Walking With the Word

Left Picture: Del Parson’s “Jesus at the door”

Right Picture: William Holman Hunt’s “Behold, I stand at the door and knock”

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)

When gospel presentations are made, an offer is often made using Revelation 3:20 (quoted above).

It’s a lovely idea, Jesus knocking on the metaphorical door of our hearts asking to come in? However, this is not what is going on in this passage.

The passage is sometimes mentioned as part of someone’s journey to salvation. There is a strange dynamic with the Bible, where God will use out of context passages to get someone’s attention, and sometimes we find the Lord speaking to us through all sorts of verses. But that doesn’t really excuse the misuse—unwitting or otherwise —of scripture because it seems to say what you need. There are many avenues and places the Lord uses to get your attention, but that doesn’t mean we would advocate their use given the choice.

Salvation comes, not by inviting Jesus into our hearts, but by our response to the Gospel in repentance and faith:

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31)

A person comes to faith after many connected incidents, explained Bible truths and convictions as God orchestrates many ‘coincidences’ by His Spirit, and we are brought to that moment when we believe by faith and we are changed forever.

Revelation 3:20 shows, however, that a response is also required of us daily so that the Christian can know Jesus and walk rightly and joyfully with Him in and through all circumstances.

Responding to the gospel is not only a one time event, but an ongoing way of life, a learning to live in the light of His grace and mercy.

In Context

The context itself is usually sufficient to clarify the intended meaning:

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:14-20)

It is worth noting that in a wider context, Laodicea is the seventh church to whom Jesus directs John to write. And here we see our first contextual truth: the letters are to the churches, this one being to the church at Laodicea—the letters are not addressed to unbelievers.

Self-Sufficiency

When Jesus addresses lukewarm, self sufficient, wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked people, He is talking about Christian’s. It was the sad reality of the church at Laodicea, it is the sad reality of many churches and Christians today. The words of Jesus’ appeal to “Open the door”, addresses self-sufficient Christians who seem to think they can manage without a close relationship with Him; who feel they have life sorted and have everything they need. Jesus’ appeal is for intimacy with Him and reliance upon Him. This is especially counter culture in a world that champions self-sufficiency.

—”The words of Jesus’ appeal to “Open the door”, addresses self-sufficient Christians who seem to think they can do without Him.”—

Cheap Grace

We have become a nation of superficial thrill seekers, fun lovers and bucket-listers who want to experience everything. This includes experiencing God, but without really knowing Him; preferring mystical goose-bump experiences to putting in the leg work for real change.

By contrast, Jesus wants us to have “gold refined by fire” (3:18), refining gold takes time, but the effort is worth it. Jesus wants us to wear “white garments” (3:18), which speak of purity and righteousness. Jesus says we need “eye salve” (3:18) to remove our spiritual blindness.

Relationship

Jesus is knocking on the door of these “lukewarm” (3:16) Christians’ hearts. He wants to commune with them, to truly know Him, His ways and to walk with them through life. It should be a two way communion, because God wants to be in a relationship with His people, not a directorship, or a dictatorship.

Imagine being married but living a single life, the relationship would just crumble, since we were designed to live in communion with each other.

“”God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:6-8)

As Jesus reveals Himself to you—through His Word—you learn to become reliant upon Him, to trust as He leads. You receive the salve you so desperately need to see clearly, no longer will you be in the foggy deceitfulness of self reliance and self sufficiency.

So which picture was more accurate to Scripture or to where you are at with regards to your relationship with Jesus? The one with a nice clean door and a warm glow of self righteousness from within? Or the one with overgrown weeds blocking the doorway with Christ outside knocking, with a light in his hand waiting patiently to be invited in.

Will you clear away the weeds, open the door and invite Him in? He is only ever a moment away.

(Sign up below so as not to miss my next article)