RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-07-02	Does Jesus Stand at the Door of Your Heart (Rv.3:20)?
		Rev 3:20 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. Jesus is speaking and He is commonly seen as such a polite guest. He stands at the door of our hearts waiting for us to let Him in. At least that is the picture many paint with this verse, but that is stretching the meaning. Jesus is addressing the church of Laodicea (Rv.3:14-22). Let me quote another famous verse from this context. Rev 3:16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Jesus rebukes them for their complete lack of faith. Look at the verse just before verse 20. Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. This verse is just before Jesus said I stand at the door and knock. This is not the picture of a guest looking for someone to welcome them into their heart. Revelation 3:20 does not depict Jesus as passive and knocking on the door of our hearts. The context shows Christ seeking to enter this “church” that bears His name, but lacked a single true believer. The name “Laodicea” means “Rule of the people”. And that is exactly who is running that so-called church. The people are running it and not Christ. It bears the name of Christ, but has nothing to do with Him. This church, like the church of Sardis, has no positive thing said about it. The big picture is that the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3 represent churches around the world at any given time. They were real churches in Asia Minor at the time, and are type of churches. And Laodicea represents an apostate church. Jesus is standing at the door of an apostate church, not an individual's “heart”. So to use this verse for individual evangelism is a stretch. They were so busy enjoying worldly pleasures that they did not notice that Christ is not there among them. Verse 21 refers to “him who overcomes”. What is it that overcomes? Our Faith (1Jn.5:5). If you believe you can have fellowship with Christ. Here is a parallel idea to our passage in Revelation. Rom 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. Rom 10:2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Paul's heart is for Israel to come to believe in Jesus. They had such tremendous opportunity. They had been given the Scriptures, promises, covenants, and prophets. And yet with all of that privilege, they were doomed to hell. They refused to believe! The Laodicean church likewise is full of lost and religious people. Many churches today are Laodicean in type. That is, they have the word of God available to them, but they do not believe it. Today within the church there is a lost population of people. Many have sincere people, very religious, but doomed just as Israel was. In fact, there are more people today doomed in the church than there were doomed in apostate Israel. Is Jesus knocking on the “door” of our heart? No. The “door” is to the church. This is not a verse of evangelism for individuals to allow Christ to come into their heart to be saved. It has a larger message to all churches to stay faithful and not become an apostate church. Jesus stands at the door of the church, but it has shut Him out. If there is one person in the church that is saved, Christ is there. But in Laodicea there were none. Therefore Jesus is on the outside of the door. The Lord is knocking on the door of sick, apostate churches. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

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