Why does Christ tell us to buy from him gold, white clothing and eye salve?
Can't we simply pray and ask him for these things?How can we buy anything from Christ? Isn't the general idea to freely give what we have freely received?
Revelation 3:18
ESV - 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
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Asked July 08 2016
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Kenneth Heck
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vanessa pannuti
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To give an answer to this question my personal opinion is that we must first of all look up the meaning of "to buy". To buy means to pay the price of something, using money or by sacrifice. Jesus reminds us that to follow Him and to be His disciples is costly and that we must give up our own possessions and carry our crosses; otherwise we will not be worthy of Him. See the gospels: Matthew 13:44 Luke 14:33 Matthew 10:37-38 Luke 9:23 There is a strong warning in the bible against any form of greed, and also a strong condemnation, judgement of the merchants, the money changers, the materialistic societies who put their trust in vanity and have grown lukewarm towards God just like Laodicea. John 2:17 Revelation 18:19-20 Zephaniah 1:11,12 There are exhortations to be separate from these people Revelation 18:4 Zechariah 2:7 Jeremiah 51:6 Now considering the "merchandise" Laodicea was adviced to buy: Gold symbolising faith 1 Peter 1:7, white garnments symbolising the righteous deeds of the saints and their worth Revelation 3:4 Revelation 3:5 Revelation 19:8 Ecclesiastes 9:8 There is something that can be bought at no cost Isaiah 55:1 and here the informal meaning of "to buy" must be looked up. To buy informally means to accept that something is true. A journalist can "buy" a story for instance. This could be the meaning of "buying" gold-faith from Christ, to believe in Him without any shadow of doubt and to be fervent in our faith, to love Him even though we have not seen Him 1 Peter 1:8.
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