TERMS OF ENTRANCE

The Lord has given me the privilege of announcing the wonderful news that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior! For 33 short years Heaven stepped into history; the Word became flesh; God became man. By His life, Jesus lived as an example and demonstrated His identity. In the shedding of His blood and death on a Roman cross Jesus paid the price of pardon and salvation for all. By His resurrection He removed any doubt that all this was true! Jesus left all His disciples a commission to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all He has commanded. Along with that commission is a wonderful promise that He would be with us always as we carried out that commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

Jesus has not called me to be successful, but He has called me to be faithful. It is not for me to be judgmental of other servants. They, themselves, will have to give an accounting for how they have accomplished the task to the Master. The Lord has commissioned us to announce the Good News. Everyone is invited to the wedding banquet. But to get in you have to put on the wedding garment that is supplied at the door. No other suit is good enough to get in, even if you have some pretty snazzy duds of your own. You can't come to the great wedding banquet on your own terms (Matthew 22:1-14). The one who did accept the invitation, but came on his own terms, was thrown out. The banquet has been bought and paid for. Everyone is graciously invited. Whosoever will may come, but they must put on the wedding garment, the Jesus suit.

Many accept the gracious invitation, but they want entrance their way. One has to have the wedding garment to get in. It's free. It doesn't cost anything, but it has to be put on. You can't just carry it in. So how do you put on the Jesus suit? You believe that Jesus is the Lord and only savior; only He has paid for your sins. You change your priorities. No longer does the flesh and the world come first; Jesus has the first claim on your life. You are baptized into Christ for the remission of sin. He who has been baptized into Christ has put on Christ (Galatians 3:27), Baptism is into the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, that which purchased our pardon, thus it is for the remission of sins. That's how one puts on the Jesus suit. Many will accept the invitation to the Great Banquet. The servant who allows entrance without the Jesus suit--well that's between him and God, for God can allow entrance to anyone He wants. Until God says otherwise, however, I have to be faithful to the commission He has given me.

Grace & Peace;
Tom