23 December | EVERYONE
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3: 20
Jesus, the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who said one day "I stand at the door," is found in this verse knocking on the human heart. Does He not have all the power in the world to come in? He does. However, He knocks at the door of the rebellious human creature and waits; night goes and day comes, and the Redeemer of the world continues to knock at the door and wait for the sinner to open it. His promise is to come in for dinner with us if we open the door for Him.
The message the Lord wishes to emphasize in this verse is that the door of the heart can only be opened from inside. Human freedom is sacred. No one can force you to be saved. God calls, but each person has to accept the invitation.
This idea goes against universalism which argues that all human beings will be saved.
Salvation and the great works of Jesus are available to us, but it is up to us to say yes. When Jesus resurrected Lazarus, He asked those present to remove the stone. He could have done it. If he had the power to bring a corpse back to life, He probably had the power to remove the stone. But God will never do what man needs to do.
What many unbelievers interpret as divine frailty is nothing more than the respect that the Lord has for the freedom that He gave to human beings so that they could exercise it with wisdom and responsibility.
However, despite God's patience, there will come a time when the creature will be accountable to the Creator. No one can play with God's love forever.
Take Action
Today is the day of "dining" with Jesus, today is the day of salvation. Will you open the door of your heart to Him?