I have a rock. It is a very pretty rock. It shines, and when you turn it in the sunlight, it seems to glow. It is genuine. Yes, it is really the real thing. It’s a bona fide, authentic, veritable piece of counterfeit gold.
While it is a lovely little rock, any goldsmith could prove it as having little worth. It would not stand the test of refinement. It is pretty now, but it’s beauty has not come from the loving, careful hand of the Refiner. The shine that spells genuine, purified gold comes only by the painful process of refinement. “The gold here recommended as having been tried in the fire is faith and love. It makes the heart rich; for it has been purged until it is pure, and the more it is tested the more brilliant is its luster.”– {4T 88.2}
There is a Goldsmith who knows the genuine, He possesses the genuine. Christ says to each of us, “I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.” Revelation 3:18. Hmmm… “that thou mayest be rich.” As Solomon said, “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” Proverbs 23:5. Earthly riches vanish. They are not genuine, they are like my piece of pyrite. They are like fool’s gold. True richness comes only from the Owner of the cattle upon a thousand hills. It is too valuable to be paid for by any amount of money, but even the poorest can obtain all of these riches that they desire. The most hated, mistreated, destitute, and robbed person on earth can also overflow with these riches, for there is One who did. A person, though stripped of all they possess, cannot be robbed of authentic wealth. This is the gold of character after the similitude of Christ. The one who possesses it is never poor, the one who lacks it is never rich. Christ says, “Riches and honour are with Me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.” Proverbs 8:18. A few verses earlier, Christ says “Counsel is Mine.” What is the counsel of the One who possesses counsel? Buy of Me. “My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold.” Proverbs 8:19. What is His fruit, but love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
“Receive my instruction,” says the Counselor who is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, “and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all things that thou mayest desire are not to be compared with it.” Proverbs 8:10-11. I look at my piece of genuine, counterfeit gold… “Lord, You couldn’t be more right!”
