The secret service must be scratching their heads after a Virginia couple not on the guest list crashed a state presidential dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

They even shook hands with President Obama.

How embarrassing and unsafe.

Michaele and Tareq Salahi were all smiles and acted like movie stars during the whole event, appearing in such very nice pictures.

Although the Secret Service said the President was not in danger, they had a clip board and their names were not on the list. They still got through.

I mean what a close call.

The Secret Service has screened over a million visitors and protected ten thousand sites for the President but I guess no one is perfect. They are still attempting to see if the couple falsified statements breaking federal law.

In the Bible there was a King that had a problem with his wedding guest list. The Secret Service of his day could not get those initially invited  to come, in fact, they were hostile.  They mistreated his servants and even killed some of them.  The king lost it, “But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” (Mt 22:7).

Keep in mind an invitation from the King was no less than a command from the king. Christ is our King, Lawgiver and Judge. If God invites you, think again, there is no option for refusal.  If you refuse to listen to God’s universal call to repentance and salvation, because he “commands all men everywhere to repent”  (Acts 17:30) you will be guilty for your actions.  As the Canons of Dort state:

“…Many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault. Faith in Jesus Christ, however, and salvation through him is a free gift of God.” (Sec. 2 Art. 6)

After all is said and done the King comes into the party to greet his guests and sees this character who is dressed any old way.  We do not know what he was wearing but he definitely stood out in the crowd.  The kicker is that this man was invited but not dressed. He was called but he was not chosen. That is when the King asks him,

“Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?” 

On one hand, this seems like a reasonable question from this gracious yet powerfully intimidating King. On the other hand, it may seem unfair when you invite beggars to expect them to have clothes to wear. John Calvin comments:

“But a question arises, how comes it that a beggar is punished so severely for not bringing a wedding garment; as if it were unusual to see the wretched people, who beg their bread on the public roads, wearing tattered and ugly clothes? I reply, the question is not as to the manner in which the garment is to be procured; for whomsoever the Lord invites he at the same time supplies with clothing, and in all of us is fulfilled what Ezekiel says, (16:6-14,) that God finds nothing in us but wretchedness, and nakedness, and abominable filth, but adorns us with magnificent attire.”

He provides the attire we need. Never forget it. You are not just cleansed but clothed. Not only party preparations were made but I bet there was a spa of some sort.  Then these beggars get to choose from the princes, princesses and may I say possible the Kings clothes himself. I know “the violent take the kingdom of heaven by force,” but they were invited and grabbed the garments offered them with joy.

You can’t imagine anyone refusing this invitation and the new wardrobe but being singled out like this, this beggar must have shrunk ten sizes.

“Where is your wedding garment? Everyone else in attendance has one. To be in this wedding you not only are invited but when you come it is a formal affair. You must dress the part.”

You will not be able to crash into heaven per se. You better be dressed in garments of salvation offered  by God’s grace alone or you are going to be exposed as a fraud.

“And he was speechless.”

That verse says it. This guy had no excuse.  He could have told the King’s servants that he did not have the proper attire for such a royal affair and they would have seen to his needs. The servants of the King are like that, willing in the Day of his Power (Ps. 110). We see the King as powerful, subduing  his enemies, gracious invites people who want to come and unpartial raising beggars from off the ash heap of life and the gutters of life up as heads of state and here is this man who does not have the sense to wash up and dress right! He was not even a good wedding-crasher.

The king not only throws him out but arrests him and throws him into what is called “outer darkness.”  In this place you could hear the weeping and see the grimacing pain of those outside this party. Eternal hell is real for people who attempt to crash God’s party, his church and yet live as hypocrites.  Many are called but few are chosen. Scary right? God’s Word will expose these frauds, quickly and easily on that day. It is difficult now, but the eyes of the Heavenly King weigh motives and actions and he knows who belongs to him and who does not. Let me end with John Calvin again:

“Let us not flatter ourselves with the empty title of faith, but let every man seriously examine himself, that at the final review he may be pronounced to be one of the lawful guests; for, as Paul reminds us, that the vessels in the Lord’s house are not all of the same kind, so let every one that calleth on the name of the Lord  depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19,20).”

Examine yourselves and make sure, you are clothed on that day when the King comes and inspects us by the gospel. You are invited to come, rejoice and receive good things from your Lord.