A Knock at the Door: What God Really Wants From Us

In these articles, I feel like I’ve been trying to go back to the basics. In Psalm 119:25-32, we witness man burdened by the corrupted framework that he feels his very soul is built on. He laments the inevitability of his finite self, begging God to revive him with a framework built on His Word, His promises, instead of all the stuff that muddled his being up to that point.

So in the same spirit of exploring Scripture to present the truth purely as opposed to any traditions or what have you, I want to take a look at Revelation 3:20.

Jesus is at the end of relaying His messages to John that he is to deliver to these specific churches—archetypes that will come to represent either in part or in whole the churches of the world today. The Adventist Christian church has often identified itself with the subject of our focus verse (though I’d put it more in line with the church of Ephesus). Regardless, for the sake of context, this message is for the church in Laodicea. The city was located south of the Lycus river in what is now western Turkey.

The issue Jesus has with this church is that they are “lukewarm”, just sitting on the gospel and not really doing anything. They have become blissfully complacent and therefore totally ignorant to their misery.

Does that sound familiar? As a side note, it seems like this could actually be said of most popular American Christianity. We just go to church, try to be nice, and actually worship the morals that make us feel superior to the world gone mad. Jesus says to that, “You do not know that you are wretched.”

But I’ll save that route for another time. I’m gonna hop over to verse twenty. Check it:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

—Revelation 3:20

The NKJV captures the poetry of Jesus’ words perfectly while also preserving the intended literal application. This isn’t going to be a very long article because the message is so incredibly simple that trying to pull it apart may become a distraction in and of itself.

What does God want from us? Relationship.

Your parents may have said this but modeled something different. Your pastor may have said this but really meant “follow the rules in order to have grace”. Your friends may have modeled this but predicated it on falling in line with a godless lifestyle. And ultimately, you may have heard this but never seen it so ruled it out as empty, emotionally appealing slop that doesn’t really matter or interest you as much as whatever else you’ve got going on.

Well the time will come where you cry out like the psalmist in 119, lamenting the futility of everything that you are. And at that time, or hopefully before, you’ll listen for the voice of Jesus. Take it from me…

Just let Him in.

Maybe you’ve tried everything else already. Maybe you’re still clinging to your own baseless idea of self-salvation. Maybe you even want to let Him in, but you feel as though you don’t deserve it or are too broken to be put back together.

But this message Jesus gave to Laodicea was for you if you are neither hot nor cold. If you’re just going through the motions of life, listen! Jesus is knocking at the door! And he wants to share a meal with you as friends.

Everything else—the doctrine, the walking in His way, the commandments—all that flows from the one thing God really wants from us.

Relationship.

May His will be done :)