Jesus Doesn't Send People To Hell But Neglect Will

January 30, 2013

Looking at the parable Jesus gave in Matthew 25:1:13, concerning the 10 virgins that were called to a wedding, I have been thinking about the 5 foolish virgins that were not ready when the call came to go. It was not what they did that excluded them from being ready; it was what they failed to do that excluded them from being ready. I am afraid a large percentage of people are going to be lost not because of what they are doing but because of the one thing they are failing to do; trusting Jesus Christ as their personal savior. My friend, if we have trusted Him as our Savior it reflects in the things we do and the places we go. Being saved is a complete transformation of heart and life. I encourage you to read again, Matthew 25:1-13 and notice the following.

The status of morality never changed in any of the 10 bridesmaids. They were moral when we meet them, they remained moral as they waited on the call to come, and their morality was the same when the call came to go to the wedding.

They all slumbered and slept, signifying the cycle of life. It is the same concept Jesus spoke about in the previous chapter, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:37-39. We all have obligations in life, we all have a cycle we go through, it wasn’t the marrying and giving in marriage that was the issue, it was living their lives without the end in view. It was living their life as if there was no God, no eternity and no judgment. Psalm 14:1 “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

If you would have watched the procession of these bridesmaids as they went to the waiting room, you probably couldn’t have told the difference of which ones were wise and which ones were foolish. They all had lamps, they all went to meet the bridegroom, I think they all took vessels, but 5 of the vessels were void of oil, (oil represents the Holy Spirit), they all slumbered and slept, they all arose and trimmed their lamps when the bridegroom called, but they all was not ready. “And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.'” Did you catch it? “Our lamps have gone out.” At one time their lamps had burned also, but because of their neglect their light had gone out and they were not prepared. Hebrews 2:3a, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” The 5 foolish virgins were simply not ready because of their neglect. Jesus doesn’t send people to Hell, but neglect will.

It was too late to get ready now for the wedding, borrowing was not an option. Salvation is something you cannot borrow or lend; it is personal for you only. Verse 13 is the climax of the parable, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? Does your lifestyle reflect a life that has been transformed by Christ? If it doesn’t I encourage you to accept Him today, because the day will come when it will be too late.