Let me ask you...Has God called you to His Wedding Feast? Do you really have on a wedding garment so that when you see Him He doesnt say depart from me, ye that work iniquity?

How do you know for sure? Are you trusting in some formula like the "religious" people of Jesus' generation of tithing, fasting, praying, going to "church", and reading the bible?? Contrary to modern day, apostate christianity these things will not gain you access into the Wedding Feast. In fact these things are called iniquity by Jesus Christ.
What??? How can that be?? Aren't we supposed to do these things??? Yes, but there's more....Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

This sums up the parable that Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God, but leaves us with a couple of questions... What does it mean to be chosen? What was the wedding garment the man was missing and how can I be sure that I have one on when I appear before the King?

So, now we know that there is nothing that we can do that will clothe us and make us right before God. There is no "religious" works that could ever make us acceptable enough to come to His Wedding Feast.
Halleluiah! God, Himself has provide clothing for the feast. Let's first start by looking at the father of the faithful, Abraham. God called Him out of his own country and gave him a promise that He would inherit a land and that his seed, which would be as the stars of the heaven and the sand on the sea shore in number, would posess it. Abraham left his house based on that promise.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable (Heb. 11:8-12).

Abraham's faith was released toward God after he spoke His Word of Promise to him. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness (Rom. 4:20-22).

 Abraham's faith was strong as he gave glory to God. How did he give glory to God in his life? In vs. 21 we see a core issue in the inner workings of abraham. We see his true stability in a very basic belief that caused him to give God glory. What was it? The belief that God is Sovereign! He was fully persuaded and convinced that GOD WAS ABLE TO PERFORM WHAT HE HAD PROMISED.

Abraham's faith was not in himself to bring forth the the will of God. He let the responsibility rest with the One that made the promise. His focus and attention was on God's ability as a sovereign ruler of the universe to bring to pass what He said. He didn't always have this knowledge though. If we study the life of Abraham we will see that he was severely tested and didn't always pass the test. He wasn't perfect. At one point in his life he even fell away and tried to fulfill God's will himself by having a child with his wife's maid.

What?? The father of the faithful fell away?? YEP! Just as every servant of God that is called and chosen will do!

Through all of this God never says that he lost his position or promise...but only teaches him. Teaches him time and again that one truth. GOD IS SOVERIGN AND IS ABLE TO DO WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO.

To believe this is the righteousness of faith. Abraham, through his failures looked beyond himself. Through his tests and trials he learned to trust in the sovereignty of God. God was the Author of his life and there wasn't anything that he could do to stop the purpose of God from comming forth! This caused him to give glory to God! Halleluiah!
 
God is able to fulfill His promises regardless of our failures. In the place of failure and having walked away from God, trying to provide our own "righteousness" in whatever form, is the exact place that God chooses his servants to become sons. The called become chosen in this place because the nature of God as a sovereign Father is revealed..We become his friends.

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God (Jms. 2:23).

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend (Isa. 41:8).

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you (Jn. 15:15-16).

When the Father reveals Himself to you it is the time of choosing. He only chooses those that have been called and broken from their false concepts and "religious" notions that they can somehow bring forth the will of God in the earth by some formula. Nope! God is sovereign and as we shall see he will send us through firey trial after firey trial to purify us of this horrible concept of "self will". God is the Author and HE ALONE is able to fulfill His Word!

 A knowledge of this sovereignty is the first step in being clothed with "a wedding garment" of righteousness that is acceptable to God. Let me ask you, have you ever tried to do good "religious works" and tried to be accepted by God on that basis?

Are you still trusting in your ability to do certain "religious" observances and practices to make you more spiritual? Have you failed God yet?

Have you been through the fire of testing that yields the knowledge that you are totally lost without god's sovereignty overruling your failures? Or, do you think that tithing, fasting, praying, reading, going to church, etc. etc. is enough? AWAKE!

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent (Rev. 3:18-19).These are the words of Jesus Christ. In this passage we are told that He has something for us to learn and to gain from Him that can only be found in the FIRE: gold which represents our faith being purified, eyesalve which represents true vision, and white raiment(a robe or a garment) which represents righteousness. In this study we will only deal with the clothing.

