Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Revelation 3:20 NIV

There are those verses that we, as Christians, hear often and are used to seeing. I think Revelation 3:20 is no exception.

The problem is this: we tend to see this verse only used in evangelism. Jesus knocking, figuratively saying “Let me in, here’s my gospel, let me save you from Hell”. Now, that in itself isn’t a problem, it’s a great picture of the gospel and the gentlemanly approach of Jesus. He won’t force His way in. What is overlooked is the context of this verse: In Revelation 3 Jesus is standing at the door of the church in Laodicea, knocking. Why?

Let me put it this way: if Jesus is outside the church knocking, where isn’t He? Inside the church, where the occupants aren’t abiding in Him. Laodicea is the church that made Jesus want to vomit:

[15] I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! [16] So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:15-16 NIV

Laodicea had no water springs of its own, it’s water came from a piped source several miles away. By the time it got to them it was neither cold nor hot, it was tepid. Hot water is great for bathing and washing, cold water is great for drinking. Lukewarm water doesn’t clean very well and it tastes nasty when you’re thirsty. From this information we can quite easily see what Jesus was saying when He called them “lukewarm”.

Why were they lukewarm?

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Revelation 3:17 NIV

Their problem was self-sufficiency, which they saw as a blessing. They didn’t need help. They had, or at least thought they had, everything they needed.

Here’s the problem: God doesn’t call us to be self-sufficient, He calls us to “abide in Him”. For every need we have we turn to Him:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33 NIV

That is a promise of Jesus: you worry about seeking me and my kingdom, let me worry about meeting your needs. This is the Bible. Relying on ourselves or this world to provide what we need isn’t the Bible, it’s a self-help book.

We are called to be regenerated by the gospel of our salvation. We receive God’s Spirit, learn to live by Him (the Holy Spirit) and be transformed through surrender, living by walking in the Spirit and being continuously led by the Spirit. This is the only way we can please God and be effective for His Kingdom, anything else is filthy rags.

The church at Laodicea needed to realize their error of self-sufficiency and learn to abide in Jesus instead. If we are self-sufficient we will do whatever we think is best, if we are abiding in Jesus by living by and being led by the Spirit we will cancel any plan that we realize God isn’t in.

We can look at this both as a local church and as individuals:

Do you have everything you need? Who’s providing it? Is everything so seemingly perfect that you’re distracted enough that you don’t need to call on the Lord daily?

Are you struggling? Is your sufficiency waning? Is the money starting to show signs of running out? Perhaps Jesus is knocking at the door while showing you your sufficiency is inadequate? It’s time to open it and ask what truly abiding in Him looks like.

We don’t need what this world has to offer, all it has is distractions and wide paths that seem like the narrow one. Why is it that the nations where Christians are enduring the most unthinkable and horrible persecution are the ones that are showing the most steadfast faith?

Don’t get too comfortable, there might be a vomit bag with your name on it…