Do You Have Your Good Clothes On?

Matt 22:11-14

11         And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

12         And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

13         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.

14         For many are called, but few are chosen.

Imagine this scenario with me.  You have received an invitation you can’t refuse. On the spur of the moment a friend asks if he can buy you lunch. Not a hard decision, right?  Only what you don't know is that this friend is taking you to a private club where he is a member. We're talking upscale dining here. You are wearing a dress shirt and slacks, which might make you the best dressed at McDonalds or Burger King, but it is obviously unacceptable at this high class establishment.

The maitre de (head waiter for the socially challenged) informs you that a suit coat or sport jacket is required to enter. As you are about to leave, the host arrives and reaches into a closet and produces a sport coat. He says, "I bought this for just such an occasion as this!  If you will just wear this, we will gladly let you in." You didn't have what it took to get in, but thankfully the man in charge provided what you needed to get in and you were allowed to stay.

Matthew 22 tells the story about a king who invited many guests to the wedding banquet for his son. In those days, when you arrived at the entrance of the wedding facility, they would give you a special wedding garment if you were an invited guest. It instantly identified who belonged there.

But the king came in and noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. “Friend,” he asked, “how did you get in here without wedding clothes?” The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, “Tie him hand and foot and throw him outside into the darkness.”

Today, there are many that believe they will get into heaven somehow based on their church or on the good they have done. But no one's good enough to meet the holy standard of a perfect God. No one's going to heaven because they are good.

To rely on your own goodness to gain access to Heaven, is to gamble with your soul.  The only thing that will guarantee you entrance to that Holy City is having faith in what Jesus did for you on Calvary!

When you receive Jesus into your life, He wraps you in a new robe, the robe of His goodness. The old garment is passed away and a new garment is given that identifies you as not only an invited guest, but as a chosen part of that eternal Bride of Christ!

The old song asks the question, “Are you washed in the Blood? The soul cleansing Blood of the Lamb?  Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the Blood of the Lamb? 

Well, are you?

Jesus said that many are called (invited), for scripture bears out that God is not willing that any should perish, but only those are chosen will enter in!  The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 1:13, that we, who have trusted in Jesus Christ after hearing the gospel, are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise! We are separated and set apart, for God.  We are distinguished and marked as belonging to Him. We are chosen!

Entering into Heaven will be like trying to get into the private club.  If you have your good clothes on it will not be good enough. You must have on His good clothes! The only way you will be refused entrance is if you refuse to put on the robe of righteousness Jesus freely offers you.  But, if you put it on, you will hear Jesus say, “Let them in. They’re with Me!”