An Open Door

I did not get saved because I was smarter or wiser than the other unbelievers. I did not get saved because I behaved better than they did or did heaps of good deeds. In fact, the opposite was true of my life before Christ. I was dead in my sins. I was saved only because God is so good and loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for my sins. He saved me through His Holy Spirit opening my eyes to the scriptures so that I recognized I was a sinner in desperate need of a savior and that I could only be saved by faith in Christ. I have life in Him because He triumphed over death when He rose from the grave. He saved me because He has a place for me in His family and his kingdom. My salvation is an undeserved gift from God. As Paul puts it:

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7).

Our sermon text this Sunday began with Jesus praying, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” (Mt 11:25). Jesus makes it clear: God is in control. His will shall not be foiled. He will certainly work all things out for good for those who love Him and are called according to his purpose (Rm 8:28). We can have faith, therefore, through whatever happens, that our life is found only in Him and that it is safe with him. Our time here is for spreading His Gospel; and we have nothing to fear because when we die we will be with Him.

There are so many forces vying for our attention and our time, so much of the world’s amplified sound and fury telling us what to be worried about, what to be afraid of, and what to be angry about. Rubbish! Turn off the salesmen and carnival barkers! You will not find fulfillment in the merry-go-round of the contemporary outrage cycle. There is no end to it, no meaning to it, and no hope in it.

Instead, I encourage you to keep this in the forefront of your mind: if you are a believer, the almighty creator God saved you through the Holy Spirit drawing you to faith in Jesus Christ , the only Savior. You are heirs of the hope of eternal life. You can rest assured of your salvation. Your new life in Christ is intended to be spent showing his glory to the world, making disciples, and building His kingdom. That is also what the church is about: learning about Him, worshiping Him, and spreading His good news.

If you're not in that place today—if that does not describe your life—I have just set before you the meaning of everything. You have within your reach God's Word, the Bible, which tells us everything you need to know about Him, the way to salvation, the great work He has done, the faithful promises He has for the future, and our marching orders. If you want to find life and contentment, put your faith in Christ. “Behold,” Jesus says to you, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20).

Will you open the door? Will you give your full attention to Jesus Christ? Will you put Christ at the center of your existence? Will you forsake your sin and your worldly outrage and find rest in the forgiveness and salvation He purchased for His people? It is my hope for you, and I know this is true of all of the elders at Living Hope, that you would look only to Christ for your hope, that you would focus your heart and mind and your life’s energy on the essentials of the Gospel, and that you would throw yourself into the life and work of building Christ’s church.