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Revelation 3:8 - "Behold, I have set before you an open door which
no one can shut, because you have a little strength, and have kept My Word and have not
denied My name."
The biblical promise of an open door which no one can shut sounds almost too good to be
true. And yet this is exactly what is promised in Revelation 3:8. Wow! Does this mean God
is promising me an open door to that better job or position I've been looking for? Does it
mean my practically non-existent love-life is about to open up in answer to my prayers?
Does it mean I can claim an entrance into any "closed door" in front of me?
Unfortunately, the answer to all these hypothetical questions is simply, No! The promise
of an open door in Revelation 3:8 has nothing to do with better jobs or love-lives, etc.
Now it may appear that the questions above contain overstated examples. It is a fact,
however, that Revelation 3:8 has been wrongly applied to all kinds of "doors" by
well-meaning Christians. This kind of improper application of Bible promises has left some
believers bitterly disappointed when the "open doors" they claimed did not
materialize. Well then, what is the open door that is promised in Revelation 3:8, and how
should this definite promise be applied to growing Christians today?
One of the basic rules of applying any Scripture to ourselves is always
to move from the question, "What did it mean then?" to the question, "How
do we apply it now?" In other words, we cannot just jump into any promise of the
Bible and indiscriminately apply it to any situation facing us today. We must first see
from the Bible to whom the promise was originally made and under what exact conditions the
promise was given. Then from that historical frame-work we can move to a well-grounded and
properly "controlled" application for ourselves today.
The promise of the open door is contained in one of the letters
addressed to the seven churches found in the second and third chapters of Revelation.
These first century churches were located in the province of Asia (called Asia Minor
today) of the Roman Empire. In the seven letters the Lord directly addressed these
churches and spoke to them of their spiritual condition. He commended them for their good
points and rebuked them for their shortcomings. He gave the promise of the open door to
the church of Philadelphia. Although this church was just a small feeble church, they had
kept the Lord's Word and they had not denied the Lord's name. They had been obedient to
the Word of God in the face of increasing external pressures and persecutions from the
pagan Roman world. And they had not been contaminated internally with the watered-down
view of the Person and work of Christ such as the early gnostics were propagating. (Such
false teaching later developed into the second century heresy known as Gnosticism.) On the
basis of their faithfulness, the Lord promised the church of Philadelphia an open door of
opportunity to advance God's kingdom.
We don't know all the historical details of how the church of
Philadelphia took advantage of its God-given opportunity to witness to the surrounding
pagan region. However, we do know that a vigorous Christian testimony continued at
Philadelphia when the lights of many other early churches were snuffed out. In fact, the
light of the Gospel of Christ continued to shine out from Philadelphia over the furious
waves of Roman persecution. In later centuries, when Islam swept across Asia Minor,
Philadelphia remained as a Christian island in the midst of a Moslem sea. The fact that
the letters to the seven churches are included in the Holy Scriptures is evidence that God
intended them to be used by His people beyond the first century. Throughout Church history
individual Christians, as well as whole congregations of God's people, have found
conviction and strength in this portion of the Word of God. The promise of the open door
has challenged many godly believers over the years to take advantage of the definite
opportunities the Lord has given them to serve Him. Such claims upon the promise of the
open door have certainly been valid and proper applications of Revelation 3:8.
Many students of Scripture are convinced that there is a further aspect
to the interpretation of the letters to the seven churches. Each of the seven churches may
represent a successive stage of church history as it unfolded, beginning with the
"Ephesian Church" of the apostolic days to the "Laodician Church" of
the last days. There are many good features about this view and, if true, the promise of
the open door is particularly appropriate to the span of church history which began around
the end of the 18th century and continues even today. The great revivals and worldwide
missionary efforts and other evangelical ministries that began during this period were all
part of the blessings of the open door that the Lord gave and continues to give His
Church.
In any case, the letters to the seven churches of Revelation certainly
have an application to Christian churches today. The spiritual condition of every church
is still important to the Lord. His exhortations and encouragements to the seven first
century churches are very appropriate and pertinent to 20th century churches. The promise
of the open door can be claimed by any Christ-centered and Word-centered church today.
Regardless of the numerical size and natural strength or even the amount of spiritual gift
within that church, there definitely will be an open door given to that church--a
God-given special opportunity to advance the kingdom of God in some way. The open door may
be a radio ministry or literature ministry. It may be a city-wide youth ministry or
beyond-the-call-of-duty foreign missions ministry. It may be an inner-city ministry or
college campus ministry, depending on the location of your church.
If you are part of a feeble struggling church where nothing seems to be
happening and there seems to be no spiritual fruit or growth, do not despair. As long as
your church is composed of brothers and sisters who love the Lord and His Word, the
promise of the open door is as good for you as for the church of Philadelphia. Look for
it! Don't let excuses of "barren fields" and "we tried" blind you and
keep you from the open door which God has given your church. But remember that the open
door "set before you" must be entered. Going through is not automatic and not
part of the promise. Perhaps you are the individual in your congregation that God is
raising up to lead (not drive!) the others in the fellowship through the door of service
that God has opened for your church.
What about the personal application of the open door promise? Is it
valid for individual growing Christians to claim this promise today and look for the open
doors that God has personally given them? Yes! But remember that it is a door of
opportunity to serve the Lord, not a guarantee of a better job or love-life or whatever.
The open door is a God-given opportunity for you personally to advance His Kingdom in your
early life as a Christian. Yes, if you love the Lord and are trying to be obedient to His
Word, God has an open door opportunity for you. This does not necessarily mean that the
Lord is calling you to leave the secular world and go into full-time ministry.
Furthermore, it does not necessarily mean that your door of opportunity will be an
up-front leadership role in an outstandingly successful Christian ministry. Your open door
of service may be much more obscure--like plugging along as a faithful and caring Sunday
School teacher. (Incidentally, you never know whose Sunday School class the next Billy
Graham will come from!) Your door of opportunity right now may be the unglamorous
one-on-one campus or office faith-sharing that is open before you. Your open door may be
the opportunity to evangelize your neighborhood, starting with your own family.
We could continue to list all kinds of possible open doors that the Lord
has set before us individually. But the important truth to realize at this point is that
right now there is some definite open door for service before you. Go
for it! Now! You do not have to force the door open. Our text says that the door has been
opened and no one can shut it. In fact, we limit our ministry when we force open doors of
our own choosing. Go for the open door before you, not for some closed door beyond which
the grass may look greener. Remember, we are not referring here to doors involving our
physical and spiritual needs where the Lord expects us to "knock". (See
Matthew 7:7-11 and Luke 11:9-13 and note the context.) These closed doors will be opened
in answer to our prayers, and our needs (but not necessary our wants!) will be met in ways
that are best for us. But the door of Revelation 3:8 is open already. It is the door of
opportunity for serving the King of Kings.
How tragic that some of us will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ
and have to confess that we did not really believe the promise of the open door. Excuses
such as "What door?" and "All the doors were closed!" will not stand
the test, and none of us will be able to say we didn't have the strength to enter God's
open door of opportunity. Revelation 3:8 indicates that only a little strength is
necessary to qualify for the promise of the open door.
Let's not miss the open door that the Lord Himself has set before us as
individual growing Christians. The more you get involved in using your natural abilities
and spiritual gifts in service for Christ, the more clearly you will see your door
of opportunity. Further areas of service will become obvious as you take advantage of the
opportunity that is set before you now. No one else can do exactly what you can do in
service for our Lord. Your love for the Lord and His Word and the little strength that you
have are all that is needed to claim the promise of the open door. Don't miss the
opportunity of seeing this promise fulfilled in your life.
David R. Reid
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