“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’  And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

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The 10 virgins are invited but only 5 really actually really perform the duty of a bridesmaid. All 10 attend the pre-events and are linked together (they all went to Church). They all slumber while the bridegroom takes his time. Then when the event happens 5 have ‘prepared’ and 5 have not. The entire purpose for being a bridesmaid is to perform the functions of a bridesmaid. Whereas all 10 were associated only half had taken to heart what it meant to actually BE a bridesmaid. These with oil were doers of the word and not hearers. When the time came for them to all light their lamps in the foolish there was no oil. No reality. In the Psalms David refers to Christ as the Anointed one. This incomparable reference to the Messiah comes to mind:

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“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

    The scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore, God, your God, has anointed You

    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia” -Psalm 45:6-7

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But what does it mean to have the Holy Spirit? Or not have the Holy Spirit?

 

Can we know what that looks like?

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As Paul shares in Galatians 5:19-24:

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“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”

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“I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”

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The very next parable (Matthew 25: 14-30) Christ gives is about 3 servants. One receives 5 talents, another 2 and the last servant one. This story conveys a similar idea yet with additional layer of depth. Namely the fact that not all Christians bear fruit equally. In doing this it shows us something else: all true Christians DO bear fruit. The first brings back double 5/10, the second brings back double 2/4. The last one brings back the original talent along with an accusation.

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“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

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The wicked servant claims that his Lord is unfair. The Master rebukes this man with the man’s own words, bringing to light the character of his heart. If he had really believed what he said his actions would have proven it. He would have at the very least just put his money in the bank for interest and safekeeping. The other servant’s actions proved their motives. They loved and served their master, eagerly awaited his return and faithfully executed his will. This man’s actions also proved the motives of his heart, he hated his master and didn’t really believe he would return. Maybe he just didn’t want the master to return at all. This servant has his talent taken and his reality shattered.

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The fact of the matter is that the whole essence of Christianity is that the Holy Spirit renovates the human heart and mind through regeneration.

 

The idea you can be a Christian and not have the effects of Christ fundamentally change your heart and life is an imaginary one. Otherwise what does this mean?

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“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.”

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Finally, Christ explicitly describes the last day and its meaning is now unmistakable in conjunction with the parables. Your actions substantiate your claims. Your fruit proves (or disproves) the reality of your relationship. Your actions speak louder than words.

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“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.

 

"Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.’

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“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” - Matthew 25:31-46

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The actions substantiate the reality of the claim. Our Lord is not preaching a works-based salvation rather the fruitful attitudes, motives and actions are impartial proof of a redeemed sinner.

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What might be another way of saying this?

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“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

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“But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead”

-James 2:14-26