Open Up

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Re 3:20 AV)

Some scholars limit the presence of the divine invitation solely to salvation.  In other words, Jesus knocks at the door of the heart of a sinner and seeks to enter.  They point to the universal nature of this invitation.  Others see this exchange as one aimed at the saints.  This exchange is one of personal fellowship with the LORD Jesus.  The universal nature of the event to all saints would be a natural conclusion.  I think it might be both.  The point to be made here is we do not have to ‘call down’ God for fellowship, guidance, or encouragement.  He is already here.  The misnomer of the modern contemporary movement which is nothing more than an extension of the millennia-old understanding of spiritualism, is to create an atmosphere that makes it feel as though God appeared where He was not before.  This has been going on for almost as long as man has walked the earth.  It is an ignorant position that does not understand the omnipresent nature of God.  At worst, it is pagan in nature.  Practically speaking, those of us who are saved must realize fellowship with God is ever present.  We do not have to create an experience of an atmosphere that feels like God is closer than He is.  He is omnipresent.  The problem is, that a door stands in our way.

It is hard to remember just how close God is at all times.  We are so busy in life that retaining God in our knowledge seems like a chore.  Trying to get an infant to sleep when he becomes self-aware is not easy.  They become aware of their surroundings and become dependent on Mom or Dad for personal affirmation, comfort, and security.  Newborns do not have this self-awareness.  But give them a month or two, and they become very aware of their need for a parent who is always near and available.  When they are put down for nap time for the first time becoming self-aware, they cry and cry for Mom or Dad.  We comfort them until they fall asleep.  Then we move to just outside the room and speak to them as they fall asleep.  Then we leave the door open so they can hear our movements, knowing we are near, they fall asleep.  This happens again when they move to their own bedroom.  As a toddler, they may run and jump into bed with us because a storm or bad dream woke them up.  Over time, however, they become more and more independent.  Then come the teen years when a stampede of elephants couldn’t raise them from bed.  We bang on the door.  We use marine horns.  We yell and scream.  But they are sound asleep.  The earbuds are another hurdle.  They are in their rooms with earbuds playing so loudly, that a bulldozer coming through their door wouldn’t gain their attention.  It is at this point Dad figures the locks have to come off the doors.  If they cannot be responsible enough to listen for someone at the door, then for their own safety, the lock has to come off.

This is how we must understand fellowship with God.  The contemporary idea is like a teenager who would burn incense, play soft music, have a neat and tidy room, etc., and beg Mom and Dad to come in.  Not so.  Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and seeks to join us in fellowship.  He will not force Himself upon us.  He asks to be invited in.  If we only realized just how close God is.  He is ever-present.  He is in all places at all times.  He is not in heaven and must be conjured up like some spirit of a bad horror movie.  God is always there.  He knocks on the door of our hearts.  He wants to come in.  We have to pull out the earbuds, turn off the music, put our video games away, and shut down our social media accounts.  We have to turn off everything so that we can hear the knock at the door.  It is there.  Like the still small voice, it is often quiet and unassuming.  It takes turning off the world so that Jesus has our full attention.  There is a knock.  It is always there.  Do you hear it?  Do you hear the call of God to accept Christ as your Savior?  Do you hear the Savior seeking an audience?  Do you hear the Father asking for your time and attention because He loves you more than you could ever comprehend? Again, the LORD is not going to burst through that door.  He stands and knocks.  It is up to us to open to One greater than all things!  Will you open the door of your heart so that God might have a sweet and unabated fellowship with your heart and spirit?