"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 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. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 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. 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. 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. For many are called, but few are chosen."
Yesterday's lesson told us how the coming of Christ took away the "chosen people" status from the Jewish nation and offered redemption to the whole world. Today's lesson is a continuance of that lesson.
Using the parable of the wedding, Jesus demonstrated that a means to eternal salvation would be taken from, exclusively, the Jewish race and opened to everyone, both Jew and Gentile, good and bad. He also said that, in the end, His judgment would separate those who are wearing the "wedding garment" (His righteousness) from those who have rejected it, "For many are called, but few are chosen." In order to qualify for eternal salvation, we must, through faith, put on the "wedding garment" which in reality, is the righteousness of Christ which is freely offered to us through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.
Using the parable of the wedding, Jesus demonstrated that a means to eternal salvation would be taken from, exclusively, the Jewish race and opened to everyone, both Jew and Gentile, good and bad. He also said that, in the end, His judgment would separate those who are wearing the "wedding garment" (His righteousness) from those who have rejected it, "For many are called, but few are chosen." In order to qualify for eternal salvation, we must, through faith, put on the "wedding garment" which in reality, is the righteousness of Christ which is freely offered to us through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.
There are no hoops to jump through, no physical work to be done, no extra steps to be taken, all a lost soul must do is believe that Jesus is the resurrected Son of God and that lost soul will be saved, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:14-16)
"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED, and thy house."
(Acts 16:30-31) "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." (Romans 4:4-8) "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized" (submerged) "into Christ have put on Christ." (And His righteousness)(Galatians 3:26-27)~
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