Open the door to your heart...

Romans 10:9-10 (MSG) It is the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Saying the welcoming word to God – “Jesus is Master” - embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Christ from the dead. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!”

After his conversion, Paul desired for the nation of Israel to have salvation...the same salvation he had found in Jesus Christ. He worked so hard and sacrificed much to teach them about Christ. Instead of being stuck in “religious tradition”, Paul wanted to introduce the Jews to the Christ he had bumped into on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-18).

Christ knew everything about Paul. He knew that Paul had spent his much of his life persecuting and killing the Christians (Phil. 3:6). But Christ loved Paul too much to let him stay that way. (He loves us too much for us to stay the way we are too.) God had a plan and purpose for Paul’s life (ours too) and it wasn’t following the law or religious tradition perfectly, it was using his life as an example to tell others about Jesus. After the Damascus road experience Paul embraced Christ and put his complete trust in Him. Paul no longer tried to set things right by being “perfect”, he allowed Christ to come into his heart. He accepted Christ’s gift of grace and received mercy and forgiveness for every sin he committed and would ever commit. That is salvation.

The only road to salvation and eternal life is through Christ. He offers us the same opportunity he gave Paul. Christ will meet us where ever we are…even if it’s at the bottom of the deepest, darkest pit. He will meet you there.

“If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” (Romans 10: 9, 11) NRSV

One thing we must keep in mind is that God is a gentleman; He is not intrusive and will not invade your life. The choice is yours. Christ knocks at the door of your heart.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you will eat with me.” (Revelation 3:20 NCV)

Christ desires a personal relationship with us but we have to invite him to be a part. Have you opened the door to your heart, or are you too busy enjoying the things of this world to hear him?