Baptize!

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Mt 22:11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

 

A disturbing twist found in the ending of the parable of the wedding banquet! Here’s a man who responded to the invitation, but didn’t dress for the occasion. His lack of adherence to the heavenly dress code resulted in him being tossed out of heaven and into hell.

 

It would be wise for us to learn from this parable, lest we get tossed out on our ears! What is the required dress for the heavenly banquet? Simply put, we must, by faith, put on Christ. It is His spotless robe of righteousness that makes us fit for heaven. He is our wedding garment and we don him in our baptism!

Ga 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

 When confronted on the matter, the man was speechless! He had no defense. The Bible is rife with the urgency and necessity of baptism. When the gospel is rightly preached, baptism is always placed alongside. It is an inescapable part of the wedding invitation as found in the Great Commission.

 

Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

 

Learn from this parable! Learn from Mr 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

 

 

The church is divided over the issue of when and how to baptize, but neither camp ought to be divided about the urgency and necessity of what is commanded by Christ in the Great Commission. Get baptized!

  Ac 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."  (I will add, as many as God invites to the wedding feast!)

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.