SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/23/2024 12:38 PM
My Worship Time Focus
PT-3 “The Bridesmaids”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
25:1-5
Message of the verses: “1 "Then the
kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and
went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 "Five
of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 “For when the foolish took their
lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along
with their lamps. 5 “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy
and began to sleep.”
Again I have mentioned that this is a parable of
Jesus, which is very important to remember.
Being a parable we must understand who the ten bridesmaids
represented. MacArthur states that the
ten bridesmaids “represented professed disciples of Christ who claim to love
the prospect of His appearing and who demonstrate outward readiness for
entrance into His kingdom.” Now when one
looks at these ten bridesmaids we can see that they are indistinguishable, they
did not have signs on them saying what they truly believed or didn’t believe,
they were as stated indistinguishable.
You certainly could not tell the apart from how they looked as they were
all dressed with bridesmaids clothing.
Unlike the parable Jesus told earlier about a man who came into a
wedding and was thrown out because he was not dressed in wedding cloths, these
ladies were dressed properly. However
they were not truly alike, which is the point of the parable, because they were
not all prepared—five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. You could say “five were foolish and five
were wise,” a meaning for prudent.
Now
here is the evidence that some of the bridesmaids were prepared and others were
not, that is some took extra oil and some did not. I have talked about that they all carried torches,
torches to light their path which was a part of being a bridesmaid in those
days. The torch that has no fuel is
worthless, and a profession of faith in Jesus Christ without a saving relationship
to Him is infinitely more worthless, because one is left in spiritual darkness.
The
prudent or wise bridesmaids took a flask of oil along with them as they
prepared wisely, while the others or foolish did not prepare wisely. MacArthur writes “The outward profession was
substantiated by inward possession. They
had oil of preparedness, namely, the reality of the light of the saving grace
of God within them. The oil of
preparedness, namely, the reality of the light of the saving grace of God
within them. The oil is similar to the
wedding garments in Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast that a king gave for
his son. The man without the proper
wedding clothes who attempted to crash the celebration was thrown out into the
darkness (Matt. 22:11-13). The king had
invited everyone in his realm to the feast, regardless of social standing,
wealth, or character. He made every
effort to see that no one was excluded, sending his servants into every obscure
part of the country (vv. 9-10). The only
condition for attending the feast was the wearing of the wedding clothes
provided by the king, symbolizing the divinely bestowed grace apart from which
no person can come to God. Because that
presumptuous, self-satisfied man would not allow himself to be attired in the
kings clothing, he was rejected.”
I
guess we can compare not having proper wedding clothes without having proper
torches with extra oil. They had a form
of godliness but had no spiritual life or power because they did not belong to
God. “Holding to a form of godliness,
although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these” (2 Timothy
3:5). MacArthur adds “They were
committed to Jesus Christ religiously, intellectually, socially, and no doubt
emotionally. But they were not committed
to Him in their hearts because their hearts had not been regenerated by His
saving grace. They had the appearance of
faith, but it was dead (cf. James 2:17).
They were in darkness, not light”
“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself”
(James 2:17). This verse from James is
often mis-understood. I am going to
quote the entire paragraph that James 2:17 is in. Think about it as you read over it.
14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has
faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister
is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what
is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it
has no works, is dead, being by itself. 18 But someone may well
say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the
works, and I will show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that God
is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you
willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son
on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result
of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says,
"AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the
friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith
alone. 25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works
when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just
as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is
dead.”
2/23/2024 1:34 PM
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