The Lord mentions three: gold, white garments, and salve. The more gold goes through fire, the purer it becomes. The refinement spoken of here anticipates the refinement (reproof) mentioned in Revelation 3:19. Through this testing the Christians of Laodicea become purer, and thereby richer in the Lord. As Jesus suffered in order to learn obedience (Hebrews 5:8), so the child of God is refined with a view to greater holiness (Romans 5:3–5; James 1:2–4). Clothing can cover the outer self but can never cover one’s sins. Jesus offers clothing that covers your vulnerability (Genesis 3:7), namely, the white garments of his own righteousness obtained on the cross (cf. Revelation 3:4). In the face of their spiritual blindness Jesus offers salve to restore one’s sight. With these three products, Jesus provides opportunity for the Laodicean church to do something about their wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked condition.
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.