When I want to help someone understand that there aren’t any “second chances” to get into heaven, I go right to this passage.
There are three lessons to be learned here. Here’s what I see: In the first lesson we are taught that you have one chance to enter into heaven. Verses 1-13: 10 bridesmaids standing by the door waiting on the Bridegroom. If the door would have opened earlier, all 10 would have gone in. These folks are dressed and ready, and they all had oil. So I think we are talking about Christians here. There aren’t 5 saved people and 5 unsaved standing by the door, all 10 are saved. AND, all 10 fall asleep! I’m not sure what that means, except that when the 10 finally wake up, 5 of them realize that they are out of oil. What does it mean for a Christian to “run out of oil”? I’m not sure…it could be related to the love “growing cold”. In any case, 5 of them realize that they are no longer ready…or maybe they have backslidden. Either way, 5 realize that something has changed, and they are no longer able to go in…even if the door opened immediately. So, they leave to find what they need, and while they are gone the door opens. It doesn’t stay open, once it opens those who are already there go in, and then the door closes. Even when the original 5 come back and plead to get in, they are denied. Very clearly, there is only one chance to get in. And the idea that someone who wasn’t ever saved before will somehow find God and then enter into heaven after the original door opening is foreign to scripture.
Secondly, in verses 14-30 we are taught that God expects our faith to be active. Maybe this can somehow be tied to “running out of oil”? Or, maybe it’s an encouragement not to fall asleep. Either way, we shouldn’t expect that we can accept Christ as our Savior and then quit investing ourselves. Once we become Christians, that’s when the real activity begins! Up until then we’ve just been “spinning our wheels”. Then you may ask “how is my faith supposed to be active? What counts as investing my faith”? Good question, and Jesus anticipated it. That’s the theme of the next lesson.
Verses 31 – 46 talk about who God will reward and what He will reward them for. Since God exists outside of time, He is telling us about something that has already happened (from His perspective) Here’s what I mean: We know that in heaven at the end of days God IS rewarding people for taking care of the needy. The hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the imprisoned, etc. God is rewarding that! He has given us a peek at the end so we will know what to do before we get there, so we can be rewarded. Have you ever wanted to time travel? Here’s the next best thing: Having a friend who time travels and gives you insights. You have that! God saw what was up there in the future and told you about it….so you can take advantage of it. Serve! Love! Seek Christ faithfully and wholeheartedly so that your relationship with Him is growing ever closer. Then when the end of days comes we will meet it with a smile.
Preparing my heart,
PR