Pay the Price for the Wedding Feast (3)
Matthew 25:1-13 shows that we need to pay a price to gain more of the Spirit in our being to enter the wedding feast. The reality of this wedding is the Lamb, Jesus Christ, with His wife, New Jerusalem.
Prior posts presented denying the self, counting all things loss to gain Christ, and looking away from all encumbrances to Jesus. Another aspect in preparing for the wedding feast is not loving the world. This is 1 John 2:15-17; “Do not love the world nor the things in the world.”
Footnote 2 on 1 John 2:15 in the Recovery Version Bible, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, says: God created man to live on the earth for the fulfillment of His purpose. But His enemy, Satan, in order to usurp the God-created man, formed an anti-God world system on this earth by systematizing men with religion, culture, education, industry, commerce, entertainment, etc., through men’s fallen nature, in their lusts, pleasures, and pursuits, and even in their indulgence in necessities for their living, such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
Verse 2:16 assures us, “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.” Then verse 17 promises, “the world is passing away, and its lust, but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
He who loves God the Father will abide with Him now and into New Jerusalem. Finally, the end of 1 John warns us, “guard yourselves from idols.” Idols are anything that replaces or turns us away from God in Jesus Christ. There will be no idols in New Jerusalem!
Bible verses quoted in these posts are from The Holy Bible, Recovery Version, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003. The text of this Bible is at text.recoveryversion.bible; this too is © by LSM. A New Testament of this Bible, with an outline for each book, 9000 footnotes, and 13,000 cross references, is available in multiple languages for free from Bibles for America, Bibles for Canada, Bibles for Europe, Bibles for Australia, Bibles for New Zealand.
Photo courtesy of U.S. National Park Service.
