Foolish Faith (Part II of III)

Matthew 25:5-6, “The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out, ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him!’”

The bridegroom in this parable is Jesus. The sleep must be identified with the sleep of death because (1) it ended only when the midnight cry heralded the second advent, symbolized by the coming of the bridegroom, and (2) because both the ready and the unready entered it. Death must come alike to all, the ready and the unready, except of course, for those relatively few who shall remain alive at the coming of the Lord. Matthew 25:7-9, “Then the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us (the wise virgins) and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’” The refusal of the wise bridesmaids to give some of their oil means spiritual merit is not transferable. Jesus states here there is no help available from dead saints or stored-up heavenly credit to transfer to sinful souls.

Heaven will be a prepared place for a prepared people; and failure to prepare will mean failure to enter. Is your lamp, your faith, like these foolish bridesmaids, going out because you have no oil of righteousness? Is your faith, “which not having works (righteousness), dead, being alone?” (James 2:17).

Matthew 25:10-13; “But while the foolish virgins were on their way to buy oil the bridegroom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready (the wise virgins) went in with him to the wedding feast. And the door was shut. Later the others (the foolish virgins) also came. ‘Sir, Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth I do not know you.’ Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (of the end of the age).

Those terrible words, “And the door was shut...” This is a warning to all who consider themselves a part of the body of Christ, a warning thundered from the gates of heaven: “THERE MUST BE OIL IN YOUR LAMPS!!” A member of Christ’s church must be a person of righteousness.

The Apostle Paul said, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) The unwise bridesmaids simply did not do it, and many in the church today are in the same condition.

Next time: The spiritual necessity of being spiritually ready to meet Jesus, considered, in the conclusion to “Foolish Faith.”