13/05/2012

ROBES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR KINGDOM CITIZENS

Matthew 22:11-13

The Lord gave many parables concerning the kingdom of God. In some of them, He portrayed the Kingdom in its present form; in some, in its spiritual form; in others in its final, eternal, complete form. In the parable of the marriage feast, He likened the Almighty God to a king with absolute authority. Like the king in the parable, God the Father, had, at creation and, at Redemption, staged a great feast by providing for man everything he needs and, will ever need, everything that pertains to life and godliness. As the king in the parable sent out invitation to all his subjects, so does the Lord call the religious and irreligious to salvation. He has provided everything we need for our spirit, soul and body. The man knew it was his fault that he did not put on the wedding garment. Hence he was speechless. In this parable, the Lord uses the word garment in a figurative sense. What the garment is to the body, righteousness is to the soul. As the garment covers a mans body, so does righteousness the soul. As the naked cannot be allowed to roam the street of a civilized society, so will souls not covered with the robe of Christs righteousness not be allowed into Gods kingdom. We need, therefore, to put on the robe of righteousness, holiness, purity and humility so that we will not be found spiritually naked in the sight of God (Revelation 16:15; 3:17,18). The robe is not something you can obtain from your mother, pastor or church. It is something only Christ can provide. The point of the parable is that the Lord wants us to be

clothed with God-kind of righteousness, which is, righteousness by faith in Christs atoning sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. As dirty and unclean clothes are usually not allowed at the marriage ceremony of a kings son, so will uncleanness and moral defilement not be allowed in Gods kingdom. Strange garment or apparel is a kind of righteousness or spiritual covering originating from false religion and, from the ingenuities and philosophies of men. All that are clothed with strange apparel will not be allowed into the kingdom of God (Zephaniah 1:7-9). The question you need to ask yourself is, are you clothed with the righteousness of Christ? Whats the origin of your own righteousness? Are you attired in a strange apparel? There are people whose claim to righteousness are marked only by the observation of religious festivities and ceremonies. But the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). A life characterised by sins such as lying, deceit, hypocrisy, wickedness is a life not clothed with the right garment. The parable of the marriage feast shows that the Lord will cut off from His kingdom, people who do not have the appropriate robe of righteousness. They shall not be with Him in eternity (Psalm 101:6-8). 1. THE NECESSITY OF THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Matthew 22:11,12; Job 29:14; Psalm 132:9,16; John 3:1-4,10,5-7; Isaiah 61:10; Zechariah 3:3,4; Colossians 3:8-14; Romans 10:1-3; Philippians3:6-9. And when the king came in to see the

guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. But come to think of it, was this man not better than those who rejected the invitation outrightly? Was he not better than the people who ridiculed the marriage feast? Was he not better than the people who beat up and killed the servants sent to invite them to the marriage feast? Did he not have some respect for the king and the father of the son who made the marriage feast? Yes, he was better. The fact that he was even seated quietly at the marriage feast shows that he was not a trouble maker. But without the wedding garment, no other moral decorum was good enough. Likewise today, it is not enough to respect and honour the Lord, to believe and read the Bible, to know and believe in the doctrines of the Bible; it is not enough to be gentle, honest and orderly. It is not enough to know all the answers to Bible quiz or questions, to dress appropriately, with no jewelry or make-up. It is not enough to stop smoking cigarette or become teetotal. It is not enough to go through the ritual of water baptism by immersion, to regularly come early to church, to look nice, neat and elegant. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Without the robe of righteousness, without salvation, without the new birth, all other religious activities are in themselves insufficient to earn you a place in the kingdom of God. Whatever you have or do is not enough until you totally surrender your life to the Lord and He, in exchange, gives you the robe of righteousness. Like Job, have you put on righteousness? It is not something that you can provide for yourself. It is

something that only the Lord can give to you. It is not enough to be a priest, a pastor or a Christian worker. It is not enough to be born by Christian parents or workers. The question is, are you really born again? When were you born again? What day, time, hour were you born again? You cannot put on the robe of righteousness until you have put off the filthy garment of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, lying, deception, violence, hypocrisy, stealing, drinking, smoking, adultery, etc. No act of self-righteousness will do. What the Lord is looking for is the righteousness that comes by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. THE NEGLECT OF THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS Matthew 22:11-13; Hebrews 2:3; 10:26-31; Matthew 13:49,50; Matthew 23:1-7,27,28,29,33; Hebrews 12:14-17,25,29; Jeremiah 8:20;Luke 13:2430. There is great danger in neglecting salvation. Men like Cain, King Saul and Judas Iscariot did not escape the judgment of the Lord when they neglected the robe of righteousness, the opportunity offered to them by the Lord. If you sin wilfully after you have known what it takes to obtain the robe of righteousness, you will perish. If you neglect peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, you cannot get to heaven. Like Esau, some people sell their robes of righteousness because of marriage, money, business contract, etc. Preaching, retreat, church service or worship, exhortation, encouragement and counselling will not go on for ever. If you neglect the robe of righteousness

for too long, it might be too late before you seek the face of the Lord. Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. At the end of life, will you be saved or will you be regretting that you lost the opportunity of being born again? For those who have on their souls the robes of righteousness and the garments of salvation, when the Lord shall come, they will inherit the kingdom of God. The Lord will give rewards to everyone of them. 3. THE NEW ROBES AND REWARDS FOR THE RIGHTEOUS Revelation 3:4,5; 19:7-9; 22:11b-14; Matthew 5:812; 13:40-43; Psalm 112:6; Revelation 7:9-17. We have the robe of righteousness now, but on the final day when the trumpet will sound, when the saints of God shall go marching in, the Lord is going to give us as a reward, robes that are white and clean. The first mention of white in Revelation 3:4 refers to the garment of righteousness which is bestowed on us when we turn away from sin and receive the Lord as our personal Saviour. The second mention in verse 5, is the reward. Part of the reward is the privilege and honour to be clothed in white raiment and to have our names written in the book of life. If you are part of the Bride of the Lamb, you need to make yourself ready by examining your life. Is your garment still clean or dirty? Are you ready for the coming of the Lord? What is the state of your heart or spirit? How is your Christian commitment and character? How are you in the sight of the Lord? Looking at the things going on in your heart, mind, looking at your ambition, career, character, relationship, is everything

alright with you? Temptation will come to try you whether you will backslide or not. But 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. If you have not been born again, you need to pray and get saved. If you have not been sanctified, you need to pray and get sanctified. If moral blemish has come into your life, you need to pray to be cleansed from it. If your robe of righteousness has been soiled, you can ask the Lord to purge and cleanse you again. GHS 37,127 & 247