. . . And Five Were Foolish

Read This First The title of this book “....and five were foolish” is taken from the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:2 KJV. “And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.” According to this parable of Jesus, fifty percent of the Christians who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom are not going to make it. To their horror and amazement they will hear the Lord say to them on that day - 'I don't even know you.' What a shock! I believe that the five foolish virgins had all accepted Christ and felt sure that they were saved. What went wrong? Their lights had gone out. Simply stated - They weren't walking in the light! That's what this book is all about. As you read through its pages, it will stimulate you to think beyond self-imposed boundaries, revolutionise your whole way of life to discover what it really means to walk in the light. Along the way, at times, the waters may tend to get a little deep and challenging, but keep reading and focus, not on people, but on Jesus and the abounding love of God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) NKJV Keep focused on the love of God Before we progress any further, I want to make one thing absolutely clear. As we get into the body of this book, expressions such as “walking in the light”, “walking with a perfect heart” and “walking blamelessly” will repeatedly be mentioned. Because of the emphasis placed on the obedience of the believer, there will be the tendency to think that it is only if we “walk in the light” or “walk with a perfect heart” that God will ever love us. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is because of God's unconditional love towards us, that we willingly respond in obedience, and not because of our obedience that God responds with His love. Keep this thought ever before you as you read through the following pages. “The LORD has appeared of old unto me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” (Jeremiah 31:3) NKJV And this was written of God's abounding love toward a disobedient, backslidden Israel. The beloved hymn writer Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) expressed it well when she wrote these words: “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” God is a loving nurturing God who loves us through our weaknesses; surely this demands 'my soul, my life, my all'. Let us always bear in mind, that we are not doing God a favour by serving Him, He's honouring us by allowing us that privilege. Over the years I've come to observe that there are far more Christians out of the light, than in the light. That's what went wrong with the five foolish virgins. They thought they were saved, being under the impression that the free oil given to them at justification was all that was needed to secure their eternal salvation. Paying the price to 'buy extra oil', would have made their calling and election sure. (See 2 Peter 1:10) Over two thousand years ago the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome emphasising even then, the urgency of the times in which they lived. With passion he encouraged them to wake up, be vigilant and not slothful in their walk with God. He put it this way: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” (Romans 13:11,12) KJV Putting on the armour of light represents the very heart and pulse beat of the message this book contains. We all know about the armour of God in Ephesians chapter six, and that every Christian is exhorted to put on this armour as protection against the enemy. The shield of Faith, the breastplate of Righteousness etc., but few ever discover that piece of armour hidden away in Romans chapter 13:12. And fewer still discover the vital importance of putting on the armour of light. “The Most Neglected Part of God's Armour! This piece of armour is called light. Now think of this: God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Satan is associated with darkness, and light always dispels the darkness. And as the whole purpose of life is to develop an intimacy with God, putting on the armour of light, is in a sense putting on Godlikeness. Nothing should be a higher goal than setting our heats to reflect the character of God. So to keep under the covering of God's favour and protection, we must abide in the light where the Devil fears to approach. That's putting on The armour of light! The conscience must be kept habitually honed on the emery stone of obedience, in order to keep it sharp, that it may protect all who walk the Strait and Narrow! This book is all about the crucial role that walking in the light plays in the Christian's life. Man has been given a free will to choose God has given all of us a free will to choose.. And choice determines destiny. Make the right choice and there will be a result. Make the wrong choice and there will be a consequence. Studying the Scriptures we know that the right choice is to walk in obedience to God's revealed will for our lives. And that equates to walking in the light. Prove it for yourself. Chose to walk in the light and it will revolutionise your whole life. Strange isn't it! -When a winner messes up, they admit they were wrong and ask for forgiveness. But when a loser makes a mistake, they immediately look around for someone to blame. Make the right choice and there will be a result and you won't have to look for someone to blame.   A word about the Saints in the light Let's glean something from Colossians, one of the prison epistles that Paul wrote. The city of Colossae would be somewhere in the middle of present-day Turkey. It was to this church that Paul addressed his epistle. In Colossians 1:12 the Apostle commended those believers, who through Christ had qualified for an eternal inheritance, and referred to them as 'saints in the light'. (NKJV) These believers were determined through deliberate and strenuous choice and effort of the will to walk in the revealed light of God, and thus he called them 'saints in the light'. For it is only the saints in the light, who are made partakers of the eternal inheritance. Because Christians are called the 'children of light', they still need to be vigilant and gird on 'the armour of light' in order to be protected. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NIV) cautions the saints in these words: “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.”