Good News and Bad News:About the Judgment |
Jesus taught the investigative judgment.
then there's good news!
The greatest Teacher the world has ever known taught the investigative judgment so simply that even a child can understand. The teachings of Jesus are as up-to-the-minute as today's news broadcast. And if you'd like information on any of the current issues within the church today, or tomorrow, Jesus' teachings are right to the point.
Matthew 22:1 is where we'll start for this look at one of the teachings of Jesus on the subject of the investigative judgment. "Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:" Notice again Jesus' favorite method of instruction -- parables. In Mark 4:34 it goes so far as to say that "He did not say anything to them without using a parable."
Continuing with verse 2 of Matthew 22: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son." What does the phrase "kingdom of heaven" mean? It's another term for salvation by faith. So one important thing to watch for in this parable is what it teaches about salvation by faith.
And the kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. If you'd like to know more about this marriage, turn to Revelation 19:9. "Then the angel said to me, 'Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the lamb!'" In the context of Revelation 19 you have the time predicted when the Lamb -- Jesus -- gets together with His bride -- the church -- and the marriage takes place. It's referring to the last events just before Jesus comes again and to the time of His coming.
Now back to Matthew 22. He "sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come."
"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet."
"But they paid no attention and went off -- one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them." Verses 3-6. Here you have, in the setting of Jesus' day, the reminder to the Jewish people that their fathers had treated the prophets roughly. Being a prophet was a high-risk occupation, and the tombs of the prophets were there in reminder of that fact.
Verse 7: "The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city." What was Jesus referring to here? It was a prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem, which came in A.D. 70. Verse 8, 9: "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.'" Here you have the gospel going to the Gentiles and the rest of the world in the days of the apostolic church.
"So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests." Verse 10. That's good news for everyone, isn't it? No one is left out. Whether you are a Pharisee or a publican, Jesus is determined to do everything possible to urge you to come to the wedding. Jesus did everything possible when He was here to reach them all -- He reached Mary Magdalene and lifted her above her life of sin. He reached Simon the Pharisee and showed him his need of salvation. He loved Pharisees and Sadducees and harlots and thieves and the laboring class. He sent out the invitation to all, both bad and good, and that should include every one of us today as well. The wedding was furnished with guests.
But now the plot thickens. In the days of Christ, it was customary for a wealthy person, a king in particular, when he put on a wedding for his son, to send not only an invitation, but also to send a wedding garment for the person to wear. That solved a lot of problems. Can you imagine receiving an invitation to the wedding of a king's son? What would be the first thing the wife would say? "What am I going to wear?" For them, that problem was already solved. So it made no difference whether you were rich or poor, whether you were in the palace or in the gutter. Even the poorest who received an invitation to the wedding of the king's son could go dressed like a millionaire.
The king went to a great deal of expense to provide the wedding garments. If any one were to show up at the wedding without the wedding garment on, it would be an insult to the king, it would be an insult to the king's son, and, in a sense, the whole kingdom would feel the sting.
With that in mind, let's go on to verse 11. "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes." Evidently the king comes in to see the guests BEFORE the wedding supper of the king's son takes place. The king comes in to see the guests -- to examine the guests -- could we go so far as to say he "investigated" the guests? "he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes." Well, you say, he probably had on his best suit.
Or perhaps a jogging outfit.
Or sweatshirt and Levis.
No, He was naked!
Turn to Revelation 3:17. The people who lacked the righteousness of Christ are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and what? Naked. So this man had the audacity to show up at the wedding naked.
The very most you could manage, scripturally, would be for him to have on some filthy rags, for all of our righteousness are as filth rags. Isaiah 64:6. But notice how the king treated him. Verse 12. "'Friend,' he asked, 'How did you get in here without wedding clothes?'" Was there some misunderstanding? You must have received the invitation, because you are here. But what about the wedding garment? Didn't the package arrive? Do you have an explanation? Would you like to say something? He treated him with dignity.
But the Bible says the man was speechless. The reason people are speechless is usually because they have nothing to say. And it was only then that the king said to the servants, "'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" Verse 13. And the king must have been weeping too. "For many are invited, but few are chosen." Verse 14.
We have all been invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The friendly arms of the cross still point the way to the heavenly country, and Jesus did pay it all. When Jesus bowed His head and died, He purchased the right to forgive anyone who was ever born into this world who would accept His forgiveness. The invitation is out today to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
The invitation, and our acceptance of that invitation, is what is involved in justification by faith. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8, 9.
