Be ready

Matthew 25:11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

When midnight came, in the parable of the ten virgins, five were ready and five were not ready. Jesus is the bridegroom, and midnight symbolizes the time of death when judgment will be rendered. The five that were ready not only had a professed faith that is illustrated by their lamps but they also had a heart full of the fruit of the Spirit as illustrated by the jars full of oil. In short, they had a true active faith. When the cry rang out that the bridegroom was coming, the five that were not ready realized that their lights were going out because their oil was insufficient and more was needed. In short their faith was an insincere shallow faith of profession only. They went to buy more oil since the wise virgins did not have enough to give them any. However, while they were on their away to buy more oil, the bridegroom came and the wise virgins went into the wedding hall with him and the door was shut. The foolish ones arrived later and requested to be let in but the bridegroom replied…. “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ (Matthew 25:12) No one knows the day or the hour when death will come or Jesus will return. Therefore, be prepared and ready because when that day comes there will be a great wedding banquet for the sons of God, and those that are not prepared will be left outside and the door will be shut. To be prepared, sinners have to accept the free gift of eternal life by placing their faith and trust in the atonement of Jesus Christ to pay their sin debt. This faith will result in an invitation to the wedding banquet of the bridegroom on that great day. There is no other way and there is no neutral position. A person either accepts the free invitation or not. A person who is considering, but undecided, is not invited. Do not wait too long to decide to accept and be ready.