PUT ON THE WEDDING GARMENT Mathew 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and [my] fatlings [are] killed, and all things [are] ready: come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of [it], and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated [them] spitefully, and slew [them]. 7 But when the king heard [thereof], he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few [are] chosen. The parable of the Wedding Garment opens before us a lesson of the highest consequence. We are all called: but only those who have put on the Wedding Garment will be chosen. What is the Wedding Garment? the WEDDING GARMENT represents the Character all must possess who shall be accounted fit Guests for the Wedding. COL 307 Calling and Justification are not one and the same thing. CALLING = is the drawing of the sinner to Christ, and it is a work wrought by the Holy Spirit upon the heart, convicting of sin, and inviting to repentance. 1SM 390. Justification = means the saving of a Soul from Perdition, that He may obtain sanctification, & through sanctification the life of heaven. = the conscience, purged from dead works, is placed where it can recieve the blessings of sanctification. Manuscript 113, 1902. - The invitation to the Wedding is the Gospel. - The first invitation was given to the Israel from the time of Christs baptism until His death for Three and a Half Years. - The Second invitation was given to the Jews after after Christs death, for Three and a Half Years more, up until Stephens death. - The Third invitation, once the Jews had rejected Gods call, was addressed to the Gentiles. - Where did this guests, who were invited from the streets and roadsides get their wedding garments? In ancient times, it was the custom in the orient, when a king made a celebration, for each guest was provide with the proper Garments at the entrance to the banquet. This Garment is the symbol of Jesus Righteousness. He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9. - The person who is not wearing the Wedding Garment will not be able to stand in the judgement. If we do ot wear the Garment of Christ Righteousness, If we do not accept Him as our Saviour and Lord and do not do His will, we are condemned and out from Gods presence. - This garment was a gift from the king. By wearing it the guests showed their respect for the giver of the feast. But one man was clothed in his common citizen dress. He had refused to make the preparation required by the king. COL 310. Gods call to us to be Righteous. 2 Peter 3:11 what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness By the MARRIAGE is represented the Union of Humanity with Divinity; COL 307 Christ marriage the Church: Christ is the Groom Church is the Bride To the Church it is given that she should be arrayed in fine Linen, clean and White, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. The fine linen, says the Scripture, is the righteousness of saints. Rev. 19:8; Eph. 5:27. It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour. COL 310 How do we get this imparted character, which is the righteousness of saints? By His perfect obedience He made it possible for every human being to obey Gods commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. COL 312 Many do not want to believe this. They believe that the wedding garment is just a covering Christ gives us when He comes, but they are deceived. The garment is the character which God works in us. The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin; it is a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct. Holiness is wholeness for God; it is the entire sur-render of heart and life to the indwelling of the principles of heaven. DA 555, 556 It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour. COL 310. when those who claim to be children of God become Christlike in character, they will be obedient to Gods commandments. Then the Lord can trust them to be of the number who shall compose the family of heaven. COL 315 It is the white robe of Christs righteousness that gives the sinners admittance into the presence of the heavently angels. 7BC 920. Even your thoughts must be brought into subjection to the will of God and your feelings under the control of reason and religion. Your imagination was not given you to be allowed to run riot and have its own way without any effort at restraint or discipline. If the thoughts are wrong the feelings will be wrong, and the thoughts and the feelings combined make up the moral character. 5T 310 Moral perfection is required of all. Never should we lower the standard of righteousness in order to accommodate inherited and cultivated tendencies to wrong-doing. We need to understand that imperfection of character is sin. COL 330 Men may now excuse their defects of character, but in that day they will offer no excuse. COL 317 God will accept nothing but purity and holiness; one spot, one wrinkle, one defect in the character, will forever debar them from heaven, with all its glories and treasures. 2T 453 What are spots and defects of character? Since the thoughts and the feelings combined make up the moral character, defects must be wrong thoughts and feelings, or wrong attitudes. How could God allow us into heaven with hearts having resentment, bitterness, envy, jealousy, hatred, evil surmising, or any other defects of character? The character will not be changed when Jesus comes. Many are deceiving themselves by thinking that the character will be transformed at the coming of Christ, but there will be no conversion of heart at His appearing. Our defects of character must here be repented of, and through the grace of Christ we must overcome them while probation shall last. AH 319 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 Today our hearts may be clean. Today we may have a right attitude. If we will come to Jesus and give Him all our wrong thoughts and feelings, our wrong attitudes, the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from all sin. He can change our hearts and fill us with His love today. Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph. 5:25-27 It is only the blessed and holy who will be ready for the first resurrection; for when Christ comes, He will not change the character. . . . The Word of God declares that we must be found blameless, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. ST 2-9-1891 It is the spiritual and moral character that is of value in the sight of Heaven, and that will survive the grave and be made glorious with immortality for the endless ages of eternity. 1SM 259 Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 2 Peter 3:14 The grace of Christ must be woven into every phase of the character. CH 633 In his efforts to reach Gods ideal for him, the Christian is to despair of nothing. Moral and spiritual perfection, through the grace and power of Christ, is promised to all. Jesus is the source of power, the fountain of life. . . . At every step we touch His living power. AA 478 We will look at one more example of people who thought they were true followers of Jesus but then discovered that they were deceived. What were the Laodiceans needing?
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:29:15 +0000