No person can serve both God and money. Each believer in Christ must decide which of the two is his God. For he will come to love one and hate the other.

Those who are preaching that Christians are to be rich in money are deceived and are bringing their listeners into the kingdom of Antichrist.

Having food and clothing let us be content. Godliness with contentment is greater gain than all the money in the world.

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. (Revelation 3:18)

Gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.

White raiment, that thou mayest be clothed.

Anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.

The Laodicean believers are rich in money but poor in faith.

The members of the church in Smyrna were poor in material wealth but rich before God (Revelation 2:9).

James speaks of those who are poor in the world but "rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom" (James 2:5).

Not only are we to be rich in faith but the gold of our faith must be refined in the fires of tribulation and suffering:

That 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 honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (I Peter 1:7)

If we would be rich in the things of Christ our faith must undergo prolonged, severe testing. The true saint follows the Lord and expects to encounter many pains and problems in the present world. He hopes to receive glory and honor at the revelation of Christ.

The Laodicean believer continually looks for ways in which he can gain from the Gospel. He hopes to profit in this life from his relationship with Christ. He perceives the sufferings of the cross as something to be avoided if at all possible.

Antichrist will help the Laodicean become rich in material goods, knowing this will impoverish him in the things of the Kingdom of God.

The Laodicean believer has enough money to buy clothes. But he is naked before God. His spiritual clothing is torn, and spotted with the filth of the world.

The white raiment of the Bride of the Lamb is the righteous acts of the saints (Revelation 19:8). The true saint is being clothed spiritually as he serves the Lord diligently. He continually washes his robe (his spiritual "robe" of righteousness) by confessing his sins and forsaking them. The blood of Jesus removes the spots while the hot iron of tribulation presses out the wrinkles.

Numerous believers will leave the Laodicean churches during the great tribulation, choosing to be adorned in the spotless robes of the redeemed:

... These are they which came out of [the] great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14)

This "great multitude, which no man could number," decided to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them" (Revelation 7:15).

Such have purchased faith that is gold tried in the fires of suffering, and also white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb as they have confessed and repented of their sins.

To be continued.