The invitation to the wedding and the acceptance of that invitation is not the only part of the story, however. There's the wedding garment as well. It's not enough that the king wears a wedding garment. It is not enough that the king's son has on a wedding garment. Each and every guest must wear a wedding garment, or he will find himself in outer darkness instead of at the marriage supper. And that would be bad news! The examination, the investigation by the king, includes more than checking to see who has responded to the invitation. He is looking for those who are wearing the wedding garment as well.
Let's go back to Revelation 19:6-8 to find out what the wedding garment is. "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
But wait a minute. Can anyone, saints or otherwise, produce righteousness? Can saints produce good deeds? Jeremiah 23:6 say that the Lord is our righteousness. So any kind of good deeds or righteousness that you see in the saints is the Lord at work. But notice that this righteousness in Revelation 19 is not His righteousness in my place. It's not a substitute righteousness; it is His righteousness lived out in the life. So this wedding garment represents the second phase of salvation by faith alone, the area of sanctification, of living the Christian life, of the work that God wants to do IN us.
So when the king came in to examine the guests, he saw there a man who hadn't put on the wedding garment. Evidently the man wanted the invitation, he wanted to be at the wedding, but he still had refused to put on the wedding garment.
"Of those who accepted the invitation, there were some who thought only of benefitting themselves. The came to share the provisions of the feast, but had no desire to honor the king." -- "Christ's Object Lessons," p. 309. Let's paraphrase that. There are some who are interested in getting themselves to heaven, but they have no desire to accept Christ's righteousness in their lives, to bring honor to Him. "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for whose name's sake? For HIS name's sake.
If your primary purpose for being a Christian is to get yourself to heaven, you may never arrive. Of course, we should be interested in getting to heaven. But once we have accepted Jesus, our getting to heaven is certain. Now there's bigger business -- to bring honor and glory to the King and His Son.
"By the wedding garment in the parable is represented the pure, spotless character which Christ's true followers will possess." "This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising." -- "Christ's Object Lessons," pp. 310, 311. Please notice that sanctification -- Christ living His life out in me through the Holy Spirit -- obedience, victory, and overcoming have in them not one thread of human devising. All we can do is accept them as gifts. "By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness." -- Ibid., p. 312.
The power to live as Jesus lived, in dependence upon God, is available to us today. It is possible for us to put on the wedding garment, to accept of Christ's righteousness in our lives, and thus bring honor and glory to the King of heaven.
Some years ago I was in love with a beautiful girl. She lived in San Francisco, and lived in Los Angeles. The day came that we had agreed to become husband and wife. I drove to San Francisco, where her parents were putting on the wedding. As we stood before the preacher he said, "Do you?" And I said, "Yes." And he asked her, "Do you?" And she said, "yes." and he said, "You are."
After the wedding, she went home with her folks, and I went back to Los Angeles. Two years later someone said. "Are you married?"?
And I said, "Yes."
They said, "We never see your wife."
And I replied, "I haven't seen her either, for two years."
"Do you write her?" "No."
"Do you telephone?" "No."
"And you're MARRIED?"
I said, "Yes, I said 'I do.' I have a certificate to prove it."
And they said, "You'd better check on that!"
(This is a parable, by the way!)
But if someone were to have investigated my marriage under such conditions, they might find that the marriage was no more. There are people who have joined the church twenty years ago, who have accepted Jesus, but who have done nothing about it since. An investigation could very well reveal that their salvation was to be seriously questioned. We believe in once married, always married, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP MARRIED. And we believe in once saved, always saved, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP SAVED.
Marriage is based on a relationship. Where there is no more relationship, there is no more marriage. Salvation is also based on a relationship, and without that relationship, and communication, the salvation is no longer present. John 17:3; Matthew 7:23. You are a Christian today if you have a present-tense relationship with Jesus. And for those who endure unto the end in their relationship with Christ, it is certain that they will be overcomers as well. So when the King comes in to examine the guests, He is coming to reveal who has endured to the end and who has become an overcomer.
"Well," you say, "I'm not doing very well on that. I haven't yet become an overcomer. I still fall and fail." I'd like to remind you that overcoming is God's department; it's not yours. Obedience is God's department. It comes by faith alone in Jesus Christ. It isn't something we achieve; it's something we receive. Victory isn't something that we strive for, try for, or work hard to get. It's something that comes as a by-product of the faith relationship. Putting on the wedding garment is simply accepting the gift that God has given, sanctification, in the same way that we receive the gift of justification. And even the Christian world of today is still waiting to hear that good news. It's part of our special message as the remnant people.
Yet most of us continue to work hard, trying to be overcomers. That's the reason we don't overcome -- because you can't work for a gift. To try to earn a gift is an insult to the giver. The wedding garment is free. The King himself has provided it for us. All we need to do is to accept it.
Jesus said, speaking of the Holy Spirit which is the avenue by which we accept His gift of overcoming, "If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:37, 38.
