The True Oil

Sunday, June 03, 2012, 7:05 a.m. – The Lord woke me with this song in my head:

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms / Elisha A. Hoffman / A. J. Showalter

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Matthew 25:1-13 (NIV 1984):

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

My Understanding: Jesus gave another parable to describe the kingdom of heaven. This one describes the kingdom at the time of our Lord’s return. The kingdom of heaven began with Jesus’ earthly ministry and will culminate in his return to earth for his bride, and in judgment, at which time he will set up his millennial reign on the earth.

Jesus Christ was/is the embodiment of the kingdom. In other words, his divine character, will, teachings, miracles, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the body of Christ, the true church, all make up the kingdom of heaven. We enter into the kingdom of heaven by God’s grace, through faith (repentance and obedience) in Jesus Christ as Lord (master; boss) and Savior of our lives. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave, triumphing over death, hell, Satan and sin so that we could be free of the penalty of sin (eternal punishment in hell and eternal separation from God), and so we could be free of the (mastery) control of sin over our daily lives.

The Ten Virgins

The ten virgins appear to represent those invited to the wedding of Christ (the bridegroom) with his church (represented by the virgins). Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The five foolish ones appear to parallel the wicked, lazy, abusive, partying and having a good time servant of Matthew 24:36-51, who paid no attention to God’s warnings, and who refused to follow Christ’s directives for his church. I also saw a parallel here between the five foolish virgins and the second and third types of soil (heart response) to the gospel in Matthew 13. The second type of soil (heart response) received the gospel message with joy initially, but it never took root in his heart, i.e. his response was shallow, and so when trouble or hardship came, he quickly fell away. The third type of soil (heart response) hears the truth of the gospel, but the worries and pleasures of this world choke out the truth so that he becomes unfruitful. Thus, the five foolish virgins appear to represent the part of today’s church who are followers of Christ in form only (surface; appearance).

The five wise virgins, nonetheless, appear to parallel the faithful and wise servant, including Noah, of Matthew 24:36-51 who listened to and heeded God’s warnings, who followed Christ’s (God’s) directives for his life, who made the necessary preparations, who was watching (actively) for the Lord’s return (or for God to come in judgment as promised), who “fed” the body of Christ the spiritual food from God’s word and/or who shared the gospel of Jesus Christ (his lamp burning with oil) with a world in need of the Savior. I also saw a parallel to the fourth type of soil (heart response) to the gospel message of Matthew 13. This soil type (heart response) received the message of the gospel, understood (by the Spirit) what it said, and he applied the knowledge he received from the word to his daily life by putting into practice what Jesus Christ taught his followers to do. So, he yielded a crop greatly multiplied from what was sown in his life, i.e. he bore fruit in his life in keeping with repentance, and he spread the gospel of Christ and Christ’s love to others so that they, too, could come to know Christ as Lord and as Savior.

Lamps and Light

The two sets of virgins took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom (Jesus). Jesus referred to our lamps as what gives light (of the gospel) to the world (see Matt. 5:13-16). Our lamps are to be fully lit (need for continuous supply of oil) and put where everyone can see the light. We are to show the light of Christ daily by how we live our lives in love, service, and in obedience to Christ; in word and in deed; and in sharing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our witness for Jesus Christ is our light that we shine so that others can come to know Jesus Christ, too. Jesus Christ is the light, his word is light and a lamp to our feet to guide us in the right direction, the truth is light, we are to be the light to the world, and the light is purity, righteousness and the holiness of God, because it is opposite of darkness, which symbolizes the absence of light, i.e. sin, wickedness, and rebellion.

The lamp is the container for the light which is fueled by the oil. Since we are to be light and since Christ is the light, and as followers of Christ, we have Christ within us, we are thus the lamps, i.e. the containers for that light. We can receive that light through the hearing of the gospel. The second and third types of soil (heart response to the gospel) heard the message, and to some extent received it, though in both those cases the light was eventually choked out (the oil was about to burn out, perhaps). Only the fourth type of soil put what he heard into practice and produced fruit. So, if Christ is the light and we are to be the light to the world and thus we are the lamps containing the light, which is fueled by the oil, then what does the oil represent?

