One Exchange That Changes Everything

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”

That's Jesus speaking.

“If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me.”

The key phrase now, after hearing his voice, is opening the door.

“If anyone hears my voice and opens the door.”

As long as you don't open the door, Jesus will not come in. I've said already, he will not batter the door down. He's a gentleman. He comes in only where he's invited.

What is involved then in opening the door? I suggest to you that one key word we could use is the word decision. I think that opening the door involves a decision. It may be a simple decision, but it has to be a decision. You have to decide personally that you want Jesus in your life, that you're not going to keep the door closed, you're going to open it. That's a decision.

There are other words related to it which could help you to understand. The word yield. Opening the door is yielding to Jesus. Or the word submission. It's submitting your life to Jesus. It's making him Lord of your life. It implies also obedience. Once you open the door, then Jesus is in charge. You don't make your own decisions any longer. And some of the decisions you've made, frankly, have been very foolish and very unfortunate. You need somebody to help you in that process.

Another word that illustrates this vital transaction is the word commitment. Commitment is handing something over to somebody else. You commit your money to the bank when you make a deposit in the bank. And so, we're talking in terms of yielding, committing yourself, opening up your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. See, this is the crucial transaction that changes your whole life and your whole destiny.

There's some words about this in the first chapter of John's Gospel. Verses 11 and 13 speak about different responses to Jesus when he actually came in human form on earth. It says this:

“He came to his own, and those who were his own did not receive him.”

They just kept the door shut. They didn't necessarily all persecute him, but they just didn't open the door. Then it goes on with the glorious alternative.

“But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Notice that, receiving him through believing in his name. When you receive him, you receive the right to become a child of God. And out of that, you are born, not of natural birth, not of natural descent, not of anything physical, but you're born of God through the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit that caused you to hear the voice of Jesus will actually open your heart and Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, will come in and become part of your life.

So you see, we have two alternatives, and only two. There's no third possibility. The first alternative is not to receive him, to keep the door closed. And you can be very religious, very respectable. You don't have to be a thief, you don't have to be a villain, but you just don't open the door. The second alternative is to receive him, to open the door. And when you do that, the result is a new birth. A totally new life begins within you. A life that comes not from you or from your parents or from any natural source, but a life that comes from God himself by the Holy Spirit. That is being born again.

Are you perhaps ready to make that decision? Are you perhaps ready to open the door? You say, “Well, what do I have to do?” It's so simple. You can do it many different ways. Really, you just have to yield yourself to Jesus. You have to say to Jesus, “Here I am. Lord, I need you. And I want you. Come in. Take charge of my life. Change me where I need to be changed. Give me that new life which comes from God, which only you can give me.”

It's so simple, and yet it's so profound. It's life-changing. It's destiny-determining. It will settle your destiny for time and eternity. How vital that you don't keep that door closed. If you hear that sound on the door, the knocking, if you hear the voice, then please, I ask you, open the door. Let him in.

You say, “If I do open the door, what will happen?” I'll tell you what will happen. He'll come in. He's promised. He never breaks a promise. He says,

“If you open the door, I will come in.”

Your part is opening the door, his part is coming in. You don't have to worry how he comes in. He knows how to do that. And you'll know very surely he has come in.

So here are the three simple ways to respond. First of all, believe that he comes in. I've said already, he's never a liar. He says,

“I will come in.”

He will come in. You can be sure of that. Just believe it. Don't struggle. Don't try to do something tremendous. Just believe.

Second, respond by thanking him. See, that's the simplest expression of faith, is thanking him. Say, “Thank you, Lord. I believe I've received you. I believe you've received me. Lord, I want to thank you that you've come in, that my life is now under your control.”

And then the third simple thing to do is confess your faith in Jesus. The Bible says we have to believe in our heart, confess with our mouth. That doesn't mean you have to stand up and preach sermons to people. In fact, probably you'd better wait a few days before you do that. But just tell people in a quiet way, “I've given my life to Jesus Christ. I'm going to follow Jesus. He's my savior.”

You may be a little afraid at first, but I want to tell you, if you're honest and open about it, many people will surprise you by their response. They'll be much more interested than you would imagine. See, many people are like you. They're looking for an answer, but they don't know where to find it. If you've found the answer, you've got good news. Share it. Tell others.