Don't come in naked; put on your wedding garment. God wants to put a robe of righteousness upon you.
Put Your Wedding Garment On
Matthew 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 "and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 "Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding."' 5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 'Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' 10 "So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."
I was in prayer meeting and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. His direction was to tell folks not to come in naked but put on their wedding garment. My heart at the time was meditating on being in God’s presence. After that word I began to meditate on “putting on the wedding garment”.
Here in Matthew, Jesus begins teaching about the kingdom of heaven; how does putting the wedding garment on relate to the kingdom of heaven? A certain king prepared a marriage for his son and told all the invited guest to come to the table; the dinner is prepared and all things were ready! None of the original invited guest came. Not only did they refuse the invitation they did harm to the servants of the King who had invited them. The king would not stand for an empty banqueting hall at such an important event. He sent his servants out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. The scripture says the wedding hall was now filled! There was one without a wedding garment the king was irate and had him cast out.
The good and the bad were brought together and the king had provided wedding garments but this guest had chosen not to put the wedding garment on. Then Jesus declared many are called, but few are chosen. The difference between the called and the chosen was defined by Jesus. The Jewish nation was called and they would not come to the wedding table; those from highway both bad and good were invited to the wedding table. Only those who came in with the wedding garments were said to be of the chosen. If you are coming in the King’s presence put your wedding garment on.
John 3:26 And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified; behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" 27 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 "You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' 29 "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."
John the Baptist brings a revelation about Jesus here in these verses. John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the bridegroom and declares the fact that Jesus has a bride. John said He rejoiced to hear the voice of the bridegroom and his joy was fulfilled by hearing the voice of the bridegroom. These truths shared in scripture begin to show an intimacy God planned to have with man. If Jesus is the bridegroom of the kingdom the wedding garment becomes very important and special. Put on the wedding garment.
Luke 7:27 "This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' 28 "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
Jesus declared a revelation here in Luke. John was the greatest of all the prophets; the truth unveiled is he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he! My brother and sister it is related to the wedding garment!
Revelation 3:14 "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; 18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."' "
The Laodicean city had hot and cold water springs and the city piped this water in. The cold water or hot water was refreshing but the lukewarm was useful for nothing. This church saw themselves as rich and having need of nothing; they had no idea they were poor, wretched, miserable, blind and naked. They had not put on white garments or if you will, they had not put on the wedding garments. They were in a state to be vomited out of God’s mouth. Jesus invites us to come and dine with Him. We must be clothed with the wedding garment. Jesus stands at the door and knocks ready to put His garment of righteousness upon us.
Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Ephesians 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
God has made the provision and made us newly created beings. According to God we have been made in true righteousness and holiness. It is the new garment if you will. Put off the old man and put on the new it is the only way to walk in victory! It is why the King invited us to the marriage supper!
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Live the life you have been created to walk in; it is the abundant life found exclusively in relationship with Jesus. Put on your wedding garment.
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