Love Is the Commitment

Preface
No one except our heavenly Father knows when Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, will return for His bride (Matthew 24:36). Many Christians within the church look forward to Jesus’ arrival. Even though we consider ourselves His bride-elect, Scripture tells us otherwise. Only the wise enter into an intimate relationship with their Lord and Savior. The foolish will find a closed door before them.
Love Is the Commitment: Protocol Guidelines for God’s Royal Wedding summarizes God’s principles to aid the church in her preparation as the Lamb’s wife (Revelation 19:7). We have only one lifetime to train and prepare to govern with Christ for all eternity. Together with the Word of God, the Holy Spirit instructs and trains Jesus’ betrothed to rule and reign now, and forever. This is possible through prayer, hearing the Holy Spirit, and obedience to the Word of God. He helps each member of the body of Christ get ready for his or her role alongside the King of kings.
In today’s world, future brides have an overabundance of wedding plan options. This is true of the doctrines circulating in present day churches. How does one begin to know what to choose? Preparations for God’s royal wedding begin with submitting to His order of relationships:

1. God
2. spouse
3. children
4. church (believers)
5. world (unbelievers)

1/Wise and Foolish Virgins
Revealed Knowledge
Matthew 4:4; 11:25–30
Only half of those who aspire to be the bride of Jesus Christ will be ready when the Son of God returns for His church. Matthew 25:10–13 shows us the remainder of the expectant candidates will have the door closed before them. This is a sobering thought. God will shut the door of opportunity to be His Son’s bride for all eternity. Similarly, the LORD God shut the door of Noah’s ark determining the hour of his deliverance (Genesis 6:18; 7:16).
Faith in Jesus Christ characterizes the lives of the virgins described in the gospel of Matthew. Yet when the bridegroom returns for his bride, he takes only half with him and tells the other half he does not know them. Since God is no respecter of persons, we must question what causes half of those anticipating His arrival to remain on earth.
“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps” (Matthew 25:6–7). Scripture illustrates those who were foolish took their lamps but took no oil with them. However, the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. To be wise, we must have oil in our vessels for our lamps. We must have revealed knowledge of the Word of God. Revealed knowledge derives from an operative relationship with the Holy Spirit of God (Acts 2:4–18). We must have ears to hear Him.
Jesus said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). The Holy Spirit reveals this word to an individual for a specific situation. This revelation is what causes our faith to increase (Romans 10:17). The Holy Spirit directly reveals knowledge of the Word to our spirit.
Trying Times Prior to His Arrival
Matthew 24:3–44
When questioned about the time of His return, Jesus said to His disciples,
But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.
—Luke 21:34–36 NKJV

As the midnight hour approaches, pressures of persecution will increase against the bride-elect of Jesus Christ. We will sense the heaviness of spiritual tension and experience stressful days. These afflictions planned by the enemy attempt to lead us into depression, even hopelessness. Likewise, when our tempers are tested, our minds and emotions will desire instant relief from the oppression; hostilities will increase. Nevertheless, we must stay alert and not yield to evil temptations. During His extreme struggle to withstand the powers of evil forces in Gethsemane, Jesus exhorted His disciples to watch and pray lest they be overcome and enter into temptation.
Both the wise and the foolish already encounter intense pressure because of their faith. As Jesus’ bride-elect, we experience the afflictions of evil forces against us. These trials bear down on our souls with heaviness. We must endure armed with the truth of God’s Word and resist when the kingdom of darkness attacks. Through the knowledge of God’s promises, obedience to His Word, and the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer [courage]; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
—Psalm 34:19
Recognizing the Time
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
—2 Peter 3:1–4, 8

Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, I am He, and, The time has drawn near. Therefore do not go after them.
—Luke 21:8 NKJV

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
—Isaiah 55:6–7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
—James 4:7
Preparation
Matthew 25:4; Revelation 19:7
From Scripture we know there are two types of virgins awaiting the bridegroom: wise and foolish. The wise are actively preparing themselves for Christ’s return. The foolish, however, are not. Jesus says to them, “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1 NKJV). This verse refers to Christians who, although identify with Jesus Christ, are living without an active spiritual life. They may attend church services, and possibly work on a committee or two, but are not hungry and thirsty for fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.
Only when we have fellowship with Jesus, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit do we have life. Calling ourselves Christians does not make us alive. Jesus says to them, “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent” (Revelation 3:3).
Foolish Virgins
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine [Jesus], and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
—Matthew 7:26–27

Satan continues to deceive many. If the foolish virgins play church by attending services or participating in various works