◄ What Does Revelation 3:20 Mean? ►

Many use this verse as an evangelism verse for the unsaved, but in reality, like all the seven letters in the book of Revelation, this is a warning to the Church of Christ (saved believers who are part of His Body and Bride). This verse is written to the one that has already been justified, made righteous through believing on that the Lord Jesus Christ Who died on the Cross as their own sin substitute, for His death paid the price for all sin.

The promise of God is that everyone that is justified will unquestionably be glorified, when the Lord Jesus comes in the clouds to receive His Body and Bride unto Himself and take all believers home to His Father's mansions in heaven. Justification is a past action which happened at the point that we were saved. And glorification is future, at the point when we are taken to heaven. Both are promised to the person who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. But what of sanctification, which is the process of living in this world now?

Sanctification is a lifelong process that the Holy Spirit carries out in the one that is justified in order to conform us into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus. But unlike justification and glorification, which all believers receive equally, believers actually have a personal choice in the sanctification process. We can yield to the Holy Spirit doing a work in our new, born again life that we received at rebirth OR we can resist the work that the Holy Spirit desires to do in our new life and continue to live a carnal type of life under the power of the old sin nature (the old life that still fights for supremacy).

Jesus loves us so much that He died for our sin and gave us a new life that He longs will be conformed into His image and likeness. Sadly, many believers, like the Laodicean believers, are lukewarm in the life they live for the Lord and are disinterested in the things of God. They choose to live a carnal life that excludes the Spirit's work in their life and stunts their spiritual maturity, keeping the Lord at arm's length, and keeping the work of the Spirit outside the door of their lives.

But in His great love for all His children, the Lord continues to plead with every one of His born-again children to yield to the call of his voice and live godly in Christ Jesus: "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."

One day all believers will be taken to be with the Lord Jesus, whether or not they submitted to the sanctifying work of the Spirit in their daily lives. Should we not harken to the call of our Lord Who died so that we might live in newness of life - submitted to His Spirit?

Heavenly Father, I know that my heart is not as fervently in love with you as it should be. Thank You for Your grace and long-suffering patience with me. I confess I have quenched the Spirit in my life with my indifferent attitude. I want to change and live in submission to You. I pray that I would open the door of my heart to Jesus to come and fellowship with me, for in Him is fullness of joy. In Jesus' name, AMEN.