beginning of forming a strong relationship of affection and companionship.)

To the overcomer of indifference, self-sufficiency, and love for the things of this world, and who unpretentiously places Jesus back in the center of life, Jesus makes a promise that will be fulfilled at His Second Coming. The overcomer will get to share Jesus’ throne. (In the ancient Near East, thrones didn’t look like a single seat; they were more of a couch.)