Invited In

“So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’” 
- John 10:7-10 (ESV)

Have you ever felt the frustration of being locked out? Maybe your house key went missing or you can’t seem to ever find the right one. Maybe you forgot the entry code or your passkey wasn’t working. Or, if you’re like me, you hold your coffee and water as you walk into work and don’t have a third arm to unlock the door. These minor inconveniences can be frustrating.

When we feel spiritually “locked out,” forgotten or unwelcome, it takes a major toll on our view of God. Sin and shame can cause unwanted distance between us and God. Seasons of waiting can make us question if we have a place to belong in His kingdom. And if we don’t know God, we certainly don’t feel like we qualify to be a part of His dwelling place.

Recently, I was leading others in prayers of repentance at my church. These individuals had been walking with the Lord for some time and desperately needed to be reminded of God’s nearness and goodness. We so often focus on how difficult the narrow path is to obedience and forget the One who helps us navigate it (Matthew 7:13-14; Psalm 23).

In a moment of stillness before God, I had this impression so strongly on my heart to encourage those who approached me for prayer. Jesus is the door…it’s already open to them. There is no key. They’ve been saved. They are chosen. There’s nothing more they need to find or do. The door is open and they must choose to walk through it.

This made me picture the truth of John 10:7-10. “So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (ESV).

Friend, Jesus is our door. He is our way – the only entry way – to salvation and to a right relationship with God (John 14:6). We’re not prisoners held captive and restricted to our sin. We’re not locked out of God’s kingdom. Jesus is our way to freedom and forgiveness eternally, and He invites us in!

Jesus makes it clear that, despite this truth, there exist thieves and robbers who try to steal, kill, and destroy us (John 10:8, 10). When we choose His way, we reject them. We are not listening to their lies or following their misleading ways. The sheep who enter through Jesus’ door do not follow them because they know their Shepherd’s voice (John 10:4). Out of love, we – the sheep – enter His door and obey Him.

If this feels risky, remember that you can trust Jesus’s words. They’re not simply truth for His disciples or a generic truth for the church. These words are true and applicable for you today!  

It can be tricky to discern which way to go, especially not knowing what’s on the other side of that door. But fortunately, Jesus tells us what to expect in verses 9-10: “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

If we follow Jesus and choose His way, we will be saved. We are given the gift of forgiveness and eternal life by our God who loves us so much. We don’t have to strive or earn our righteousness. We simply receive it as a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). We will experience abundant life and dwell in God’s pasture. He has perfect provision for us (Luke 12:22-29). His land is one of peace and joy, not one of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33; Isaiah 26:3-4). And in His kingdom, God has a place for us (John 14:2). We are not disqualified from receiving God’s grace. We’re always welcomed in.

Jesus is the door to the best life we could ever ask for or imagine. There’s nothing else we need to do to be worthy of receiving His love. To follow Him, and to keep turning to Him day after day, we just need to repent and believe (Mark 1:15). To keep our hearts devoted to the Lord, even when we miss the mark, we pray prayers of repentance to turn from our sin and to turn back to Him. We believe He is with us and He is greater than anything this world could offer.

Friend, this is a message for us today just as much as it was a message for those I prayed over that day. Sin may seem enticing, but it’s not going to lead to abundant life in Christ. We may feel overlooked, but God sees us dwelling in His pasture. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He knows us and hasn’t forgotten us. Not even when we sin. Not even when we doubt. He delights in our repentance and is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9). Jesus is our door. He’s unlocked it so we could enter and experience a full, blessed life partnering with God in all we do.