Are you thirsty for the water of life? Perhaps you will be able to identify with the man in this parable.
Ed didn't feel very well. His mouth was terribly dry. His throat ached. His skin was hot. And his lips were beginning to crack. He didn't seem to have much energy either. Even the slightest exertion made him feel lightheaded and dizzy, and several times a day he would become so faint and weak that he would fall. Whenever that happened, he really got discouraged.
One day, as Ed lay huddled at the bottom of the porch steps where he had just fallen, he made decision. "Surely I don't have to be like this for the rest of my life. I'm going to try to get some help."
So he went to visit Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith listened carefully to all of his symptoms and then nodded his head. "Ed, your problem is that you are thirsty. It's a common enough ailment. In fact, in recent years it has seemed that there are more and more thirsty people seeking help than ever before."
Ed felt relieved. "Thanks, doctor," he said. "What shall I do about it?"
Dr. Smith leaned back in his chair. "Well, first of all, try to decide what it is that bothers you the most. Is it the dry mouth, the cracked lips, or what? Let's say, for example, that your cracked lips bother you more than anything. Then go to work on those cracked lips. Give 'em all you've got. After they're healed up, then maybe start to work on your dizzy spells. Don't try to do everything at once. Overcoming these symptoms is a lifetime process. Use you will power. Make your choice to work on these things, and stick with it."
"Thanks, Dr. Smith," said Ed. But after he got back home he puzzled. "I should have asked more exactly how to do it," he thought. After several days of repeating over and over, "I choose not to get dizzy, I choose not to get dizzy," he was dizzier than ever. So he went back to the office. "Dr. Smith, I've tried, but maybe there's something I didn't understand. I'm still as thirsty s ever," Ed said sadly.
"Have you really tried? You've got to give it all you've got, you know," Dr. Smith said sternly.
"Well, maybe I haven't tried as hard as I might have," Ed admitted. "But isn't there something more tangible that I could do?"
Dr. Smith smiled. "Yes, I guess there is. Science has been discovering a very close connection between health and exercise. Why don't you try doing 200 push-ups a day?"
Ed went home again, but after only seven push-ups he collapsed and had to spend the rest of the day in bed. The next morning he called Dr. Smith.
"If you won't do what I tell you, why waste you time and mine by coming back?" Dr. Smith demanded.
"But, doctor, isn't there anything else?" Ed insisted.
"Well," Dr. Smith answered reluctantly, "for some extreme cases a health spa is the answer. If you won't do the exercise by yourself, perhaps the stimulation of a group would help you."
So Ed paid a hundred dollars to join the spa, but after the first session, when he fainted from doing only four push-ups, he was too ashamed to return. Still, his thirst was no better. So he tried another doctor.
Dr. Jones heard Ed's story and said cheerfully, "Why Ed, how unfortunate Dr. Smith didn't explain to you. I'm sure he knows. What you need when you are thirsty is water."
"Water?" Ed asked, hope beginning to flicker in his eyes. "That does sound appealing. Where can I find water?"
"It comes from a well. So I would recommend that you get a shovel and dig yourself a well."
Ed went home joyfully. He got a good shovel and started to dig, but after digging for only five minutes he passed out. When he came to, his next-door neighbor was bending over him. "Ed, whatever are you doing?"
"I'm digging a well. I need water," he said.
"Why, haven't you heard? There's a well already dug. All you have to do is go and get it. The Owner of the well will give you, for free, all the water you need. In fact, He guarantees that if you'll come and drink from His well, every day, you'll never be thirsty again."
"Really?"
"Yes, why don't you try it?"
"Well," said Ed, "I'd better check with my doctor first."
So he stumbled back to Dr. Jones and told him the news. Dr. Jones shook his head. "I've heard of it, Ed. But I don't recommend it. I think myself that if you'll dig your own well, you'll appreciate the water so much more than if it's just handed to you. Better keep digging. God helps those who help themselves."
Ed went back to his digging, but it soon became apparent that he was going to die before he could dig deep enough. Why, after several days he had only dug a hole three inches deep. And he was failing fast.
So in complete helplessness, he gave up on digging his own well and went to the Owner of the well and said, "Unless You give me water, I'll die."
The Owner of the well said gently, "Everyone who comes to My well can have all the water he wants to satisfy his thirst. You never need thirst again."
Ed accepted the first free gift of water from the well, and immediately something began to happen inside of him. His mouth wasn't so dry anymore. His throat was soothed. Day by day, as he returned to the well to drink, his symptoms began to disappear.
Now he's jogging around the countryside telling everyone he meets the good news -- that the water is free!
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This page maintained by Allen Roy. Last Update on 12/13/99