Are we fit for Heaven? - By this I do not mean physically fit - but spiritually fit.
Christians are to be Christ’s bride. Now, western tradition for a wedding is for the bride to wear a wedding dress. The bride will go for a fitting and the dressmaker will measure all of the bride and make the dress according to the measurements or alter the ready-made dress to personally fit her.
But the wedding is a long time away - and so, feeling she has put on a little weight, the bride-to-be goes back to the dressmaker where she is re-measured and sure enough the dress has to be altered. And so this continues until the day arrives - the bride is after all looking forward to her big day and wants it to be perfect. She is concerned over every detail; she wants it to be just right.
But what about the Christian’s heavenly wedding? When the bride of Christ, the church, meets the bridegroom at the great banquet will we be spiritually fit? Will we measure up? Are we concerned over every detail? Will we be perfect?
Well, the doxology in verse 24 of book of Jude states that there ‘is one who is able to keep us from falling and will present us before God’s presence without fault and with great joy’.
Who is that ‘one’ who is able? Jesus.
But how will Jesus present us with great joy? And, how will he keep us from falling?
We read in chapter 7vs13-14 in the book of Revelation:
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Our first fitting for heaven began the day we trusted Christ as our saviour; when we were made to fit the robe that was purchased for us.
By God’s grace, over time, we continue to be refitted again and again as we live our life in Christ: a life of repentance, of keeping a clear conscience before God and of trusting by faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross. So that when God the Father calls us home to our bridegroom, we will not need to worry whether our robe will fit as Christ himself will clothe us with his robe of righteousness - sinless; faultless; blameless - a perfect personal fit in every way.
As we read in Revelation 19 vs6-9
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
No wonder Jude goes on to say in his book:
‘…to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen’
We have an invitation to the greatest of all weddings, to be the bride of Christ before the throne of grace….have you accepted and replied?