"Blows the doors off"

[heartstrings]

A friend of mine, nice guy and great to do business with, posts a lot of calvinistic memes on Facebook. I had to address this one, this morning: 

Revelation 3:20 says you have to open the door before he'll come in.

 

[BrotherTony]

Sorry, but I don't seem to find that in my Bible.

[heartstrings]

Yes, he tried to say that was addressed to a church. So why, then, does it say "if any MAN" open the door? What does a "church" consist of? "men". women, people, individuals.

Edited April 14, 2023 by heartstrings

[BrotherTony]

Isn't that passage directed at Christians in the book of Revelation?

[heartstrings]

It's addressing the church at laodicea as well as addressing "the churches" in general. But I would say, from reading the words "if any man", it could be "any man". Not everyone attending a church is saved, not even all pastors and preachers for that matter. It could be addressing only the saved in the church but it still says "if any man". God deals with the hearts of individuals. And the verse still says "open the door". Only individuals can "open the door" and God isn't going to "blow the door down" against our will like the calvinists are saying.

Psalm 24 says....

⁶ This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

⁷ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

⁸ Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

⁹ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

¹⁰ Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

How are "seekers" "generated"? They're generated by opening the doors or gates of their hearts to the mighty King of Glory. Psalm 24 calls us "gates"  and "everlasting doors". IF WE open the "gate" to our "walled city", the "King of Glory" will come in. He's "strong and mighty in battle" and certainly well able to destroy our gates, or breach our wall, and conquer us; but He's not "laying seige" and forcing his way in: He's asking us to open the gate of our own free will.

And he's knocking at our "everlasting door". When you knock at someone's door, you're asking to be invited in. But it's up to the man or lady of the house to let the "guest" in. It's the same principle. And, of course, the "King of Glory" is the Lord Jesus Christ.

[MikeWatson1]

I came to understand Revelation 3:20 to be about becoming a member of a church.  

The context is the door to a church figuratively.. so that looks like church membership

[BrotherTony]

On 4/14/2023 at 3:40 PM, heartstrings said:

It's addressing the church at laodicea as well as addressing "the churches" in general. But I would say, from reading the words "if any man", it could be "any man". Not everyone attending a church is saved, not even all pastors and preachers for that matter. It could be addressing only the saved in the church but it still says "if any man". God deals with the hearts of individuals. And the verse still says "open the door". Only individuals can "open the door" and God isn't going to "blow the door down" against our will like the calvinists are saying.

Psalm 24 says....

⁶ This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

⁷ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

⁸ Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

⁹ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

¹⁰ Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

How are "seekers" "generated"? They're generated by opening the doors or gates of their hearts to the mighty King of Glory. Psalm 24 calls us "gates"  and "everlasting doors". IF WE open the "gate" to our "walled city", the "King of Glory" will come in. He's "strong and mighty in battle" and certainly well able to destroy our gates, or breach our wall, and conquer us; but He's not "laying seige" and forcing his way in: He's asking us to open the gate of our own free will.

And he's knocking at our "everlasting door". When you knock at someone's door, you're asking to be invited in. But it's up to the man or lady of the house to let the "guest" in. It's the same principle. And, of course, the "King of Glory" is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Context and content... Your interpretation may be correct, but I don't agree with your conclusion based on the text. Peace to you.