Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids.
Righteousness by Faith
We all know this story well, so we will just skip to the punch line at the very end. All ten in the story were loyal Church members of good and regularly standing, all had a “Title to Heaven,” but sadly only half of them had a “Fitness for Heaven,” and so those who were foolish and were found unfit for the purity of Heaven were locked out or shut outside of the door, outside of Jesus. Remember John 10:9 Jesus said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Also in Hebrew the word Door and Decision is essentially the same thing, so you must decide to come in at the door Christ Jesus for remember a similar theme in Revelation 22:14-15 “Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Here we have the same theme of gates and doors all with the same connotation, it is a divider between those inside and safe and those kept outside. It is also a “Cities of Refuge,” imagery.
“The proud heart strives to earn salvation; but both our title to heaven and our fitness for it are found in the righteousness of Christ. The Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of his own weakness, and stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the control of God. Then he can receive the gift that God is waiting to bestow. From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He has unrestricted access to Him in whom all fullness dwells. {DA 300}
“And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. John 17:19. The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed; the righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is our title to heaven, the second is our fitness for heaven.”
Summing this all up;
Righteousness – Justified – Imputed – Title to Heaven (Instant upon conversion) Righteousness – Sanctified – Imparted – Fitness for Heaven. (therefore your body should always remain a pure and holy and living sacrifice, by our daily lifestyle)
So you can have a Title to Heaven, and still not get there. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Belief is of no value because the devils; believe and tremble, but they do not get Heaven. Romans 5:20b “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound,” Grace, Title to Heaven, Sinlessness, is all poured out in a bountiful abundance, of so much more quantity than sin could ever be, so there is no good reason for any of us to miss out on Heaven. The lost just did not avail themselves of abundant and bountiful Grace.
“As the penitent sinner, contrite before God, discerns Christ’s atonement in his behalf, and accepts this atonement as his only hope in this life and the future life, his sins are pardoned. This is justification by faith. Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a lifetime. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ. Wrongs cannot be righted nor reformations wrought in the character by feeble, intermittent efforts. It is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome.
It [sanctification] is not merely a theory, an emotion, or a form of words, but a living, active principle, entering into the everyday life. It requires that our habits of eating, drinking, and dressing be such as to secure the preservation of physical, mental, and moral health, that we may present to the Lord our bodies–not an offering corrupted by wrong habits but–“a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” The Scriptures are the great agency in the transformation of character. . . . If studied and obeyed, the Word of God works in the heart, subduing every unholy attribute. There is no such thing as instantaneous sanctification. True sanctification is a daily work, continuing as long as life shall last.” {FLB 114}
“Righteousness within is testified to by righteousness without. He who is righteous within is not hard-hearted and unsympathetic, but day by day he grows into the image of Christ, going on from strength to strength. He who is being sanctified by the truth will be self-controlled, and will follow in the footsteps of Christ until grace is lost in glory.” {MYP 35}
“Heaven with its attractions is before you, an eternal weight of glory, which you may lose or gain. Which shall it be? Your life and your character will testify the choice you have made. I feel the more anxious because I see so many indifferent upon the subjects of infinite importance. They are always busy here and there about matters of minor importance, and the one great subject is put out of their thoughts. They have no time to pray, no time to watch, no time to search the Scriptures. They are altogether too busy to make the necessary preparation for the future life. They cannot devote time to perfect Christian characters and in diligence to secure a title to heaven.” {OHC 44}
“If you have life eternal, you must be earnest and work to the point. . . . Glorify God by choosing His way, His will. He will be your wise counsellor and your fast, unchanging friend.” {OHC 44}
Love to God and love to man will give the clear title to heaven. {OHC 73} (Jesus condensing of the 10 Commandments) Matthew 22:37-40 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” This is telling us with Hebrew poetic imagery, that all scripture or the whole Bible stands or falls on this one “Love” principle.
“I know that there is nothing of so great importance as to be getting ready for heaven. Nothing but the righteousness of Christ can entitle us to the blessings reserved for the redeemed. I am trying most earnestly to commit my all to Him without one reservation. Faith in Jesus’ efficacious blood is my only hope, my only stronghold. Jesus is a faithful Saviour. I love His name. I love His cross. I love His Word. I shall never be ashamed while I trust in Him. The promise He has given me, He has signed and sealed with His own blood.” {9MR 319}
