Matt. 25:1-13. MAT 25:1-13
THERE is an immense difference between profession and possession, just as much as there is between current and counterfeit coin. A mere professor is like a bad filbert nut, all shell and no kernel; whilst the possessor is like the good filbert nut, kernel as well as shell are there, the shell of profession surrounds and has within it the kernel of possession. Which are you, my reader?
A mere professor of Christianity, or a possessor of Christ?
Religion is earthborn, and occupies its deluded votaries with themselves and the earth;
Christianity is heaven born, and occupies the truly saved with Christ and heaven.
In the chapter given at the head of this paper Christ is looked at in four different characters; first, as Bridegroom, hope and object of His people's hearts; second, as Lord of His servants, who will reckon with them when He cometh; thirdly, as the Son of man, who will as surely "come in His glory" as once He came in humiliation; and lastly, as King who has gone to receive the kingdom from His Father, and who will then return and reign over this demoralized world during the millennium or thousand years (Luke 19:12; LUK 19:12Rev. 20:4 REV 20:4).
But it is the first thirteen verses of Matt. 25. MAT 25 that I want to say a little to you about.
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom" (v. 1).
The only place where the words “the kingdom of heaven” occur is in Matthew's gospel, and there they occur about thirty-two times.
It is called the kingdom of heaven, because the King is in heaven, having been crucified and rejected from the earth.
The ten virgins are a picture of professing Christians, the lamps mean profession, and they all went forth from Judaism or heathendom, professedly to meet the Bridegroom.
Mark you well, it was not death and judgment, the common lot of man, that they were expecting, but the Bridegroom who, as their Substitute, had borne death and judgment for them, so that there might be no hindrance to their constantly and joyfully looking for His return.
“Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them" (vv. 2, 3).
These verses prove that half the profession of the day is false and half real; five of the ten were wise, and five were foolish. Now, the folly of the foolish consisted in this, that they took their lamps, and. took no oil with them; that is, they rested in a mere profession; they had no heart for Christ, and they had not the Holy Spirit, of which oil is the standing type in Scripture.
“But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps" (v. 4).
The wisdom of the wise is seen in their not resting in a mere Christless profession; they were not content with having put on Christ in baptism; they sought and found Him as their portion. There is nothing said about the foolish having "vessels"; but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. The wise had hearts for Christ; their bodies were the temples of the Holy Ghost, and thus their profession was a reality. Having believed with the heart unto righteousness, they were enabled to make confession with the mouth unto salvation (1 Cor. 6:19; 1CO 6:19 Rom. 10:10 ROM 10:10)
Which are you, a wise or a foolish virgin?
“While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept " (v. 5).
This verse is a vivid and painful description of the condition of spiritual stupor and supineness that the professing church fell into during what is called "the dark ages," where the hope of the Bridegroom's return was entirely lost sight of.
“And at midnight there was a cry made,. BEHOLD, THE BRIDEGROOM; go ye out to meet Him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps" (vv. 6, 7).
These verses show very solemnly the-worldly and selfish ways into which the professing church fell; it gave up seeking Christ's, things, and sought only its own things; but the cry, Behold the Bridegroom," startled them from their slumbers, and produced a genuine revival. Revival refers to sleepy Christians, and to such the word is: “Awake thou that steepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light’ (Eph. 5:14) EPH 5:14 Dead sinners do not want reviving; each needs to hear the life-giving voice of the Son of God (John 5:25). JOH 5:25
When the fire has been lighted, and allowed through carelessness to get low, it needs reviving; but when it has never been lighted, it: is not reviving that is required then, but to be lighted: and this was the effect of the midnight cry; it manifested where there was life and where there was none.
“And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out” (or, are going out) (v. 8).
The foolish awake to the discovery that they had "NO OIL." They may trim their beautiful lamps by going to morning and evening prayers, by constant sacramental commemorations, by giving to religious causes, by visiting and helping the sick; but, having no oil, when they thus light their lamps it is only to see them flare up and blaze away for a few moments, and then go out in smoke, leaving their unhappy owners in greater darkness than ever—the sure end of mere profession.
“But the wise answered, saying, Not so: lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves" (v. 9).
The terms on which God sells and man buys the Holy Ghost are, “without money and without price “(Isa. 4:1). ISA 4:1 God is too rich to sell-and man too poor to buy on any other terms. Paul said to the Galatians, “Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Gal. 3:2). GAL 3:2 The wise virgins got the Holy Ghost by the hearing of faith; the foolish tried to get it at the religious law workshops, but were unsuccessful, as all must be who go there for it.
“And while they went -to buy, the Bride-groom came; and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and THE DOOR WAS SHUT" (v. 10).
The coming of the Bridegroom will prove who are His and who are not; and that time is very near. Christians have nothing to do with fixing dates, but ought to be always expecting the return of their beloved Bride-groom.
“They that were READY went in with Him.”
Who made them ready? "Giving thanks unto the Father, which HATH made us meet” (or, fit or ready) "to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1:12). COL 1:12
It is the Father's work to make His children ready for His own holy presence; and He has done it, and they are entitled to know it, and to praise Him for it.
“The door was shut," and it separated the wise and the foolish forever. The wise are inside with the Bridegroom, and the foolish are forever shut outside from the Bridegroom and the marriage feast. And now what an awful scene takes place on the outside of that shut door!
“Afterward came also the other virgins saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I KNOW YOU NOT. Watch therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour.”
Then eyes that never wept will weep, and lips that never prayed will pray, and hearts that never felt will feel, and knees that never knelt will kneel; but it will be all outside the closed door!
And these were not backsliders. Two things prove it: first, they had "no oil"; and, secondly, Christ says, "I know you not,” and "I never knew you." Now, what characterizes Christians is that they have the Holy Ghost, and that the Lord knows them (1 Cor. 6:19; 1CO 6:19 2 Tim. 2:19 2TI 2:19).
What will the end be of those who are left outside the shut door? They have thrown away their last chance; they have forfeited their last opportunity. Not one who has arrived at the years of responsibility, who has heard the gospel preached, and been guilty of rejecting it, will ever have another opportunity of being saved after Christ has been and taken His people home to glory (v. 12; Luke 13:24-27; LUK 13:24-27 2 Thess. 2:10-12 2TH 2:10-12).
The ' Christless religionist may plead, " I have been baptized, confirmed, and have regularly taken the sacrament.”
“I never knew you," is His answer.
“But I have wept, prayed, and done my best.”
Again He repeats, "I NEVER knew you.”
“But I have been regularly to church,
Chapel, or meeting.”
“I NEVER knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity," is the final word (Matt. 7:22, 23). MAT 7:22-23
O ye who are clutching tenaciously as with deathless grip the oil less lamp of a Christless profession, know ye if ye continue as ye are that your lamp will soon go out in the blackness of darkness forever! But now, before it is TOO LATE, come to Jesus for life, for the Holy Ghost, and for fitness for His return, and join the wise virgins at the midnight cry, “BEHOLD, THE BRIDEGROOM.”