In Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus tells the parable of a king who prepared a wedding banquet and invited distinguished guests to enjoy his feast. Yet those invited refused to come. Then the king commanded his servants to invite anyone they could find, and soon the hall was filled with guests. But when the king entered to greet them, he found one man who was not wearing wedding clothes. The king ordered that man to be thrown out and punished. This parable shows that God calls many people to become His chosen ones, but whether a person ultimately becomes one of the chosen depends significantly on how they respond to that call.
Therefore, it is impossible to say that human response has no significance. Yet some people still argue that even human response is entirely the work of God. If that were true, then there would be no mystery left in life—everything would be automatic. God would be credited when things go right and blamed when they go wrong. However, in the parable, some guests refused the invitation, indicating that humans play an active role in determining how they respond to God’s call.
To become one of God’s chosen people, a person must fulfil specific requirements. We cannot deny that certain spiritual conditions must be met. These are not human achievements or efforts to earn salvation but rather our part in responding to grace. Humanity is unworthy of salvation and incapable of saving itself. Salvation is God’s initiative—His act of redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ. However, that grace requires a proper response, and it is this response that constitutes the “requirement.”
Thus, these requirements are the expression of our appreciation for God’s grace—for those who are willing to be loved by Him and to love Him in return. The question is: Do we truly value that grace? To appreciate grace is not merely to say, “I believe in Jesus, therefore I am saved.” That is a shallow and misleading way of thinking. To value grace means to follow Jesus in His way of life, in His pattern of living, and in His truth. It means we must risk our whole lives learning to do His will, rejecting materialism, and setting our hearts on the Kingdom of the Father in heaven.
A great deception in our time is the preaching of Jesus’ name, His power, and His goodness, without teaching what Jesus Himself taught. The Gospel is not merely about blessings and miracles—it is about life transformation and holiness. The name of Jesus has no power to change a person’s life unless His Gospel is taught and practiced. Therefore, striving to understand and obey God’s Word is the tangible form of our response to grace. The Gospel is like clothing that must be worn; it leads us toward the holy life that the Father in heaven desires—making us worthy to attend the wedding feast of the Lamb. As written in Romans 1:16:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
We are saved by grace, but our response to that grace is what makes us part of God’s chosen people. Without the redemption of Christ’s blood, humanity remains under the power of Satan. Without the seal of the Holy Spirit, without the Word, and without God’s continual shaping, we can never live rightly—let alone perfectly. Therefore, there is no room for pride. True righteousness fosters humility, keeping us from judging others or exalting ourselves above them.
Remember, God’s invitation does not automatically grant entry into His banquet. What makes a person worthy is the proper response—symbolized by wearing the wedding garment. That garment represents the holiness of life that the Father requires—not human-defined goodness, but goodness measured by God’s standard. Therefore, do not set your own price before God; let Him set the standard. Only then will we truly understand what is good, pleasing, and perfect—not conforming to the patterns of this world, but living according to the will of our Father in heaven.