I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

Revelation 3:18 NKJV

In the above Scripture, Jesus gives an instruction to the church in Laodicea to buy from Him gold refined in the fire. But what does this actually mean?

When we understand the hidden meaning for gold in Scripture, it helps us understand the message that God has for His church. The hidden meaning for gold in Scripture is either faith or a godly nature and I believe in this instance, it is referring to faith. God is instructing His church to buy from Him faith which has been purified through the refining or testing process, so that we can be rich in faith.

Our faith gets tested when we face trials and tribulations which may cause us great distress, or which could cause us to doubt God’s Word or His promises. We will all go through a testing process at some point in our journey with God, but we are encouraged to count these trials as pure joy. We can see confirmation of this in other Scripture passages such as: James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-7.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (perseverance/endurance).

James 1:2-3 NKJV

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved (distressed) by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:6-7 NKJV

When metal goes through a purification process, the metal refiner would heat the metal to a very high temperature until it completely melts into a liquid form. The refiner does this so that all the impurities within the metal can rise to the surface with the intention of skimming them off. For the metal refiner, this process is worth the reward because the precious metal is of far more value in its purest form without all the dross (which could include things like tin, lead and zinc).

I believe the Scripture from Revelation 3:18 helps us understand that just as a metal refiner would put precious metal into a hot furnace to melt the metal with the purpose of skimming off the dross, Jesus too tests our faith so that any areas of unbelief (which may have entered our hearts) can be made known to us, so that they can be removed. God helps us understand that when our faith has gone through the testing process, there is a reward – we will be rich in faith. God allows us to go through this testing process (even though it may be trying, distressing or difficult), because He looks to the reward.

In Revelation 3:18, Jesus instructs us to buy from Him gold refined in the fire. ‘Buying something’ means that there is a price to be paid, or that it will cost us something. I have personally been going through a testing process for a few years now already, and I asked the Lord to reveal to me what the price is of having our faith tested. One day upon listening to a bible teaching, it was revealed that the price to pay for tested faith is endurance, and I knew with absolute conviction that this was the answer because it matched perfectly with my experience.

James 1:2-3 also helps us understand that the testing of our faith produces patience or endurance. Endurance is not easy, especially when we cannot see a way forward or a way through whatever we are facing, but the Lord will always be faithful and that gives us opportunity to rejoice. Scripture also reveals to us that there is a reward for patience and endurance, and that reward is that we will grow into spiritual maturity and completion, lacking nothing.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (perseverance/endurance). But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect (or spiritually mature) and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-4 NKJV

The Lord instructs us to count it all joy when we go through these trials. I will be the first one to admit that I didn’t always count it as joy, in fact I found it quite difficult to endure at times because going through the fire is not easy or pleasant. But God in His mercy and lovingkindness always offered me a helping hand. A few years ago, He warned me that He was going to take me through a testing process, and He helped me understand how I should respond to the testing. I would like to share this with you, as I hope it may offer help and encouragement to anyone else who feels like their faith is being tested.

A few years ago we went on holiday to Plettenburg Bay. One day while we were swimming and bodyboarding in the sea, God spoke so clearly to me. The waves were quite big that day which meant that it was the perfect opportunity for us to ride the waves on our tummies using the bodyboards. To really enjoy bodyboarding, you have to make your way deep enough into the sea so that you can catch a wave at the right time which will bring you all the way back to the shore. Making your way into the sea with oncoming waves whilst holding a bodyboard in your hands is not that easy. As I didn’t know the best way to do this, I decided to use my bodyboard as a shield from each oncoming wave while making my way into the ocean. Needless to say, it didn’t work very well, because it felt like I was fighting each oncoming wave.

At this point God revealed to me that I would be going through seasons of ‘wave after wave’ testing. He then helped me understand that I should rather swim under the wave instead of trying to fight or resist it. I instantly knew that He was giving me the understanding that I should rather pray through each wave of testing instead of resisting the test. As I swam under each wave, I could feel the force of the water pass over me, but it was much better than trying to resist the wave. Jesus is with us through it all, and as we come to Him in prayer, He delights to show us His great faithfulness. At this point, I am reminded of the following Scripture:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43:2-3 NKJV

As I mentioned earlier, the purpose of going through the test is for God to reveal to us any areas of unbelief which we may have in our hearts. Sometimes these could even be hidden, meaning that we don’t even know they are there. But God knows, and He wants to reveal these to us so that we can turn away from unbelief. God is so good and merciful, that not only will He draw our attention to these areas, but He will give us faith to overcome them. It is an opportunity for Jesus to reveal to us His glory and His faithfulness as we pray over what He has highlighted to us. Remember that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). God will give us the faith we need to overcome all areas of unbelief, because He wants us to be rich in faith.

May I kindly encourage you to persevere through the testing process knowing that God is working all things for our good. Let us choose to trust Him and His ways, and to be steadfast in prayer through the process as we allow the Holy Spirit to do His perfect work in us. May we choose to not focus on the trial, but instead look to the reward which God has promised us. Thank You precious Jesus for Your goodness and faithfulness.

Blessings in Jesus mighty name.