Articles
Come [And Stay?] As You Are
“So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.” (Matthew 22:12)
Some seem to think God has put out a sign advertising Heaven and has on the sign, “Come as you are without any changes required.” We might wish this were true, but it isn’t. The inescapable reality is that Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people!
This exclusiveness is illustrated in the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14). The man’s inappropriate apparel was an insult to the occasion, so he was cast out into outer darkness (verses 11-12). The man was speechless—he knew he alone was at fault. He could not think of any word in defense. Christ told this parable to teach all of us that there is no acceptable reason for our not preparing! The discernable revelation of God is here; therefore, we must be prepared! Those who do not prepare will simply, and justifiably, be rejected.
Many will be stunned at the Day of Judgment. The Lord will bid many leave His presence for outer darkness because they tried to “come [and stay] as you are.” Everyone is going to be at judgment, but only those who are prepared will enter Heaven. With this knowledge, every diligence must be made to appear before God clad in garments of righteousness (Revelation 3:18). It is fully within our grasp to be prepared. We must put on Christ (Galatians 3:27) and we must abide in Him (John 15).
The church is a called-out organism. In fact, this is the essential etymology of the Greek word translated “church” in our New Testaments! The household of God is people who have been called out of the world of sin into the fellowship of Christ. Thus it is made up of new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). You cannot “come [and stay] as you are”. You must become new! There is only one way and that is in Christ. We must put our hearts, minds, and purpose into gaining God’s approval (Colossians 3:1-3).
Repentance is the key to this problem. Unquestionably, the crucial matter in the plan of salvation is penitence! Repentance is a change of decision. Think about Matthew 21:28-29. The young man was remorseful for his conduct and reversed his previous decision. A proper sorrow for our reprehensible conduct can lead to genuine change (2 Corinthians 7:10). The most obvious result of repentance is a change of life (Acts 3:19). Repentance is essential (Acts 2:38). Too many look at their sins and think of them as little things. We simply cannot come to God and stay as we are (Acts 17:30). We can well learn from the words of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:8). Humble penitence is lacking in one who wants to continue in his old way of life. You simply cannot be saved from your sins and hope to go to Heaven by staying as you are (Luke 13:3).
Consider the tragedy of spotted garments. Too often some who are immersed go back to their old manner of life. God’s decree for His children is that they maintain their purity of life (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:27). If you are not walking in the new way, you need to repent! Many in Sardis had defiled their garments and would be lost unless they repented and sought the forgiveness of God (Revelation 3:4).
Let us cleanse our lives by obedience to the truth (1 Peter 1:22). Whether or not you will be a Christian is your choice, but you cannot set the conditions. We ask you to come to Christ by not staying as you are. Instead, repent (Luke 24:47) because of the goodness of God (Romans 2:4). Think of what God has done for you! (John 3:16) Think also of the time you have been given to learn and respond (2 Peter 3:9). So few are chosen because most do not want what God has to offer. God’s invitation is to all, but His final selection depends on our response to His Son (Acts 22:16). He is a God of high holiness Who will not tolerate iniquity in anyone. All must respond to His demands for a change of commitment, submitting to life within His will. How can you continue to spurn His love? The invitation is from Heaven—will you accept it?
