Matthew 25:5
"When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep."
(v.10) “And the door was shut.”
There is a “door” that leads into heaven. It is the door established in God’s grace, it hinges on and is held open by Jesus Christ. He is the gate.
That door? It's open right now.
That's the thing you really need to understand. Jesus is standing there, but it's open. For more than 2,000 years that door has been open to the entire world, and it is open even today. There is nothing preventing anyone from coming to him and finding new life, salvation, forgiveness, freedom, and eternal life in him. That door is open today so that you can deal with your sin today. So that you can find salvation today. So that you can be made righteous in His name...today.
He delays his coming so that you will find Him and come to Him. He knows you'll find him because those who love him know his voice.
Hebrews 9:28
"Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him."
The operative words for you and me are, "...all who are eagerly waiting for him."
Three things you need to do after you've come.
1. Do not be deceived.
2. Do not be intimidated by the tribulations, remain faithful to Jesus.
3. Be alert, stay focused on Jesus Christ in anticipation of his return.
I chose Matthew 25:5 as our opening scripture focus today because it really struck me that the word says, "all became drowsy and fell asleep."
When we read the entire context of the parable of the ten virgins, (and I encourage you to do so), we tend to think in terms of sheep's and goats, faithful and unfaithful, good church going people and lazy lukewarm souls who are wandering around failing in their faith walk. But what jumps out at me is that "ALL" were drowsy and asleep.
These bridesmaids were very similar to each other in many ways. All had been invited the wedding banquet, and all had responded positively. All ten had gone out to wait for the bridegroom to come into the celebration feast. They all had lamps. There's not one of them that didn't want to see Him. And while they slept they were all in the same place.
So, they came for the same reasons. They all understood that they needed lamps and also they understood where they needed to wait for him. They're not idiots. They're not ignorant of the scriptures or the prophecies. They know what they needed to know. So, this isn't yet another commentary about the need for deeper learning and Bible study. It's not even obvious which were which.
They were all bridesmaids equipped with lamps and situated in the right places. If you were to line them all up in no particular order you'd not be able to pick out the ones who were foolish. Only one thing distinguishes the foolish from the wise. And that is the oil.
The Bridegroom doesn't come in and inspect the bridesmaids looking for flaws in their clothes or habits. He's not looking for imperfections or perfections. He's not looking for anything in their outward appearances.
What sets them apart is five of the virgins figured out that he might be late in arriving, so they brought some extra oil with them. And for whatever reason the five foolish bridesmaids neglected to prepare for this eventuality. They waited too long to be concerned about it. No doubt their intentions were good, but good intentions were not good enough.
So obviously this parable is not about being a good person or good church going person. It's not about being a prayer warrior or Sunday school teacher. It's not about assuming anything religious. It's about the inward Holy Spirit preparation of the heart in anticipation of the Lord’s return. That's what this parable is about, it's about oil.
In the Old Testament and the New, oil often represents the presence of the Holy Spirit. This presence is indicative of a converted heart and renewed mind. It's the inward sanctifying Spirit that is at work in all who believe and obey Jesus Christ. It's the two things, "believe and obey", "converted heart and renewed mind", that we cannot easily see in people. In fact, the only way to know they exist in them is by seeing the fruit of that Spirit at work in their lives.
So, this brings us back to the thing both groups of virgins had in common..."all became drowsy and fell asleep."
To me this says both groups are unaware of the time of His coming, but the wise virgins were converted in their hearts and minds, their lamps were filled, and they were prepared to refill them if necessary. And the foolish ones represent religious people who come under the conviction of the Spirit but are never truly converted. And so, since they are not converted they don't see the necessity for filling their lamps and bringing more oil with them. They are satisfied with the religious practices and what that represents for them. The audience of their worship is themselves.
Keep in mind, this parable is for the insiders, the church goers. It's for those who claim some sort of attachment to Christ. This isn't a parable for the lost and the seekers, this is for those who are meant to be at work finding those lost sheep.
And this parable IS NOT discerning between church goers who are regular and active in the mission, and those who are rarely attending but still consider this church as their own. This is much more introspective than just sifting out the religious hypocrites, or people who are coming to church out of obligation and guilt. This is about what the church is teaching.
You see, that's what oil does, it teaches. The Holy Spirit advocates for Jesus Christ. He instructs the heart for Jesus and converts the mind to Jesus. It's all about teaching about abiding in Jesus.
Going to church and getting involved is good; coming to Christ is better. Being baptized in water for the forgiveness of sin is good; being born again in the baptism of The Holy Spirit is better. Giving your money and your time to your church family is good; giving all of your heart to Jesus is better.
Church membership, whatever the denomination, identifies you with the visible church of Jesus Christ, but only a true saving faith that is the work of The Holy Spirit will make you a member of the invisible church.
Food for thought extra credit:
The foolish virgins ask the wise virgins to borrow some of their oil. That's really interesting. When I first read that, I immediately wanted to help them. I have an evangelists heart, and so it's only natural for me to want to help them out of their situation. It seems perfectly reasonable for me to just pour out my oil for them. A servant wants to serve.
But the fact of the matter is, no one can “borrow” another person’s faith.
You're not going to stand before the Lord and answer him when he asks,
"Why should I let you in",
by saying "my dad was an elder in the church",
or
"My mom was godly, and a powerful prayer warrior and she always prayed for me."
Contrary to what many teach, you cannot intercede for another's soul to overcome their lack of faith. You can pray for them, but they still have to make the choice to come and enter into the door.
And no... you cannot ask the dead in Christ to put in a good word for them or for you for that matter.
You can’t “borrow” faith from the school you attended. You can’t get into heaven by hanging onto someone else's coattails. You can't even get there by reading this devotion. You must believe in Jesus on your own, and abide in Him with your obedience, not someone else's.
Friends,
No door stays open forever. The five foolish virgins neglected to prepare for the delay in its closing. They probably figured that it's never going to close. Why would God shut the door of grace? What kind of God shuts people out? Maybe the prophets got it wrong, maybe the door can't close. Maybe it's just those fundamentalists who want to segregate themselves from the rest. I bet they got it wrong. I bet this idea of oil is nonsense. Afterall, God gave us freedom from sin and guilt in his Son Jesus. Right?
But then the trumpet sounded. The Bridegroom is coming. The sleepers woke up and some of them had lamps that were not lit anymore. So they went out to buy some more oil. By the time they got back, the door was closed. It was too late!
The foolish virgins were living like they were going to live forever. They delayed grace for short term pleasures and concerns about their life now. They weren't prepared for the future in Christ. When he came for them, he couldn't see them, their lights were off.
Do not say, “Someday I’ll come to Christ.”
Don’t wait for “someday.”
If you wait, you may harden your heart and never come at all.
Don't deceive yourself into thinking you'll prove yourself when the time comes.
If you do...from inside will come the solemn reply: “I never knew you.”
Keep in mind...at no time in this parable is anyone referred to as a sinner. They are all insiders. But five are standing outside the closed door. Forever.
Some day that doors going to shut.
The only way to find yourself on the inside is to get inside NOW!