The wording of the five foolish virgins in our text is all too familiar to the reader of Matthew’s Gospel: Matthew 25:11 - "Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 12 But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!"
Matthew 7:21 - "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven" but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven - (See John 6:40). 22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful works?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
Taking Matthew’s words literally, I read that the difference between the foolish virgins and the wise virgins: The wise virgins had oil for their lamps, while the foolish virgins did not. The wise virgins had the opportunity to obtain oil, and did so. The foolish virgins had plenty of opportunity to procure oil, but did not. It's possible to be in close contact with Christ, and with Christians, and yet not be saved. I am reminded of a similar passage in the Gospel of Luke:
Luke 13:23 Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" So he said to them, 24 "Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord, let us in!’ But he will answer you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will reply, ‘I don’t know where you come from! Go away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves thrown out. 29 Then people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and take their places at the banquet table in the kingdom of God. 30 But indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."
Jesus may indeed be warning us in this parable that there will be a number of people who look like Christians, who associate with Christians, and who even think they are Christians, who will be shocked to learn that they are not saved at the return of our Lord and Christ never knew them. What a sobering thought!
Nope
The foolish HAD OIL.
It ran out.
They were/ are believers.
Paul and Jesus declared that there are two types of believers. Spiritual vs carnal.
The bride is not necessarily the church.
Neither is the church necessarily the bride.
At the bema seat,those WORTHY ONES receive crowns.
The unworthy ones are still saved.
The virgin parable is not a "saved/unsaved" dynamic.
It is a worthy vs unworthy dynamic.
I am wondering this morning if the massive misinterpret of the virgin parable traces back to osas????
Not that the parable has anything even remotely connected to OSAS, I think some people do not understand Rewards that Believers receive, also, automatically points to those that are unworthy.
Almost every promise of God has an "if", or a condition to it.
Most of those promises have zero to do with salvation as far as Believers receiving the promises of God.
It is up to us and our diligence to see to it that we are walking as an overcomer.
In Galatians it says walk in the spirit and you'll not fulfill the lust the flesh.
That automatically implies I got two ways to walk either in the spirit or carnally.
I see Believers all the time that are not walking in the spirit
they don't know what the baptism of the holy spirit is, and they've never received it, or have any intention of receiving it.
it's not on their list of anything that they're going to do
Their salvation, for the most part, is mental.
I think this is the cross section of believers that cannot possibly understand the 10 virgin parable.
Spiritual vs carnal
Worthy vs unworthy.
Without that understanding, it is ALWAYS going go to the impossibility of tge foolish being unbelievers.
And those "unbelievers" mysteriously having:
1) oil (the Holy Ghost)
2) lamps ( containers for the oil)
3) light ( what only believers have in Jesus presence and his word)
4) fellowship of believers.
5) obedience to the command to separate themselves and watch for Jesus coming.
6) sleeping with believers.
7) asking for an impartation of the Holy Spirit.
8) the foolish are VIRGINS. ( PURE, UNDEFILED, SET APART ONES)
And more.
I remember my heathen days of the past as a sinner.
I NEVER SAW ANY SUCH UNBELIEVER.
It is impossible that the foolish virgins are unbelievers.