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Commentary on "The Wedding Garment"
Day 4: Tuesday, June 7, 2011 - Those Who Came to the Feast
Review
Today’s Lesson intensifies the arguments for an investigative judgment and emphasizes that it must include everyone. In the parable, the king finally invites everyone, whoever can be found, both bad and good. The Lesson tells us that because all kinds of people are among those who profess Christ, some who join will be “the most judgmental, condemnatory, hypocritical, and downright evil people” claim God’s promises and profess assurance (The author is quite passionate about these folk; perhaps he has certain people in mind). Because of these “Christians,” God must investigate and judge everyone.
The Lesson asks how Israel could fail to accept God’s choosing them and blessing them. After all, they were given the promises to Abraham, and that covenant was “reaffirmed” on Sinai; they were to be His special treasure. We are asked, "How did Israel cease to be His chosen people and how does that failure instruct believers today?"
Observations
First off, the word of God is clear. Everyone, without exception, will stand in judgment before God. We all have two appointments, to die, and to stand in judgment (Hebrews 9:27). All our deeds are recorded, and we will all be judged according to our works (Revelation 20:12, 22:12). Scripture is also clear that we are not accepted by God by the works of the law or by any merit we possess in ourselves. Why, then, will God judge us by our works if we are save by grace alone?
We truly are saved by unmerited favor alone:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8,9
If God saved us through the merits of our works, we would be receiving our due as wages. However,
“…to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness…” Romans 4:4,5
So, we’re not saved by works, but we will be judged by works, and for many Christians, this is a deep conundrum. The short answer is, those who have faith in Christ and born of the Spirit are not judged the same way as unbelievers. That is why Jesus could say,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24
We know that everyone has to appear before God in judgment, so what does Jesus mean, “He does not come into judgment?” In I Corinthians 3, Paul describes how those who’s foundation is Christ will be judged:
“Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
This is not the investigative judgment, but what Christians often call the “Bema Seat” judgment. Here, believers have been already saved by grace and forever are Christ’s. However, they are judged by their works, by what they have built on the foundation. The Spirit indwells them, and produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, etc. Those who have not built as well will suffer loss, but they will still be saved. The Bema Seat judgment does not threaten the eternal lives of Christ’s sheep. The man who’s work is “flammable” is tried with fire and faces painful losses, but Jesus keeps His promises to preserve him. This is a judgment of rewards for God’s people, not to threaten them into obedience.
Christians who through the power of the Spirit hear the gospel, believe in Christ, and repent of their sins, can live beyond the fear of God’s wrath. They are now under no condemnation (Romans 8:1), and their works demonstrate that they have responded to the gospel of grace to bear fruit. Their sins are gone forever and ever. However, according to Ellen White, when Christians ask for forgiveness, “pardon” is written next to their sins in the records of heaven (GC 483). That kind of forgiveness is not final, but provisional. This reduces the promises of God to mere conditional promises—I will forgive you if…No, that would be a broken promise, as we find in the doctrine of the investigative judgment. Forgiveness delayed is forgiveness denied.
We are asked to forgive one another as God has forgiven us (Col. 3:13). However, if we believed that forgiveness is only a provisional “pardon,” then how would we treat others? I can imagine how my wife might react if I forgave her of her sins as Mrs. White imagined that God forgives ours. “Ok, Honey, I’ll pardon you. I’ll write ‘pardon’ next to all your sins in my little book. Someday when you’ve stopped doing all these things, I’ll forget all about it. See how forgiving a husband I am?” I assure you, my day of reckoning would come quickly!
Now, the Lesson uses Israel’s failure as an example of how we can lose our salvation. God chose Israel as His, but Israel failed and rejected Christ, so God has rejected them. Hear what Paul says about that:
“I ask, then, has God rejected His people? By no means!...God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.” Romans 11:1,2
God’s promises to Israel cannot be revoked, even though they are unfaithful.
“As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11:28,29
Friend, I submit to you that if God’s promises to Israel, the “natural branches” (Rom. 11:24) were revoked because of their sins, then what hope do we have, the “wild branches” of earning God’s approval in the end? Thank God His promises to us are founded on His covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15). It is that ancient Jewish “root” that supports us modern Gentiles (Rom. 11:18). That covenant was unconditional and it is the foundation for all those who trust in Christ. Sinai’s conditional covenant does not make void the covenant with Abraham, as Paul told the Galatians (Gal. 3:17). If the inheritance comes by law-keeping, “it no longer comes by promise” (vs.18).
This entire Lesson is built on the premise that God’s promises are conditioned on human achievement. However, God’s promises are based on His sovereign designs, not ours. We have a sure anchor of the soul that reaches the very throne of God (Heb. 6:19). When the King favors you through the gospel of Christ crucified and comes to live in you through His Spirit, your day of favor has arrived. When your Father signs your papers of adoption, His gifts and calling are irrevocable!
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised June 7, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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