>>I'm curious to understand the alternate take you have on this. If you have verses
>>which you believe convey the information differently, I would like to hear.
>
>
>All the references you cited indeed show that the (church as one body), which is the
>bride of Christ, will be married to one husband, which is Christ....
>
>Now the church (the bride of Christ) is going to leave this world at the
>beginning of the tribulation. This is the rapture...
>
>Then we have the marriage supper in Revelation 19 and we can identify
>the wife, which is going to marry the lamb, and on the other hand we see
>those, that are called unto the marriage supper of the lamb. These are two
>different groups of people, the church is the bride, the ones that are called
>just came out of the great tribulation and are called his servants in this
>context...
>
>Here you can clearly see that the servants which come out of the tribulation,
>the ten virgins of the parable that Jesus described to answer the question of
>the disciples how it is going to be at the end of the world and his second coming,
>are going to meet the bridegroom, they are called unto the marriage to attend the
>ceremony. But! When Christ enters the scene, there is another group, which is
>with him already in heaven, which are the armies which were in heaven following
>him upon white horses, this is the bride he is going to marry. This is the church.
>See how the church, the bride is clothed in fine linen, white and clean, and the
>armies which were in heaven as well are clothed in fine linene, white
>and clean, that is the bride.

I'll have to give this some thought. I'll spend some time in prayer and reflection, and will get back to you in a day or so.


>Therefore I strongly object that anyone would use the parable of the 10 virgins
>or the parable of the servants to apply to the Christian who is now living by faith,
>saved by grace through faith, and that not of works of righteousness.
>
>Martin Luther has clearly identified the error of works salvation and therefore has
>left the Roman Catholic church. If we go back and teach that we are saved by
>works (trimming our lambs and buying oil), and only if we “endure to the end”,
>we can as well go back to the Roman church.

The two are not in conflict. It's not the works that save you. It's grace. But the one saved by grace will have works because they are born again, changed from the inside out. Their polarity or compass no longer faces the way it used to, but now faces toward Christ. Their lives will have the fruit of a servant's life given unto Christ because they are continually hearing His call upon their life, and they desire to follow Him.

The old ways have passed away, and the man is made a new creation in Christ. That's not just in eternity, but here upon the Earth as well.

Those who endure to the end are those who had a true conversion. Remember the parable of the seeds sown. Some grew up quickly, and then withered because they had no root. Jesus later explains about those who will believe at first with gladness, but when life's troubles come up they fall away, back to their old ways.

There is no question that we are not saved by works. But the one saved by grace will have works, provided they are saved at a point and time in their life where they are able to have works (and not as something like on their deathbed -- though even the thief on the cross had works, a witness for Christ by his words, etc.).