What beautiful words they are: ‘I counsel thee.’ This is not actually a scathing rebuke with a final command.
If only you will get some depth from the Lord, if this is the case with you. If only you would be a deeper person with better knowledge of the Lord, with spiritual experience, proving him, walking with him, having rewarding personal devotions. If only you would receive gold from the Lord that will make you that much more worthwhile. He has gold, and character, and power, and blessing in abundance. This is gold which is tried in the fire, because in order to bring us improvements and blessing, Christ died on Calvary. He purchased the right and the power both to save us and to help us. What he gives is gold tried in the fire.
It is tried in the fire another way too. There had already been martyrs for the faith. There had already been people who had been given this strength, and communion with God in great measure. They had held up when they had gone to the flames, or been thrown to the beasts, rather than deny the Lord. This character, says Christ, that I will give you is proved in the experience of others.