Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
HOW DO WE RULE OUR SPIRITS? 7. RULE WITH A SPIRIT OF LOVE continued
This last weekend it was my pleasure to perform another marriage ceremony for a wonderful Christian couple, Josiah and Shelby Calhoon.
I mentioned in my wedding message the passage of Matthew 22:11-14 where it speaks of the all-important requirement of having on the required wedding garment: “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
The required garment is explained in Revelation 19:7-9: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called into the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
The garment was to be made of fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of saints. We are told throughout Scripture about the righteous garments that we should be making ready and clothing ourselves with in preparation for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Revelation 17:14 says: “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” We discover that the garments must be washed in the blood of the Lamb. This explains Revelation 19:8 concerning the garments being clean and white. It is only the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God who is able to accomplish this purity. We are exhorted in Scripture to “put on Christ” with all of His virtues.
Galatians 3:27: “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
We cannot put on Christ as a garment without putting on all of His virtues. Jesus Christ, and all of His righteous virtues, are the fine linen garment.
We do not wait for the day of the wedding to cloth ourselves with Christ all His virtues. It is imperative to do it now. Many who call themselves Christian, and yet live like the world, are putting on the wrong garments. The garments represent the “life style.” If the life style looks like the world, smells like the world, and acts like the world, it most likely is the world.
On the great Wedding Day, the one who wears the world’s garments and not the garments washed in the blood will be bound and cast into outer darkness.
To be continued.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
