You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Revelation 3:17-18
“You are mistaken, and are deceived, whosoever you are, that think yourself rich in this world. Listen to the voice of your Lord in the Apocalypse, rebuking men of your stamp with righteous reproaches: “Thou sayest,” says He, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. 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 may not appear in thee; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see.” [Revelation 3:17-18] You therefore, who are rich and wealthy, buy for yourself of Christ gold tried by fire; that you may be pure gold, with your filth burnt out as if by fire, if you are purged by almsgiving and righteous works. Buy for yourself white raiment, that you who had been naked according to Adam, and were before frightful and unseemly, may be clothed with the white garment of Christ. And you who are a wealthy and rich matron in Christ’s Church, anoint your eyes, not with the collyrium of the devil, but with Christ’s eye-salve, that you may be able to attain to see God, by deserving well of God, both by good works and character.”
Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 14.
This post touched me deeply. My prayer for my 5,322 daily posts and counting is for them to serve as salve “so you can see” what to do with earthly riches.
I appreciate hearing him say that almsgiving and righteous works purge us.
Some people misunderstand that as sounding like our works save us. They do not. Almsgiving and righteous works sanctify or cleanse us from worldly thinking and behavior.
I fly from Newark to George Town, Grand Cayman today. Pray for safe travel.
Pray also for my GTP meetings this week activating a peer accountability movement in Cayman Islands. That country is known for great banking standards.
Soon also for their church and ministry administration and governance standards.