Theme: Responsible Christian living
Text: Ex. 32:1-14; Phil. 4:1-9; Matt. 22:1-14
Our priorities in life dictate our choices and our choices determine the outcome of our lives. Whether we arrive at the right destination or not depends on our choices that are often between alternatives that appear equally attractive but lead to entirely different results. Adam and Eve made the choice to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil rather than the fruit of the tree of life. They made a choice that separated them and their descendants from God. But because God is love He did something about the situation and made it possible for man to find the way home. However we cannot find the way without Jesus Christ for the Scriptures declare “He is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him” John 14:6. For those who might believe otherwise the same Scriptures declare “there is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death” Pr. 14:12. Joshua simply puts it this way “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” Deut. 30:19. Choosing life is to choose Christ, believe in Him, and become His disciple. Responsible Christian living is to choose life.
God does not want any one of us to “perish but that all should come to repentance” 2 Pet. 3:9. God is love and went to great lengths to make this possible. It demanded the death of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. His death paid the penalty for our sin, reconciled us to God and granted us access to His presence. God created us for fellowship and this fellowship was restored when Jesus died in our place and made His righteousness available to all who believe. Christ has given us access to eternal life, joy, peace, abundance and fullness. God has not withheld anything from us and His invitation is to give us the opportunity to make the right choice and enjoy His presence and abundant provisions. God’s invitation is to bless and restore. Why would anyone refuse such an invitation? All that is required is our acceptance as we cannot do anything to deserve or earn it. Our invitation is only possible because Jesus Christ, by His death, burial and resurrection, met every condition for our salvation. All that we need to do is to make the right choice, accept God’s invitation, repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
We cannot afford to reject this invitation and miss the marriage celebration of Jesus Christ to His bride, the Church. If the first miracle that Jesus performed, when He became flesh and dwelt among us, was at a wedding feast where He turned water into wine how could there be anything lacking at His own wedding? Why would anyone refuse an undeserved invitation to partake of the abundance that Christ has made available by His atoning work on the cross? What possible reasons could they have? Could it be because of unbelief? Do they reject the truth of Scripture that Christ died on our behalf to pay the penalty for our sin? Or could it be that they have a false view of who God is? Throughout the ages we have always tried to mould and shape God to fit our idea of who we want Him to be. We want him to meet our expectations so that we can dictate to him and chose when to obey or ignore him. Are we today behaving any differently from the Israelites in Moses’ day? Do we remember how they experienced God’s awesome presence in their deliverance from bondage in Egypt? Do we remember how God humbled and defeated the gods of Egypt through the ten plagues before their eyes and how they witnessed the parting of the red sea. In spite of these miracles they still wanted a god that would fit their mould, their liking and expectations and were quick to make and worship a golden calf. Although unbelievable we are no better than the Israelites of that time. Every time we change the message of God we are changing the God who gave the message and every time we make God out to be who He is not we are also committing idolatry and idolatry leads to unbelief and rejection of the true God. Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sin and all that is now required from us is to acknowledge our sin, repent, and believe in Him as our Saviour and Lord. It is only by accepting Christ’s invitation that we can enjoy the blessings of His kingdom now and throughout eternity.
Jesus Christ did all that was necessary for our salvation. He declared it on the cross with the words “It is finished”. He met every condition for our salvation yet many people today still feel that they have to do something to deserve it. The belief that God’s acceptance is possible through works is to reject the sacrifice of Christ. This is another reason why different people respond in different ways to God’s invitation. If you feel you deserve God’s invitation becomes of something you had done you will also feel you have the right to reject it. Can this not be the reason why some are too busy or simply indifferent? Can this also not be the reason why others are too preoccupied with their own cares, concerns, and businesses? And can this not be the reason why some are more interested in everyday, mundane, and self-serving lives rather than in the Kingdom of God? There are also those who simply refuse to acknowledge God and His rule. They want to be in control of their lives, do what they like, not be accountable to anyone and determine who is righteous or not. They are often very hostile in their rejection and are not prepared to hear anything about sin and repentance. They would even go to the extent of persecuting and killing those who dared to offer them such an invitation.
