Matthew 25:1-13 in the parable of the ten virgins tells us that an urgent need for "oil in our lamps" will come upon us very suddenly, without warning, and that if our lamps (our heart, our mind, our spirit) are not kept filled with oil (the power of the Holy Spirit) at all times, we will be left not only unprepared, but unable to obtain that for which we will be in the direst need:
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight, there was a cry made, Behold the bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." Matthew 25:1-13.
To me this speaks of the rapture of the bride of Christ, the church, in the end times. The five wise virgins went in with the groom, Jesus Christ, to the marriage [of Jesus to His bride, the church]. And thus, the church age ends. Those wise virgins who are watching for the Lord to catch his church up into the air are the virgins whose lamps are filled with oil, oil being the power of the Holy Spirit. The rapture is the way of escape that the Lord has prepared for His Bride the church, so that His Bride escapes the wrath of God at the end of the Great Tribulation:
"In a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Corinthians 15:52.
So, how do we get this needed oil?
By faith in Jesus Christ who left us with the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us and cause us to endure to the end. By faith that believes that the Word of God IS Jesus Christ, the Son of God and God Himself:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:1-3)
"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth." (John 1:9-14)
These scriptures written by the apostle John speak of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who after His three-and-a-half-year ministry of miracles and grace, during which He showed the love of God towards men, was tortured and nailed to a cross where He died at the age of 33, all for the crime of showing God's love to the world. Those who received Him then, and those who receive Him now, do so by faith, not by good works, not by will power to discipline oneself into better shape physically or spiritually, but simply by faith in the power of God tat what God has done and will do is sufficient for all that we need to be saved.
Three days after His death on the cross, this same Jesus was bodily raised again to life by the power of God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and of all that dwell therein, as only the Creator of these bodies of flesh would have the power to do. Yet, to this very day, the darkness reviles any mention of a Creator.
Jesus was the light of God shone into a world that was filled with darkness more 2,000 years ago. And the darkness tried to extinguish the light but failed when God raised Him from the dead. Until Jesus returns a second time, as He said He would do, the darkness continues in its attempt to snuff out every light of God that proclaims His Good News. Christians are still being tortured and killed around the world for speaking of the Good News that we are saved, not by our works, but by our faith and trusting in the work of Jesus Christ alone.
Back to the oil, if you already know Jesus and trust in Him, then you are already living by the power of the Holy Spirit and your lamp is full. There will be times, however, as there were with the disciples in the book of Acts, where more oil is needed. In the book of Acts, the disciples asked for more power of the Holy Spirit (oil in their lamps) by which to be bolder in speaking the Truth of God's Word in perilous times. The perilous times the disciples were dealing with was the threat of being arrested or worse for speaking the truth about Jesus Christ. At the time of the following prayer, the disciples had seen Jesus tortured, crucified, raised from the dead, and lifted into the heavens until He disappeared from their sight. These were the glorious miraculous works of God that Peter and John were compelled to speak to the unbelieving Jews about, in their effort to see those Jews saved. Peter and John had not only been arrested once, and miraculously released, but had been told never to speak these truths again. This is how they reacted to the threat from the authorities, exactly as we should react in similar circumstances:
"...they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, 'Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is, who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The Kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.' And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." Acts 4:24-31.
They asked and they received, as they knew they would receive, or they would not have asked.
"Therefore, I say unto you, what things soever you desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them," Mark 11:24.
We also need only ask in faith and believe by faith that we have received that for which we have asked. And then we find that we have it. It is ours. Or I should say, He, the Holy Spirit, the oil in our lamps, is ours. Simply for the asking.
If you don't yet know Jesus, as both your Lord and your Savior, then now is the time to get to know Him. Now is the time to put your faith and trust in Him. The Word of God says:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and will believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9.
"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17.
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1-2.
The Holy Spirit is not given to men because they deserve to have it. The Holy Spirit is given to those who simply believe that God is good and that His grace, to us who believe, knows no measure.
When I was a young Christian, someone helped me understand by using this analogy:
Imagine that the Holy Spirit (the power of God) was placed in a box with your name on it. That power has been gifted to you, it is yours by the grace and goodness of God Almighty, waiting for you to open and receive it. If you never open the box, you will never receive the gift. There is no test to pass, no act to perform. All that is needed is for you to believe that God is good, that He has given you a gift, and that all you now need to do is open it (ask for it). Open it, receive the gift, and then walk in it.
Walk as the bride of Christ whose lamp is filled to the brim with oil.
For perilous times are coming and are even now upon us, but we are never alone. Jesus is with us:
"All power is given unto me [Jesus] in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28:18-20
Amen.
