Are We Really Ready for The Return of the Bridegroom?
In thinking about Christ returning today.....I wonder often - will I shrink back? How do I know that I know Him? What condition does He expect to find us in?
Of course, the meditations that usually take me down a rabbit trail usually start with Edwards. This quote has had me spinning for weeks..... you might echo my "yikes" as you read.
"Slothfulness in the service of God in His professed servants is as damning as open rebellion; For the slothful servant is a wicked servant, and shall be cast into outer darkness among God's open enemies; For sins of omission are as much breaches of God's commands as sins of commission. Christ, in Matt 25:41 represents those on the left hand as being condemned and cursed to everlasting fire for sins of omission: "I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prision and you did not visit me." Then they also will answer, saying "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?" Then he will answer them, saying, "Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Knowing that Christ expects to find His bride ready, watching, and wearing her "wedding clothes" I had these scripture and thoughts come to mind:
* Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."
AND later in Titus 3:8b ..."so that those who have believe in God may be careful to devote
themselves to good works."
* In Matt 22:11, there was a man who got to the wedding feast, but was thrown out as he was found to be without his wedding garments.
I'm thinking that our "wedding clothes" are the good deeds that Christ brings about through us as evidence and assurance of our sincere faith. Should there be those deeds that we do while our heart is not engaged in the midst of doing them, we can repent and ask Jesus, our High Priest, to make our sacrifice Holy and acceptable and pleasing to the Father. What a place to be!! I'm assuming that we all know that salvation is by faith alone through God's grace alone.......but how do we gain that deep deep assurance that we are in fact - His, and so avoid the shock and pain of rejection on the Last Day??
We plead with the Father for grace to love as He loved and walk as He walked......and as Jonathan Edwards exorted His 8 year old son upon the death of a playmate "Let this be a loud call to you from God, not to give yourself any rest until you have good evidence that ye have been converted and become a new creature."
Watching & Waiting with joyful and earnest expectation of His return for us, and active in that which pleases the Father, we press on in the strength that God supplies ~
With Love from Above and In All Truth,
J2
Of course, the meditations that usually take me down a rabbit trail usually start with Edwards. This quote has had me spinning for weeks..... you might echo my "yikes" as you read.
"Slothfulness in the service of God in His professed servants is as damning as open rebellion; For the slothful servant is a wicked servant, and shall be cast into outer darkness among God's open enemies; For sins of omission are as much breaches of God's commands as sins of commission. Christ, in Matt 25:41 represents those on the left hand as being condemned and cursed to everlasting fire for sins of omission: "I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prision and you did not visit me." Then they also will answer, saying "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?" Then he will answer them, saying, "Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Knowing that Christ expects to find His bride ready, watching, and wearing her "wedding clothes" I had these scripture and thoughts come to mind:
* Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."
AND later in Titus 3:8b ..."so that those who have believe in God may be careful to devote
themselves to good works."
* In Matt 22:11, there was a man who got to the wedding feast, but was thrown out as he was found to be without his wedding garments.
I'm thinking that our "wedding clothes" are the good deeds that Christ brings about through us as evidence and assurance of our sincere faith. Should there be those deeds that we do while our heart is not engaged in the midst of doing them, we can repent and ask Jesus, our High Priest, to make our sacrifice Holy and acceptable and pleasing to the Father. What a place to be!! I'm assuming that we all know that salvation is by faith alone through God's grace alone.......but how do we gain that deep deep assurance that we are in fact - His, and so avoid the shock and pain of rejection on the Last Day??
We plead with the Father for grace to love as He loved and walk as He walked......and as Jonathan Edwards exorted His 8 year old son upon the death of a playmate "Let this be a loud call to you from God, not to give yourself any rest until you have good evidence that ye have been converted and become a new creature."
Watching & Waiting with joyful and earnest expectation of His return for us, and active in that which pleases the Father, we press on in the strength that God supplies ~
With Love from Above and In All Truth,
J2
posted by Jen2 | 11:13 AM
2 Comments:
Thanks for the verse Meg - brings it on home.....and as Pastor Piper said "trembling INCREASES as one grows in their faith."
WHEW ! and hey - side note I just found this CS Lewis Quote:
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word "darkness" on the walls of his cell."
hehe....I'm still smiling from that quote.
Truth shocks me....and then it hits my funny bone.
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