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Many Invited, Few Chosen
David A. Sargent

Michaele and Tareq Salahi made headlines recently when they attended a state dinner on the White House South Lawn in honor of the prime minister of India. According to Secret Service Direction Mark Sullivan, the Salahis should have been prohibited from entering the dinner that was given by President Barack Obama. Why? Their names were not on the guest list!

Although the Salahis insist they were invited, White House officials state they were not. The incident is under investigation.
Keith Wishum recently related these news items to a much more important "dinner"!

Jesus compared God's kingdom to a wedding party thrown by a king for his son (see Matthew 22:1-14). Jesus shocked people accustomed to the idea that only the chosen could enter God's kingdom by suggesting that God has invited everyone to sit at His table. "Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find," were the instructions from the king (22:9).

Yet, even in this story, there are requirements. When the king spotted a guest not properly dressed, he asked, "Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes"? (22:12).

The guest had no explanation, implying that garments were available. So, the king ordered, "Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (22:13).
Apparently, it matters to God that we be appropriately attired to be His guest!

So, how can WE enter the Kingdom of God and sit at His table? What is the proper attire to be admitted to such a grand, eternal occasion?

We must be clothed with christ and added to the official "guest" list — the lamb's book of life (Revelation 20:12, 15).
Our sins disqualify us from entering the kingdom (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

But Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins (Ephesians 1:7). When we place our faith in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27), then our sins are washed away by His blood, we are "clothed with Christ" (Galatians 3:27), and our names are added to the Lamb's Book of Life (Philippians 4:3). Then we must continue to follow Christ faithfully lest our names be "blotted out" of the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5).

Keith Wishum has correctly stated: "God has invited ALL to his table. He has even provided the proper clothing. It's up to us to put on Christ so we may be qualified to enjoy the banquet." For Jesus Himself said, "Many are invited, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14).

Won't YOU accept His invitation and be clothed with Christ?