“Behold, I stand on the door and knock. If anybody hears my voice and opens the door, I’ll are available in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
IT MAY STRIKE US AS UNUSUAL THAT WHEN GOD CAME INTO THE WORLD, HE CAME IN SUCH A GENTLE WAY. Maybe He may have landed with an invading military and compelled our submission with brute power. However he appeared as a mild Instructor, asking us to open the doorways of our hearts to Him. In saying this, we don’t query His energy or authority; we’re merely noticing that the decision of the gospel involves us within the type of an invitation.
In my life, there have been instances once I puzzled why the reality about God and His Son, Jesus Christ, is just not extra compelling. If this stuff are true, why are they not so apparent that everyone would see them? Why do we’ve got to be reasoned with and persuaded? In God’s knowledge, many elements is likely to be concerned, however one factor appears clear: God needs to have a relationship with us that’s based mostly on love — and if love is compelled upon us, it ceases to be love.
Take into consideration the mixture of fact and love that’s concerned in our response to the gospel. The reality will at all times be the reality, after all, and the reality about God is majestically highly effective. It tingles our backbone after we ponder even the perimeters of it. However the issue of sin is the issue of our revolt towards God’s love. In self-will we’ve got refused to abide inside the limits that our Creator’s love positioned round us for our safety. But the marvel of the gospel is that He cherished us sufficient to not depart us in our alienated situation. He made it doable for us to be reconciled to Him. However it might defeat the entire objective of His like to compel us to return again. So He “knocks on the door,” so to talk, inviting us to let Him are available in. If we reply to the fact of the gospel, it have to be an act of voluntary love. We should select to say sure.
Because of this our everlasting future is in our palms. If the gospel is an invite, every part hinges on our response to it. Will we settle for our Father’s love or will we reject it? If we’re misplaced, we’ll most likely spend eternity blaming God for not being extra forceful to interrupt down our resistance. But when it’s not love that brings us again house, what good would it not do for us to return to God anyway? What He wishes is our love . . . or nothing in any respect.
“Jesus Christ won’t ever strong-arm his method into your life” (Grady B. Wilson).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
