Be Watchful And Wise
Or
Be Foolish And Be Shut Out
Sunday Nov. 27, 2022
Scripture To Consider:
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.”
“And at midnight a cry was heard” ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’”
“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” Matthew 25.1-13
Something To Consider:
Jesus was making a correlation between a Jewish wedding and the wedding feast mentioned in Revelation 19.7, where John wrote; “Let us be glad and rejoice and give glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife [the true church] has made herself ready.”
Weddings in any nation are exciting and joyous occasions, especially for the bride and bridegroom. In the time of our text, newly married couples did not leave on a week long honeymoon after being married. But rather, they hosted a week long marriage feast as Prince and Princess. It was the most memorable week of their lives.
Jesus, in answering a question concerning divorce by the Pharisees in Mark chapter 10, declared in verse 6; “From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.” Now since the beginning, man has decided to change the rules of creation and to muddy the waters of male and female sexually speaking.
Therefore, Jesus further proclaimed in Mark 10.7-9; “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” In other words, marriage was and is to be a lifetime commitment! And yet, thank God there is forgiveness for our sin, for any sin if sought for through true repentance!
Something Else To Consider:
Jesus is the bridegroom of all believers. In our Scripture to consider, ten virgins waited for the coming of the bridegroom. The hour of his arrival was not known, but it marked the beginning of the week of wedding festivities.
We are told that five of those waiting were wise and gained entrance to the feast, while five were foolish and were shut out. They all had lamps. They all were waiting. What was it that made the difference between these two groups? What was it that gave access to some and denied access to others?
This is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning! It is based around the lifetime commitment of marriage because our spiritual relationship to God in and through Jesus Christ is to be a lifetime commitment. Therefore, let us be watchful and wise not to let other men, Satan, or our own flesh separate us from God! There is too much eternally at stake.
Something More To Consider:
One group of those waiting for the bridegroom had oil for their lamps. The other group did not. Many have made reference to the oil being symbolic of the Holy Spirit. To a certain degree this may be true. But buried in Isaiah 62.1, as if hidden treasure, is a biblical clue that may reveal the missing element to unlock the truth of this earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
Isaiah wrote as God spoke, “For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp burns.” Therefore, the missing ingredient in the lives of those shut out of the wedding feast was true salvation.
Salvation, contrary to popular opinion, cannot be borrowed, purchased, or inherited. Salvation is an individual issue. Therefore, do not wait, but rather deal with it while there is still time to do so. For as the five foolish virgins, they wrongfully thought they were ready to take part in the wedding feast. But in reality, they were foolishly wrong and therefore they were shut out.
How many so-called Christians, have gone to their graves, wrongfully thinking and falsely believing they were saved, only to find out much too late, their missing ingredient was true God ordained salvation? If we are under the delusion of the once saved always saved demonic doctrine, we are in danger of being found foolish and of being shut out in the end. How sad!
A Few Final Words:
But how can we know for sure if we are being truly watchful and wise? God said, “I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp burns.” The missing oil is true salvation, true spiritual God ordained salvation. John wrote in John 1.11; “He [Jesus] came to His own [His own creation, the human race], and His own did not receive Him.”
John further declared in verse 12-13; “But as many as received Him [Jesus], to them He gave the right [or authority] to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood [not of inheritance], not of the will of the flesh [we cannot earn salvation], not of the will of man [not bestowed by way of a false doctrine], but of God [spiritually born of God].”
God has made every effort through Jesus Christ to prepare us as wise, watchful, servant style leaders in training. Therefore, let us not be found foolishly shut out of the wedding feast of all future feasts. For according to Jesus, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man [Jesus] is coming.”
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, teach us the importance of being assured of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Let us not be foolishly shut out of eternal life. Help us to heed the end time warnings of Jesus while we can. Help us to know that we are truly saved, truly spiritually born-again in and through Jesus. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 