Oil

Oil was used in the Old Testament for the anointing (or consecration) of priests (or kings), for healing, for the daily sacrifice, in the preparation of food, as fuel for light in lamps, as a symbol of gladness, or as a symbol of spiritual comfort and nourishment. Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 when he said that he was the fulfillment of that prophecy. The Holy Spirit of God was on him, because he had anointed him to preach the good news of the gospel, to proclaim spiritual freedom in Christ (from sin) to those walking in sin’s darkness, to comfort those who mourn and grieve over their sin, to bind up the brokenhearted, to tell of God’s grace, and to give the oil of gladness to those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ via repentance and obedience to Christ and to his commands.

We have also received an anointing (of oil) from God: “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Co. 1:21-22). “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth” (1 John 2:20). As well, we are priests: Paul had the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God. We, as followers of Christ, are “being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). We are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Jesus Christ has made us to be “a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:10).

The fuel for the light inside the lamp is what powers the light; what operates it, stimulates it, energizes it, etc. That fuel (oil) is the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus referred to the Spirit as water within us that will become in us a spring of water (living water) welling up to eternal life (see John 4). It is never ending. We will never run out of this kind of oil. It has a continuous source and supply – God. And, it is the Holy Spirit of God who anoints us for service, who empowers us to walk daily with Christ in his righteousness and truth, and who gives light to our lamps so that we can shed the light of Christ and his gospel to the world. This oil of the Spirit of God is what provides us all we need for daily living and for our walk of fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. And, it is our walk with Christ, such as is described in these songs, and in the types of soil parable, or in the parable about the wise and wicked servants, which reveals whether or not we have this continuous supply of oil within us.

Meeting the Bridegroom

The foolish virgins took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The lamps are our person, and the oil is the Holy Spirit, so the Holy Spirit of God was not with them. The wise took their lamps (their person) but also took oil in jars along with their lamps. They had the continuous supply of oil (the spring of living water) with them in “jars of clay” (see 2 Co. 4). The foolish virgins soon realized that whatever they were using to light their lamps was not the “real deal,” i.e. it was not this “spring of living water welling up to eternal life.” It was false oil, or a cheap substitute for the real thing, and their lamps were going out, because they did not have the Holy Spirit of God within them. So, they tried to get some from those who had the living water, i.e. they tried to get into heave on the coattails of those who were going there, but we have to purchase our own oil from the supplier, God. He is the only one who can give us the Holy Spirit. Yet, it was too late. They had waited until the last minute and they never quite made that decision to follow Christ with their lives. They had the appearance of godliness, perhaps, but their hearts were never transformed by God.

Then, Jesus returns for his bride, but only those who have been genuinely saved and who have the spring of living water welling up to eternal life within them, i.e. those who have this continuous supply of oil will be able to go with him when he comes. And, then the door to God’s eternal kingdom will be shut. Those who are shut out will come and knock on the door and will want entry. Some will even claim to have prophesied in Christ’s name, but he will tell them he never knew them. They had all the forms of godliness, and the appearance of righteousness, but they lacked the true oil.

The way we come to know Christ and to receive this true oil that won’t run out is by turning from our sin, leaving our former way of life behind us, being transformed in heart and mind by the power and working of the Holy Spirit (the oil) of God, as we cooperate with that work, and by putting on Christ (our new self), “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (see Eph. 4:17-24). If anyone tells you anything differently, he is selling you a bill of goods, i.e. he is selling you false oil that will run out and that will leave you outside the kingdom of heaven. So, choose today to receive the true oil of God into your life so that you will be ready when Christ returns.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer / Thomas O. Chisholm / W. J. Kirkpatrick

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.