When we throw a shindig, we usually know who we want to invite. It may be our immediate family, the people we work with, or those who live on our street. We may even widen the guest list to include hundreds of people.
No matter how big the party is, not everyone has an invitation to step through our door. Gate crashers are not welcome to attend, no matter how well they are dressed or how politely they behave. We might leave our door open, but we reserve the right to exclude those who do not belong.
Open door reservations. We open our door with the reservation that if one does not hold an invitation, that person is not welcome inside.
Jesus has invited us to join him in heaven. Even so, we must retain our invitation, or when the party kicks into gear, we will be seen as party crashers, and we will be booted back out the door.
Let’s look at five verses that illustrate God’s Open Door Reservations:
Open Door Reservation #1:
Revelation 3:11 – “I am coming soon. Hold fast [to] what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.”
The devil will try to wrest us from the Father. We must make sure he is not given the chance.
Open Door Reservation #2:
Revelation 21:27 – “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
Our salvation is our foremost prize, and it is worth everything to keep it safe against that coming day.
Open Door Reservation #3:
Revelation 14:12 – “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
We have the ten original commandments plus one more that Jesus gave that encompasses all the rest. If we do those things and trust in Christ, the goal is within our reach.
Open Door Reservation #4:
1 John 2:4 – “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
Our faith must be honest and true, with no measure of false purity simply for the sake of self-edification.
Open Door Reservation #5:
1 Peter 5:8 – “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
We cannot let our guard down even for a minute. The Holy Spirit is our constant companion so that his strength will become ours.
Even so, we should not see God’s cautionary warnings as an obstacle to winning entrance into heaven. 1 Peter 1:16 gives us God’s divine promise that our eternal salvation is secure in him.
“It is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ ”
When we follow Christ, and we keep ourselves pure before him, we will not be gate crashers at God’s heavenly bash. Rather, we will be ushered in with all honors, and we will be treated as guests of honor.
God’s party is for us, so let’s jump and cheer. The time is ripe; the celebration is now!
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Originally Published 8-7-14 in Discipleship