Revelation 3:20 - "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in..."
We understand the Gospel message.
We know that Jesus has covered our sins.
As such, we are free to live within the joy of that gift, no longer working to attain salvation.
But as we grow in Christian maturity, we also become more and more aware of our own sinfulness, and of the great holiness of God.
Within that awareness, a desire grows in us to think and behave more righteously.
This is all good! It is the proper posture for our Christian walk.
However, within our motivation to live more and more like Christians, we also feel more of the weight of our sinful tendencies. When we do sin, we can become discouraged and forget our true identity in Christ. We can flood our minds with negative thoughts about who we are, what we feel we will never be capable of, and what we will never become.
To fight these tendencies, this memory verse in Revelation is a powerful reminder that Jesus is always available to us.
He waits patiently for us, being always present.
The imagery in this passage is that of an invited guest waiting outside the door of our homes. He continually knocks, regardless of what we have or have not done. Our response is what is critical. We simply have to invite Him in by opening the door.
When we do not feel His presence, it is our own thoughts and behaviors that are keeping that door locked. It is our own selfish and worldly desires that hold the door shut.
But here is the encouraging news - Jesus will continue to knock until the day of His second coming. In other words, He will never give up on us!
Apply This...
Memorize this verse to continually remind yourself that Jesus is always nearby - you only have to invite Him in!
When you aren't feeling His presence, consider your own thoughts and behaviors that may be keeping the door locked.
Lastly, don't give up on your own ability to live as Christ taught. After all, Jesus will never give up on you, so why would you!
