So often we run into scriptures that are totally misunderstood or misrepresented. One of those scriptures I recently ran into was Rev 3:20. We so often hear this verse quoted, and then explained in a way which does this verse no justice, especially not if you compare it with the rest of scripture. See, the usual explanation for this scripture is that God stands at the door of the heart of the sinner and knocks, hoping that you might open for Him, begging you to open. This is not what this verse is saying at all. We cannot take verses out of their context and make up our own belief system from them, because then our belief system will also be faulty. We cannot worship God in Spirit and truth, if our perception of the truth is based on a misrepresentation of truth. Then we have a false gospel. So what does this verse actually teach. Let us first put this verse into context. This scripture was written to the luke-warm Christians at Laodicea. It was not written to the unsaved. They were being reprimanded about the fact that they are luke-warm. There were areas in their lives that were not completely surrendered to God. He wanted to take over their whole lives, not just parts of it. So He was not knocking at the doors of the hearts of unsaved people, hoping they will invite Him in, He was knocking on the doors of the hearts of Christians, hoping they will completely surrender to Him. God wants us to surrender to Him, He wants us to be obedient to the spirit and to allow Him to control every part of our being. This verse cannot mean that it is God that knocks on the unsaved person’s heart, because the rest of scripture tells us that God does not need an invite to save someone, He saves who He wants to save. It is not about us deciding to serve Him, but about Him deciding to whom He will show mercy. It is not because of man’s will that we are saved, but because of God’s grace. Rom 9:15-16 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. – Before this world was made, God already wrote our names in the book of life. Because He wrote our names in there, we have to be saved because everything that God says must happen. He cannot lie. Eph 1:4-5 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, - It does not matter whether you want to believe it or not, it is in the word of God, hundreds of verses, that tells us that God saves because He chose. After he saved us He stands at the door of our hearts knocking to gain complete control of every area of our lives. He is a just and merciful God, He is a sovereign and powerful God and He does whatever He pleases here on earth. Even when Jesus prays, He only prays for certain people, not the whole world. Joh 17:9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. It is important that we get our belief system right. When you read the Bible right, then suddenly the words “I found Jesus” do not make sense anymore. How can you find Jesus if Rom 3:10 tells us that no man on this planet is looking for Him. The Bible does not make mistakes and does not contradict itself, yet the belief systems we create do. Let us be good Bereans and search the scriptures to make sure what we believe is actually what the Word teaches.
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