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints (Rev.19:7-8).

Here we can see clearly that the clothing on the bridal saints, those that will be united to Jesus Christ forever, is a clean, white linen representing righteousness.

This righteousness is only given to those who hear the voice of Jesus. As we saw in the last chapter Abraham was counted righteous because he HEARD the voice of God and believed Him. The voice of Jesus is calling out to us today; He's standing and knocking at the door with counsel for us..

There is something that we must learn before we are able to enter the marriage feast of union with Jesus. Again, this something is only found IN THE FIRE . That's where the counsel of Jesus is -IN THE FIRE-; that's where righteousness is given as a garment -IN THE FIRE-.

Just what exactly does in the fire mean?? Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction (Isa. 48:10).

The fire of affliction; the fire of tests and trials of our faith. Tests and trials that are beyond our control; beyond our "free will"; beyond our ability to resist or understand except in the light of God's purpose and that He is trying to speak to us.

Have you been going through tests and trials?? If so, listen for the voice of Jesus....These tests were designed and ordained by the Hand of God in love for As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent (Rev.3:19).

God does his choosing in the fires of affliction. He is looking to see if you will listen to His voice. Will you listen? His love has sent this judgement! His love has sent this test! What?? Would God really send me through all of these problems? I thought that it was the devil doing all this stuff to me! NOPE! The devil can only do what god allows and instructs Him to do in fulfilling His purpose in bringing many sons to maturity. He calls this chastening.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons (Heb. 12:2-8).

If you endure chastening then and ONLY then will God deal with you as a son. Look at the life of Jesus Christ...This is the life of God's Son lived out before our very eyes. God scourges (whips, beats) EVERY son whom he receives. Heb 5:8

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; How did Jesus learn to obey?? By the things which He suffered. When he was lied about, He suffered and learned. When He was despised and rejected, He suffered and learned. When He was betrayed, He suffered and learned. When He was beaten bloody, He suffered and learned. When they pulled His beard out, He suffered and learned. When they put a crown of thorns on His head and beat Him with reeds, He suffered and learned. When they spit in His face and pierced His hands and feet to the cross, He suffered and learned. When they taunted Him and gambled for His clothes, He suffered and learned.

What did He learn?? I mean, what could someone possibly learn from such a horrific, humiliating death? He learned obedience! He fully manifested His Sonship. He was clothed with a right relationship with the Father. He learned to listen to the Fathers voice and to trust in Him alone!
 
For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls (1Pet. 2:19-25).

Tell me, WHO BRUISED (killed) JESUS? Was it the devil? And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (GEN. 3:15). Or, was it God the Father? Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand (Isa. 53:10).

It was both! God used the evil in the enemy to bring forth His purpose. It was the Father's pleasure to allow Jesus to be crucified in the flesh so that He might bring forth the manifestation of His glory in resurrection power. Jesus was clothed in righteousness. He understood the purpose for evil; and in His apparent submission to evil He conquered it. He learned. He obeyed.
 
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities (Isa. 53:11).

By the knowledge that Jesus has he is able to bring many (Gk. = the populated multitude) into righteousness. This is the same knowledge that He comes to counsel us with IN THE FIRE! Nowhere else will you find the Son of God choosing and justifying. All righteousness begins here - with an accurate understanding of the character and nature of God. God is sovereign!! Evil doesn't have power over His sons!

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:33-39).

In Jesus Christ nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God that will test us, try us, and purge us from everything that is not His voice. Many are called into this high calling of God in Jesus Christ, but few are chosen.

God chooses in the fire. God always, and I mean always brings His chosen THROUGH the fires of affliction so that the righteousness of the Son can be brought forth in their lives. The righteousness of the Son is that hHe listens to the Father and obeys in love and trust based on His knowledge of God's sovereignty. The knowledge of God's sovereignty over evil, yeah in fact, creating and using evil to bring forth His Life in us is a marvelous treasure.
 
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh (2Cor. 4:6-11).