Matthew 22:11-12 KJV
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
The parable begins with the rejection of God's invitation to Israel.
It is difficult to understand why Israel would have rejected Christ except that people do it every day even in our time. The blindness and insensitivity to that which matters most is beyond comprehension.
Christ goes on to describe the Father's invitation then to those in the highways and hedges.
These would be the Gentiles and speaks of this very day. Anyone is invited. Praise the Lord all may come and find grace in the Lord.
But then there is this.
One comes poorly dressed. He has not prepared for the event. Let's not get hung up on why a poor man would have to wear what he could not afford. That is not the case pointed out in the parable. The point is that God's kingdom has standards.
In this day when churches seem to be telling the world that God is so desperate for followers that He will take us just as we are, the Bible tells us a completely different story. Sure, God invites us just as we are. But He does not leave us there. The reason we need not fuss about how unfair to require the man to wear the right dress is because God provides the apparel. This man had the right attire. He just refused to put it on.
God has standards.
He expects us to put on the provisions He has made for us. He expects us to put off our old man and put on the new man which is Jesus Christ. Justification is a free gift pronounced upon all who will trust Christ alone. But with salvation comes sanctification. God never gives the one without the other. And sanctification means separation from sin and worldliness and to God. It too is a gift from God but it means we "dress appropriately" for the event.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
The parable begins with the rejection of God's invitation to Israel.
It is difficult to understand why Israel would have rejected Christ except that people do it every day even in our time. The blindness and insensitivity to that which matters most is beyond comprehension.
Christ goes on to describe the Father's invitation then to those in the highways and hedges.
These would be the Gentiles and speaks of this very day. Anyone is invited. Praise the Lord all may come and find grace in the Lord.
But then there is this.
One comes poorly dressed. He has not prepared for the event. Let's not get hung up on why a poor man would have to wear what he could not afford. That is not the case pointed out in the parable. The point is that God's kingdom has standards.
In this day when churches seem to be telling the world that God is so desperate for followers that He will take us just as we are, the Bible tells us a completely different story. Sure, God invites us just as we are. But He does not leave us there. The reason we need not fuss about how unfair to require the man to wear the right dress is because God provides the apparel. This man had the right attire. He just refused to put it on.
God has standards.
He expects us to put on the provisions He has made for us. He expects us to put off our old man and put on the new man which is Jesus Christ. Justification is a free gift pronounced upon all who will trust Christ alone. But with salvation comes sanctification. God never gives the one without the other. And sanctification means separation from sin and worldliness and to God. It too is a gift from God but it means we "dress appropriately" for the event.
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