When I hear that kind of talk it makes me wonder what bible folks are reading these days. Jesus painted a little bit of a different version describing things just prior to His return. He spoke of a great amount of indifference that seems to settle over His people. You can read in Matt. 22 and Luke 14:18 where people who had been invited to this ‘wedding’ by a ‘king’ were more preoccupied with their oxen and tending to new property they had purchased, and seeing to their families and such.
Why in Matt. 24:36-44 Jesus likens that coming period being much like as it was in the days of Noah and people were ‘eating and drinking and giving in marriage’ and were clueless of an impending flood despite the fact their neighbor was erecting this huge boat and preaching righteousness. We are told they never knew what hit them until after it came and ‘took them all away’. Luke’s version says the ‘flood came and destroyed them all”. (17:27)
Paul would later write in his second letter to the Thessalonians that there would be widespread deception prior to Christ’s return as there would be a great ‘falling away’ from the faith; a.k.a. the great ‘apostasy’.(2:3- also 2 Thess. 2:9-12). This seems to echo the warnings by Jesus also found in Matt. 24 where He talks of many ‘false Christs’ coming and ‘deceiving many’. But it is the parable of the Ten Virgins recorded in Matt. 25 that always captures my attention.
The ’virgin’ is a ‘type’ of the church. And we read where these ten were anticipating and looking for the ‘bridegroom’ having their lamps with them. (The word is a lamp....Ps. 119:105). We also read where five of these virgins are ‘wise’ and five were ‘foolish’. If you would like some more clarification on how God’s word distinguishes the two, go take a quick peek at Matt. 7:24-27. It explains it quite clearly. Wise folks hear the word and put it into practice. Foolish ones hear the word and don’t. (James 1:22)
But in our parable there in Matt., the bridegroom was ‘delayed’ and they ALL slumbered and slept. (25:5). At midnight a cry was heard....the bridegroom was coming...time to go out and meet him. There was just one problem. While the wise virgins had enough oil to trim their lamps for light, the foolish ones had none. They were still...’in the dark’ even though they had lamps. (What did we see what a ‘lamp’ represents’ in Ps. 119:105?)
So they went scurrying about trying to find some oil to purchase and while they were gone we read in vs. 10 the ‘bridegroom came’, ....and those ‘who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.’. Seems we touched on another ‘door’ that was shut in the side of Noah’s ark just before the rains came. Have you ever pictured that tragic scene as it unfolded and desperate people running and pounding on the side of that ark begging for Noah to let them in as well? I have. I cannot imagine what it sounded like to Noah on the inside and all that was going through his mind.
Now go look at vs. 11 there where the foolish virgins returned crying out ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!” To which Jesus shares the reply they get: “I. Do. Not. Know. You.”
Where have we heard that line before? (Matt. 7:22-23)
So all that to lead in to this: Who were the ones that went in to the wedding there in Matt. 25? – “Those who were ready.” (10). You might make a notation there in your bible next to that verse directing you to Revelation 19:7 where we read “Let us be glad and rejoice....for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
And while we are on this theme, scoot back to Ephesians 5 and read over 25-27. It indicates how Christ loved the church giving Himself for her...”that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself ...not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”
Now if you read yesterday’s post, you should have fireworks going off inside of you right now. Did you see that ‘sanctify’ word in vs. 26? What kind of a ‘bride’ is Jesus coming back for? One that is holy and pure and without spot or wrinkle? Sounds like a bride who has been ‘made ready’?
Now just let your eyes rewind to vs. 15-17 in that same chapter of Eph. and underline where it reads: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”...to not be unwise but ...understand what the will of the Lord is.”
So ‘wise’ virgins DO the word...make themselves ready and ‘know what the will of God is’ which we talked about yesterday- “This is the will of God...Your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3)
Whew. Just pause here a moment and allow the Holy Spirit to connect all those points for you.
No...seriously...take a moment here.
......
Now...let’s review:
We read where ‘not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven but those who Do the will of the Father in Heaven’. (Matt. 7:21)
We read that the ‘will of God’ is our ‘sanctification’. (1 Thess.4:3)
We also read that ‘without sanctification, no one will see the Lord.” (Heb 12:14)
Jesus tells us plainly in Matt. 5:8 who will see God- ‘the Pure in heart’.
We know before coming to Jesus that it is all the evil things in our hearts that defile us- Mark 7:20-23)
One can easily discern what is in a person’s heart because from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks: (Matt. 12:33-37)
The reason Jesus scolded the Pharisees in Mark 7 was because they had taken it upon themselves to ‘lay aside the commandments of God’ and teach their own doctrines and traditions which in today’s world, pretty much bypasses taking up our own cross and putting to death this old nature or ‘old man’.
And the purpose of teaching and obeying the commandment of God is that it will result in ‘love from a pure heart’. (1 Tim 1:5)
Christ came to perfect us in His love. PLEASE go read/mark- 1 John 2:5 and 4:12,17.
“And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:3)
“Therefore, having these promise, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Cor 7:1)
Do you know why I site so many scriptures in these daily postings? Because God says it so much better than any of us can. And we are cleansed and sanctified by HIS word. (Eph 5:26).
Gosh...I hate to stop here. Do come back tomorrow, please? :- )
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