"I am the Door"

I had done it countless times before, but this time was different. As I inserted the key in the lock in the door, the words of Jesus broke through in my spirit: "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:9, KJV). I got the message immediately. In the very same way going through the front door was the only way to get into my house, without breaking any of the windows, going through Jesus was the only way to salvation.

The word "saved" used in the text is the word "sode'-zo" in the Greek, and is best understood as "to save, deliver, or protect; to heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole" (Strong's, G4982). This understanding, when applied, gives us a richer perspective of our position in Christ. When we enter our homes, we enter a place of safety. Closed windows and doors keep us safe not only from those who would steal, kill, and destroy, but as we go about our business in our world of anxieties and uncertainties, the comforts of home also offer us a place of refuge; a place to rest, be refreshed, and to be restored.

It is no different when we are in Christ. As Bible Scholar Matthew Henry stated, "By faith in him, as the great Mediator between God and man, we come into covenant and communion with God....True believers are at home in Christ; when they go out, they are not shut out as strangers, but have liberty to come in again; when they come in, they are not shut in as trespassers, but have liberty to go out. They go out to the field in the morning, they come into the fold at night; and in both the Shepherd leads and keeps them, and they find pasture in both: grass in the field, fodder in the fold. In public, in private, they have the word of God to converse with, by which their spiritual life is supported and nourished, and out of which their gracious desires are satisfied; they are replenished with the goodness of God's house."

Those benefits are only realized by those who come in through Christ. Just in case we're tempted to think there is some other way, He stated quite emphatically, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). And in John 10:1, "“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” We cannot come into salvation by being good, by doing good things, through our self-righteousness, our positions in the Church, our family connections, or even our growing up in the Church.  It is only those who call upon the name of the Lord [with right feelings; that is, with a humble sense of our sinfulness and our need of pardon, and with a willingness to receive eternal life as it is offered us in the gospel" (Adam Barnes)] who shall be saved (Romans 10:13). 

One door, one way, and He is it. For those of us who have found Him, what a comforting thought!  If you have not yet found Him, you can call Him and He will answer. If you know someone still looking, why not show them that door today?

It's a Heart Thing

There is something delightfully pleasing about doing something with one's 'whole' heart. Even the dreariest of task can take on meaning and purpose when we put all of ourselves, so to speak, into it. It is the highest expression of effort, and even if the end results were not as expected, not very many people would argue with maximum effort. We can deduce therefore, that it is possible to do a thing half-heartedly, or even without much 'heart' into it. Sort of like going through the motions, just because.

I thought of this as I read and reread David's "I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart" (Psalm 9:1a, KJV), and took note of two important determinations in that desire. Firstly, a casual reading of the verse does not capture the emphatic nature of the expression "I will". The "will" is the mental faculty by which we deliberately choose or decide upon a course of action, and therefore implies a diligent purposefulness. Among all the options available to the Psalmist, he chose, diligently and purposely, to praise. That totally ignores whatever circumstances he found himself in at the time. His praise would not be situational. Secondly, he wasn't just content to praise, but he purposed to do so "with my whole heart". On this verse, I agree with noted Bible Scholar Matthew Henry who writes, "If we would praise God acceptably, we must praise him in sincerity, with our hearts, and not only with our lips, and be lively and fervent in the duty, with our whole heart."

In Old Testament times, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Joel, to name a few, all challenged the people to serve/love God "with all your heart". Through Jeremiah, God declares, "ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (29:13). When Jesus was asked which was the great commandment in the law, He mentioned two, the first being, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37). God has not changed. What He desired then, He still desires now: nothing but the very best of ourselves, all of our hearts, in love, in praise, and in worship.

It is not enough to merely go through the motions as God takes no delight in such actions. In this quiet time of reflection, now is as good a time as any for a heart check. "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart"; can you say that? Remember, it is not based on situations or emotions; it's a heart thing.