Incredibly, many people still refuse to accept God’s invitation today. It is not a question of forgetting because they were not only invited but were also reminded near the time. The invitation to the celebration, in their view, was just not important enough. They had no idea of its eternal value. When the intended guests refused to attend, the invitation was extended to other people who came in their numbers. This is a direct reference to the Jews who forfeited all the privileges they were invited to receive. They turned down the invitation because they saw no need for the grace of God. Instead they trusted in their own goodness and their religious heritage. Is the thinking of some Church members any different today? Are there not Church members today who are trusting in their Christian background and Church membership for salvation? Are there not Church members who are trusting in their support of and involvement in Church activities? And are there not Church members who are trusting in their own righteousness? Would God have allowed Christ’s sacrifice on the cross if there had been any other way? Have we accepted God’s invitation or are we presuming on a relationship with God because of our background and privileges as the Jews did? If you are here today and you have never accepted God’s invitation then today’s invitation is to you. Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour and be saved.
When we accept God’s invitation He gives us the appropriate clothing for the occasion. You cannot accept an invitation by the King and turn up without the appropriate clothing. Those who somehow manage to enter wearing their own clothes are going to be embarrassed, to say the least, when they discover everyone else wearing a robe of righteousness. This robe of righteousness is God’s own righteousness and is only given by Christ Himself. Jesus Christ by His sacrifice was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with His righteousness. We are accepted because God no longer sees us but sees us clothed with the righteousness of Christ . To use the words of Paul “We have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer we who live, but Christ lives in us; and the life which we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us” Gal.2:20.
Bible commentators tell us that in Bible times a king hosting a feast also supplied the required garments. Every guest was given the opportunity to be properly dressed. To show up wearing something else is either to say that the occasion was not important enough or that you considered what you were wearing to be good enough. This of course would be an insult to the wedding party and would immediately be noticed. How can you fail to notice someone wearing something different at a very exclusive party? It is a picture of boasting about our ‘good works’ and appearing before God clothed in the filthy rags of our own righteousness. God went to great lengths to cover us with the perfection of His Son, His righteousness. Jesus died our death that we might have His life. We cannot honour the Lord’s invitation dressed in anything less than what Christ demands from us. His demands are actually for our blessing. He demands that the joy of the Lord is evident in our lives and who does not want this. He demands responsible Christian living seen in our prayer lives. He demands that we always seek His direction and support in everything that we go through. Not only should we make our requests to Him we should also trust Him to take care of them and experience His peace. Is this not a great blessing Christ offers believers? As believers we should focus our minds on those things that are to our benefit and that influence our character in a godly way, always adhering by the truth and seeking justice. No one can continue hiding his true character. It will be manifested at the appropriate time. At the Lord’s feast no one can hide in the crowd. The robe of righteousness is so unique that anyone without it would immediately be noticed. The only way to obtain it is to confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and you will be saved and empowered to live the life of Christ.
God has invited everyone to the celebration – the good, the bad and the ugly – the honourable and respected, the rich and poor, the cheats and murderers, and the rapists and prostitutes. Christ died on the cross for everyone. He was made sin for us that we might be made righteous and no single person was left out. The only thing that leaves us out is our own indifference and our own stubborn refusal to accept His invitation. Accepting His invitation is to accept His terms. A lot of people want to be part of the celebration but do not want to submit to God’s terms. A well known preacher once said, “one of the great mysteries of redemption is this: while many bad men will go to heaven, many good men will go to hell.” Why will many bad men go to heaven? Because they acknowledged their sin and accepted God’s invitation – they accepted God’s gift of eternal life. You will recall the thief next to Jesus on the cross in his dying moments saying to Jesus ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus’ response was immediate ‘assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ The thief believed Jesus was King. He believed the King had a kingdom and he asked to be included in that kingdom. Jesus accepted the thief because the thief believed on Him as Saviour and Lord. Why will many good men go to hell? They will go to hell because they refused God’s invitation and trusted in their own good works. Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for our sin and rose from the dead for our justification. We are the honoured guests at His wedding celebration. The invitation is to each one of us. Have you accepted God’s invitation? Amen!
