“For He saith, ‘I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
We all know that a door is a point of entrance, exit, or simply a passage. That door, unless it is forced, is put in place to limit the traffic passing through it. There are conditions for passing through that door, and primarily they are determined by the one who owns the door. Jesus even declared, “I am the door.” (John 10:9) In Scripture, though there are many physical doors mentioned, there is a more real spiritual door by which, if the sinner passes, he shall be saved from the wrath to come, and know presently and forever, this eternal life to which God has called him. There is one very important element, among many, that is associated with the door, and it is that of time. With regard to time, there exists the authority and will of the person who opens and closes the door that is essential to consider. There is also the designated time for the door to be opened, and the point at which it shall be closed. Such is seen in the parable of the ten virgins. (Matt. 24:10) There was a designated time when the door was to be opened for the virgins to come and meet the bridegroom. However, it was limited, and when the authoritative word came to shut the door, it would no longer be opened. Paul, in writing to the Corinthian believers, brings before them the importance of time with regard to the salvation of the soul, and God’s dealings with it. God works in mysterious ways to bring each individual believer through to a saving knowledge of Himself. During that time designated by God, there is a commitment by God to the believer, or the seeking soul, to receive him. Not only is the invitation open to receive him, but also to help the individual, giving him grace to pursue, and come to a saving knowledge of Christ. If we would ask if it is that time, Paul declares that it is “now.”
Not long before Jesus was apprehended, tried, and crucified, He was standing looking over Jerusalem. His words are most appropriate in considering the door of opportunity for the city to turn to Him for salvation: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, HOW OFTEN would have gathered thy children together, even as a shen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.” (Matt. 23:37) God had given to Jerusalem an open door, a magnificent door filled with the revelation of Himself in Christ as the Messiah. But that door would shut, and desolation would come because of the refusal of Jerusalem to come through the door, Christ, to know life eternal.
In the book of Acts of the Apostles, we find a passage which speaks of the last days, even terrible days of judgment. This follows a period when the Spirit of God, according to the prophet Joel, has been poured out upon all flesh. In the context of the “…great and notable day of the Lord,” which shall come, the invitation to all men is this: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shal call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (2:21) This is the door of the Lord, which He has established for a time, even in a difficult time. It is a door that is opened for anyone who is truly willing to come, His according to God’s way, in order to receive power to become a child of God, to be saved. The door itself is as certain as Christ Himself, and the promise is to all who will seek God according to it.
In another illustration concerning a door, the Lord Himself declares “Behold I stand at the door and knock…” (Rev. 3:20) This time it is a door over which man has the authority.
Dear Father, Strengthen us to enter today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.