The Invitation

 While reading the Epistle of Hebrews today, the Lord brought my attention to a specific word in chapter 3 verse 1:

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

 I looked up the word "calling."  It is the Greek word klesis, which means "an invitation."  In this verse, "holy brethren" are being addressed - those who are partakers of this "invitation/calling".  This then led me to search for other occasions where the same word calling (klesis) was used:

Philippians 3: 14

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Above, Paul uses himself to explain that he actively pursues (presses) toward the goal (mark) for the award (prize) of the high invitation (calling) of God IN Christ Jesus.  If Paul had already obtained this prize, then he would not actively press toward the mark.  If a believer ever reaches a point of thinking he or she has already attained an unconditional eternal salvation, a distorted false Gospel has been received and great deception could lead the believer to fall into sin all the while believing "all is well" with one's salvation.

2 Thessalonians 1:11

Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: 

Similarly, Paul is speaking to believers in this verse when he shares that he continually prays for this body of believers to be counted worthy by God of this calling/invitation.  

Those who are IN the Body of Christ have received an invitation - much like a wedding invitation.  In fact, it really is a wedding invitation.  We know in the Book of Revelation that the marriage of the Lamb is the final consummation of those who will spend eternity with the Lord.  As we are told in Revelation 19:7 - "His wife hath made herself ready." 

 This would fully support the very ideas Paul illustrates in the previous verses.  The bride actively makes herself ready.  How?  Not by her works  - but by abiding in the vine of Christ.  Only by abiding in His goodness can she possibly overcome.  Is the bride pressing toward the mark or abiding IN Christ if she is willfully sinning?  Is she accepting the invitation to the wedding if she is fornicating with the world?  If she serves the idols of hate, or greed, or anger, or money, or jealousy, or worldly music, or provocative clothing -- if she pursues an invitation from the world and, therefore, cheats on her Groom, will she be a chaste bride on her wedding day?  Or will she have a soiled gown made filthy by her decision to stray from her Groom?

She cannot be arrayed in fine, white linen if she has rejected the Groom's righteousness, for only the Groom could offer such an invitation.

If the bride was loyal to her Groom early in their relationship but gradually became attracted to others, will the Groom accept her on their wedding day - an unfaithful bride?  He provided all of her needs; he extended the invitation, and for a time, she may have gladly accepted his gifts.  She may have been devoted to only Him, in fact.  However, in the eleventh hour, she proves unfaithful.  The allure of the world and the enticements of man draws her from the one to whom she had been faithful.   She was fully accepting of the invitation, but arrived to the wedding unprepared because she did not make herself ready by being completely faithful to her betrothed - to her Groom.   

I am reminded of Eve and her servitude to Adam - her betrothed.  Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:

² For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
³ But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

If it were impossible for the espoused believer/bride of Christ to become "corrupted" (phtheiro - to shrivel, or wither, i.e. to spoil or to ruin), why would Paul directly address the church at Corinth and speak of his "fear" that their minds have been "corrupted" in much the same way as Eve's when she believed the lies of the Serpent over the Truth of God?  The Greek word used here for corrupted is the same Greek word used for "defile" in 1 Corinthians 3:17.  Also, we are not to forget the words of Jesus when He stated that man is not defiled from what is outside of him, but instead, man is defiled due to what comes from his heart (Mark 7).  Eve was betrothed to Adam, yet she chose to obey and serve the Serpent when tempted.  Paul warns the brethren at Corinth to avoid following anyone who "preaches another Jesus" (2 Cor. 11: 4).  Doing so would indicate the bride's UNfaithfulness to the One True Lord.  As Jesus Himself taught, there is one allowable reason for divorce:  Adultery. 

 2 Peter 1:10

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

 As stated above, the called or invited in Christ must give diligence in order to stabilize (make sure) the election.  Peter continues as to why the brethren must do this:  Falling is possible.  Without diligence or examining ourselves to see if we are in the faith, then a believer can fall.  Falling back into sin is an extremely dangerous point in a believer's life - one to avoid only by abiding IN Christ and obeying His Spirit's leading.

Only the chaste, faithful bride will be accepted at the wedding of the Lamb.  The bride who has valued her commitment to Christ - the Groom.  The one who has grown to know her Groom by spending valuable time with Him.  The bride who during times of her Groom's absence patiently waited for the special day of His arrival.  The bride who although presented with the enticements of the world chose to seek refuge and truth in the arms of her Groom.  This chaste bride who was weak on her own found strength from Him.

The bride's faithfulness to her Groom results in the gift of righteousness in the form of white linen.  A wedding dress unlike any other - pure and undefiled - for she has made herself ready by abiding in Him.

From the first moment of their engagement, she has greatly anticipated the moment - the marriage.  She has held the invitation - the calling - in her small hands with the passage of time.  There were dark valleys of tremendous sorrow when she clutched the invitation to her chest as she recalled the hope of the coming day - the coming marriage.  With tears of anguish, she pledged her faithfulness to Him, even when the Enemy surrounded her.  She clutched the invitation and cried out for her Groom.  She would find her strength IN HIM. 

 

^{Revelation 19:
7} Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
⁸ And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
⁹ And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

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 Testimony:
I can relate to Gideon in the Bible because when I feel the Lord revealing His Truth to me, I always ask Him to show me more than once.  Why?  Because His Word is HOLY, and I never want to speak an UNtruth regarding His Holy Word.  His Word is sacred.  I was studying areas of the Bible earlier this afternoon and felt the Lord's leading on a particular topic and a particular group of verses and realized He was calling me to complete a work for Him based on what He had shown me in the verses.  This morning, I had prayed that He would give me direction regarding my next step toward obedience to Him.  These verses brought the marriage feast described in Revelation to my mind and the bride making herself ready for this momentous event.  I pondered the revelation He had given me as I placed supper in the oven.  Kendra, my 8 year old niece, was in the living room playing with my 18 month old.  I wasn't really paying much attention to them because my thoughts were of the Lord and what I felt He was calling me to do.  As I thought of the marriage of the Lamb and the bride making herself ready, I also thought, "Lord, you haven't confirmed this revelation to me yet."  Within moments, as I stood in the kitchen, I heard my niece in the living room sing, "Dum dum da dum, dum dum da dum."  Then, she repeated it.  I stood completely still in front of my fridge as I heard her sing this two times.  I couldn't contain my praises to the Lord in that moment.  My niece walked into the kitchen and asked why I was so happy.  I told her that God had just used her to confirm His message to me!  

Oh, how I love Jesus!