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Have You Accepted the Invitation?, October 17
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage
for his son.
Matthew 22:2
.
The Lord God has provided a banquet for the whole human race. It is repre-
sented in the parable as a great supper where there is provided a festival for every
soul. All connected with this supper may enjoy the heavenly feast, which is the
gospel. This feast is open to all who will receive it. All are invited and urged to
come....
All who are partakers of the wedding feast, the gospel feast, by this act say that
they have accepted Christ as their personal Saviour. They wear His distinguishing
dress. They have accepted the truth as it is in Jesus, which is the robe of Christ’s
righteousness. Only those do honor to Christ who accept the invitation, “Come,
for all things are now ready; come to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” These put
on the white linen, the clean, pure character, showing that they no longer live their
old citizen life that they lived in their ignorance. Their speech is changed. Their
conversation is in altogether another line....
All who have the light of the Word presented to them are highly favored. That
Word is the bread of life to those who eat of it. “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in
spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast
hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
(
Luke 10:21
).
The priests and scribes and rulers were so self-sufficient that they would not
heed the words of Christ. They were convicted, their understanding was convinced,
but they would not receive the Sent of God. They had been privileged with every
temporal and spiritual advantage, but Christ looked upon them as rejecters of all
the mercy and compassion and tenderness and love that He had come to the world
to bring them. They turned away from the light and evidence that Christ had given
them, and scorned His mercy. He looked upon them with yearning desire, and
said, “Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight” (
Verse 21
). He was
grieved that the people most favored upon the face of the earth should be the very
ones to deny Him and refuse His offer of everlasting life.
There is to be a constant advancement on our part. The revelation of the Father
to the human agent will be such a revelation that the mind can take hold of and
comprehend. All who follow on steadfastly to know the truth as it is in Jesus will
know that there is still more to be learned. Expansion, development, an increase
of faith and holiness, will give us an experience in the religious life, and this is the
law of the Christian life.—
Manuscript 143, October 17, 1898
, “The Parable of the
Wedding Feast.”
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