Our wedding dress

There was a man sitting at the wedding feast that a king was giving for his son. But the king threw him out because this man did not have a wedding dress (Mt.22:11,12). It appears that in those days it was customary for rich hosts to provide special dresses for the wedding guests. But possibly this man thought that his own dress was good enough. This teaches us a very important truth regarding our salvation.

There are many people who consider themselves to be good enough for acceptance by God. They think of how good they are in comparison to gross sinners, the good things they have done, the religious duties they have followed, their church attendance and service, etc., and conclude that God cannot possibly reject them when He forms His kingdom. What they don't know is the standard of God according to which no man is good enough for God (Ro.3:12).

Jesus came to save sinners from their sins. We need to understand that He cannot save anyone who thinks he is good enough and who thinks he does not really need any salvation (Mk.2:17). Such people need to hear the story of the king who threw out one man who thought his own dress was good enough.

When people come to Jesus for salvation, if they don't realise and acknowledge that they are hopeless sinners who need a Saviour to deliver them out of the dominion of sin, the implication is that they think they are good people, or that at least they are not as bad as some of the gross sinners. They think their dress is good enough for the wedding. Imagine their shock when the King throws them out!

Contrast this with the criminal on the cross along with Jesus. This man was very much aware of who he had been and what all sins he had done in his life. On the point of death, he had nothing good to point out to Jesus and try to bargain with Him. But he was honest, and acknowledged to Jesus the utter hopelessness of his situation. But at the same time he acknowledged Jesus as One who was able to save him (Lk.23:40-42). He had no wedding dress of his own, but he was humble enough to accept what Jesus offered him.

For all of us, the wedding dress that Jesus offers is the robe of His righteousness that He is willing to give us as a free gift of grace (Is.61:10). Whatever righteousness we may claim for ourselves, that will be like filthy garments compared to His standards (Is.64:6). What we deserve is the judgment of eternal separation from God for our sins, and here is God offering us forgiveness, cleansing and a robe of perfect righteousness that provides us acceptance with Him.

This is the gospel that used to be preached till it got sidelined by other so-called gospels offering us easy salvation and blessings for this life. All we had to do was to raise our hand, go forward for prayer, and 'accept' Jesus. Jesus doesn't need our acceptance, but we who are sinners and have gone far away from Him need to have an honest admission of our condition, repent and place our trust in Him.