The Lord Jesus presents Himself as the Door to salvation. He says; "
I am the Door by Me if any may enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and
find pasture" (John 10:9). Let us consider every word of the statement; " I am the Door." The personal pronoun "I" refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. When He says " I am the Door." He excludes everything and everybody else. Hence the church -- although a divine institution - - is not the Door. The preacher - - although able to point his hearers to the door - - is not the Door. The ordinances - - although given by the Lord - - are not the Door. Good works - - although enjoined upon believers - - are not the Door. The Lord Himself is the Door! He says; "No man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6). It is written; "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The word "Am" deserves serious consideration. He did not say " I was the Door" - - as though it were only true in the past. He did not say; "I will be the Door" - - as though it were something that would only be true of Him in the future. He says; "I am the Door." He is the Door in the present - - right now. That is why we are invited to; "Come now" and "Enter now." We are assured that; "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2). This definite article "the" is to be noticed. the Lord Jesus did not say; "I am a Door" - - as though there were many doors. All roads may lead to London (or Rome) but all doors do not lead to Heaven. The Lord Jesus is not one of many doors, but the Door - - the only Door. He says; "There is none else" (Isa. 45:22). "No man save Jesus only" (Matt. 17:8). The word "Door" is appealing in its simplicity and suggestiveness. We all know what a door is and what it is for - - a door is an entrance, a portal, a means of access. The Lord Jesus is the entrance to Salvation, to Peace, to Eternal Life, to Divine glory, to Heaven and Home! And is it not fitting that He should be the Door? for He is the only One who died for our sins, that He "Might bring us to God" (I Peter 3:18). It was His precious blood that was shed for the remission of our sins (Eph. 1:7). He has been raised from the dead and is the "First-fruits of them that slept" (I Cor. 15:20). He alone is worthy and able to say; "I am the Door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." Now notice the simplicity of God's way of salvation - - "By Me if any man enter in he shall be saved." Not by Law - - not by works - - not by character - - not by conduct - - not by money, but "by Me," said the Lord Jesus. "By Me if any man" - - any person, man, woman, girl or boy - - "enter in, he shall be saved." The Door is wide open! You have an invitation to enter. He says; "Come unto Me" (Matt. 11:28). Will you enter now? When you enter, you are in the flock of the Great Shepherd, and you may go in and out among His sheep and find pasture. In Christ you are a new creation; then the ordinances should be observed, then good works should be diligently maintained, then you should "honor the Lord with they substance," then your conduct should reveal the fact of your salvation. by - Tom M. Olson |