Date: Friday, 17th January, 2025
Text: Luke 12:35-40
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
Yesterday, we were able to successfully and scripturally decode the symbols of the Bridegroom, the Bride and The Ten Virgins as the Lord Jesus Christ and his Church respectively.
A closer look at the parable shows that the foolish virgins took their lamps but no oil ; while the wise ones understood the importance of the oil. The wise knew that their lamps cannot burn without oil so they took jars full of oil in addition to their lamps- Matthew 25:1-4.
The word of God is the lamp. David said, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105. All the Ten Virgins carried their lamps, in other words they all knew the word of God. However, it is one thing to know the word of God, it is another thing to obey and live by it.
What then is the oil? The oil represents the Holy Spirit. It takes the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to be able to obey God’s word.
The more of the Holy Spirit in us the more the faith, love and hope in the Lord Jesus. The level and quantity of these in the life of any believer is fuelled by the presence and fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
When the oil is lacking you will see that the Christian life becomes a struggle- it becomes mechanical. Obedience to God’s will become a burden; prayer becomes boring; fasting becomes a no-go area. When the oil is absent in the believer’s life, you will notice that evangelism and soul winning become strange and good works become hypocritical. In such people’s life holiness becomes unattainable.
There are so many professing believers (five foolish virgins, with lamps without oil) today that lack the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the grace that he affords. They have a form of godliness (they know and quote the word) but \deny the power thereof. A lot of pretenders are in the church today. They have the lamp (not burning, cold) with no oil. They know the word of God but are not doers of it.
You need the oil (of the Holy Spirit) above every other thing today. Stop playing religion, repent and surrender your heart to Jesus and receive the oil of grace to do God’s will.
The word of God says, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.” Luke 12:35-37b
Action Nugget: Go for the oil and keep your lamps burning, shining and reflecting the glory (true character and nature) of God
Bible In One Year: Exodus 5-7