
Is Jesus Inside My Church?
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
By taking this verse out of context, many pastors use it within a salvation message to reach new converts. However, if we examine it in the proper context we see that Jesus has been left outside the Church and is knocking and pleading to get back in again. Here, He is clearly speaking to professing Christians who have put Him out of His Church and locked the door.
When we look at the letters to the seven churches in Asia, it should be noted that although these churches existed at the time of John's writing, the letters also appear to have symbolic and prophetic messages concerning future ages of the Church with the apostate, Laodicean Church representing the final age.
Also, we see that most of these letters have a few points in common. Most contain a compliment, a complaint and a warning. However, about the best that can be said of the Church at Laodicea is that it is only lukewarm.
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
We know that hot water is useful and cold water is refreshing, but lukewarm water is nauseating and Jesus makes plain His disgust with this wealthy, but blind and naked Church. He even makes a point of the fact that He is no longer inside, but on the outside knocking with a strong warning to repent and open the door.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Shouldn't we be asking, "Is Jesus inside my Church?" It is all too apparent that many perversions have been brought into the Church under the pretense of open mindedness or the guise of arriving at a new level of understanding, and the Hymnal, tradition and Jesus have been pushed out. Truly these churches are blind and naked.