Moral Virtues Are The Ornaments of The Spiritual Marriage

5/3/2017

John Ruysbroeck, a 14th century Dutch contemplative, is remembered for saying, “The moral virtues are the ornaments of the spiritual marriage”. This simple sentence seems to contain the key to understanding why an invited guest was thrown out of a wedding banquet in a parable Jesus gave in Matt. 22:1-14. Historically speaking, this parable is a clear account of the Jewish nation rejecting Jesus their Messiah in the past. Prophetically speaking, it points to the universal reconciliation Jesus would accomplish in His impending death in the future. Personally speaking, it speaks to our response to what is given to us in the present, namely wedding clothes. These wedding clothes are the ornaments the spiritual marriage and they are given to every guest, both good and bad. The question is will we receive them and put them on or will we persist in ignoring the “fine linen, bright and clean” that was given to Bride of the Lamb to wear (Rev. 19:6-8).

The Father has given us His Son; Love defined (1 Cor. 13:4-8). The Son has given us His Faith; Love developed (2 Pet. 1:5-7). The Spirit has given us His Fruit; Love displayed (Gal. 5:22-23). The Triune God of Grace has given us wedding clothes of Love which we are to receive and put on in the multiplicity of moral virtues seen in these three passage. These are the ornaments of the spiritual marriage, and they are given as gifts. To reject them as unimportant or to try and earn them by works, is to relegate oneself “to the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”. Through Jesus Christ, you have been reconciled and brought to the wedding banquet of eternal life. You are not in because you are good. You are not out because you are bad. You are in by grace already given you in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and only out by refusing to receive, wear and abide in this grace, the ornaments of your spiritual marriage.

2 Comments

KC link

8/3/2017 07:35:17 am

What if a person has ignored the gifts for years? Can that person be given the gift, the invitation, that is again the fine white linen clothes to wear? Ask for it? Live it? Forget it? Thanks for listening Mike.

Trinity In Me Team

8/3/2017 03:26:55 pm

Hi KC,

Great questions. First, it is never too late to respond in faith to what has already been to you by the Grace of God in Jesus Christ. Even one of the two thieves who was crucified on either side of Jesus, heard the comforting and assuring words, “Today you will be with me in paradise”. This thief was already nailed to a cross, half dead and had no time or opportunity to do anything. But his heart was humbled and he looked in faith and trust to Jesus to save him and He did. This should keep any of us from ever feeling that it is too late for us to “get dressed”.

Second, the wedding clothes need not be given again, for God never takes them away. Romans 11:29 “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable”. They can certainly be ignored or forgotten by the invited guest who, once again was ALREADY IN by the sheer grace and magnanimously free gift of God. This is an objective, historical fact and reality, whether one believes it or not. The question is one of response and participation during the lifetime we have been given. The parable reminds of this sense of urgency.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 sums this up nicely. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”.

We must let ourselves be reconciled, for this is the truth.

Blessings in Christ.

Contemplate

Moral Virtues Are The Ornaments of The Spiritual Marriage

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