“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.”
Matthew 22:11-12 NIV
In Matthew 22, Jesus tells the Parable of the Wedding Banquet to describe the kingdom of God. A king prepared a celebration for his son. He sent servants to call the invited guests, yet they refused to come. So he sent more. Eventually, he sent his servants out into the streets to invite anyone at all — the good and the bad. And indeed, you might expect such a king to have abandoned all standards. After all, he had cast his net so wide. Yet the king had not abandoned his expectations. His standard held firm: every person who walked through those doors needed to wear the wedding garment — to put on the new creation.
The Question That Could Not Be Dodged
There was, however, a wedding garment available for every guest. The guests came as they were — no dress code applied at the point of invitation. Once inside, though, no one expected them to remain in what they had worn before. A garment was there for each of them. Wearing it was not optional.
In Matthew 22:11, the king entered to greet his guests and noticed one man without the wedding garment. He asked him directly: “How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?” The man was speechless. The question itself was a confrontation. Indeed, it implied that being inside without the garment should have been impossible. Notably, the king did not ask why the man had no clothes. Rather, he simply stated that the man should not be there without them. The issue was not about who gave the garment. It was about the clear expectation that every guest would have it on.
Called to Be Clothed in the New Creation
Jesus drew this parable to describe God’s kingdom. God invites everyone — sinners, liars, the burdened, the weary, the proud. “Come unto me,” the Lord Jesus says. There is no condition for the invitation itself. Yet having come, God does not expect us to remain the same.
Just as every guest received a garment, there is a change God requires of all who answer His call. It is the putting off of the old self — sin, the flesh, the former way of living. And it is the putting on of the new man. To wear the new creation is not peripheral — it is the unavoidable expectation for every person who enters. And so anyone who has come to God yet remains unchanged faces that same confrontation. The question still rings: “How did you get in here?”
Today, There Is Still Time
That question does not belong only to Judgement Day. Today, whilst there is still opportunity, God is asking it. And unlike that speechless man, you can respond. Confess it openly. Name the shortcuts taken — the certificates gained dishonestly, the promotions obtained through compromise. Open your heart and receive God’s grace.
God will not lower His standard on that final day. But until then, you can still enter clothed in the new creation. Moreover, the question God asks today is a mercy. It is a chance to make things right before it is too late.
Living It Out
Do not treat this as inconsequential. If God asked you this very moment, what would your answer be? Come to Him now. Confess. Put on the new creation before that day arrives.