This is an excerpt from “the Narrow Gate” to be released new week.

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Knowing the Lord, talking with Him, hearing Him is the core of our faith. It is what we are about. All we do as believers hinges on this type of relationship.

Scripture talks about this constantly. Another scripture where Jesus forbids entry because “I do not know you,” is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25.

After the foolish virgins run to the store to get more wine, they come back and the bridegroom has already left with the wise virgins and shut the door. The foolish bang on the door and Jesus says, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.”

I want to digress here for a little bit.

To me the virgin status of this parable is important.

They are all virgins waiting for the bridegroom. A virgin is pure and undefiled. I do not think it is far afield to remember that pure and undefiled is also the true definition of holy. The word holy is hagios. It shares the same root as hagnos which is chaste and pure. Many are confused by this whole area of character.

The normal focus is on the ritualistic and religious meaning of the word—to set apart. But for people, the word holy is an attribute of spiritual character better defined as pure and blameless. Strong’s defines it this way:

• physically pure
• morally blameless
• ceremonially consecrated.

So, my belief is that these ten virgins describe the church. Only five of them were ready to go.

We have ten holy ones or saints awaiting the Lord for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

The wise are ready with their lamps lit and plenty of oil. Oil has always been understood as the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us that we are lamps lit on a hill shining forth the truth of the Gospel. We have learned that we can only do that by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We are ready.

But, the foolish ones miss the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. They are holy, pure, and chaste saints also. But they have not maintained the anointing and have lost their fervor or first love. Yes, this is my opinion. If you do not think this is important, you need to pray and seek the Lord for wisdom. We are ordered to be ready. Remember, this passage finishes with the strong directive:

Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. [Matthew 25:13 NKJV]

Knowing Jesus and reading the signs of the times makes us focus on His soon return. We need to be wise and be ready. Otherwise, we’ll be left behind. How else can you read this passage?

Are you ready to go?