Just a quick question, if you will, what is it that you want gone? Not in this life, for the Lord is merciful to those that serve Him diligently, our prayers are not only heard, but answered, and always in the way that not only is best for us, but brings the most glory to His name. What I ask is what do you want gone from you before you enter into the eternal kingdom.
This is the reason for our day of accounting, this is the moment when we will be free from, from what? We must be glorified before we step through that gate, if you will, and that means that no sin, no blemish must be upon us, when Christ presents His bride to the Lord God, she, meaning us, must be perfect, without spot, and so, in a sense, we must be cleansed from all that is not holy within us. So then, what is it that you want gone? Is it the last vestiges of pride that just will not seem to die within you, the lust of the flesh that we battle against, those things that rear their ugly head occasionally, although not as frequently. These are the things that must be burned out of us, they must be removed.
For many I am afraid, this might be a most traumatic experience, for much of what we hold onto we do not desire to let go of, it is why we are told to work out our own salvation, (Phil. 2:12) we are to be addressing these issues, these reoccurring sins in our life before that moment arrives. No bride could do less for her husband than to make sure, as much as she is able, to be as pure and spot free before the greatly anticipated day of her marriage, and so should we be daily, yea, every moment of everyday. This is one of the reasons we are commanded to obey 2nd Cor. 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” It is our preparation for the day that is coming.
What we want gone we can not only pray fervently about today, but can use every ounce of our spiritual energy in the pursuit of ridding ourselves of these faults, these sins and desires against our Lord that remain in us. We, as Paul said, will not attain to this endeavor, (Phil. 3:12) but that is no excuse for not expending every effort we can to achieve as much as we can before that day arrives. Each of us should fervently desire to leave this world, to leave behind its pull, its grip on us, to dispel the myth that we need not strive to accomplish here, yet still knowing all that we gain here for self will not profit us one bit.
The groom expects His bride to be prepared, no extra time should be required than that which has been allotted to us, no extra tools are necessary than His word, we have only to expend the effort and the desire to be all that He would have us to be, all that is within our power to be, before the wedding day arrives. So then, what do you want gone, what would you not give up for your Beloved, what would you count as unworthy to be brought into His presence, what will you be prepared not only to allow Him to take, but to cast aside for His sake here, long before that day arrives. What price is the bride willing to pay for the bridegroom.
