Letter To The Laodicean Church # 3

Letter To The Laodicean Church # 3

He speaks to us as well as to the Laodiceans, for He says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." He who has an ear - to whomever these words may come, whoever has the power of hearing or reading them - let him hear what the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, says to the churches; and let him take the words as spoken not merely to them, but to him also. Let us receive them so. The Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit speaks to us.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock." What door? The door of our hearts - our unworthy and sinful hearts. The Lord Jesus (speaking figuratively) stands there and knocks. He, so high, so great, so holy - the Son of God stands at the door of our hearts. Stands there, and knocks.

Why does He knock? To be let in. That we may open the door of our hearts and admit Him. He desires to find entrance there.

But why should He desire to find entrance there? It is not a place worthy of Him. It is a lowly and unworthy place for Him to come to. The poor man knocks at the door of the rich and asks alms; the friend knocks at the door of his friend, that he may go in and converse with him - but why should Jesus knock at the door of our hearts? Yet does not a kind rich man sometimes knock at the door of the poor, and even of the wicked - that he may go in and carry them help and do them good? Somewhat in this way, only with far more condescension, kindness, and love - the Lord Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts. It is to bring us help, to do us good, to make us happy, to save us.

Do we not think it double kindness, if the rich come to help the poor? It would be kind to send them help - it is doubly kind to bring it. The Lord Jesus sends us messages; but He also comes Himself, by the Spirit. He comes Himself, that He may be let in. And indeed nothing else would meet our need. We need Him. Not merely His gifts - but He Himself. He comes therefore, and knocks for admittance - that He may enter and be our Saviour.

What does He say that He will do for us, when we open the door and let Him in? "If any man hears My voice, and opens the door - I will come in to him, and will eat with him, and he with Me." Ah, gracious Lord! The centurion thought himself unworthy that You should come under his roof, even to heal his servant - and will You indeed come into our poor hearts? You ate with publicans and sinners - and now You will come in to such as us. You sought and saved those who were lost then - and You do the same now!

He says, "I will come in and eat with him - and he with Me." This shows that He will not merely come in, but will also be kind to us and hold fellowship with us and give us food for our souls and supply our needs and make us happy. For in the Bible, a feast is often used to show spiritual plenty and comfort and happiness. The blessedness to come is represented to us under the figure of "the marriage supper of the Lamb" - and when Jesus comes and makes His abode in the heart, there is a foretaste of that blessedness.

Yes, when He comes in, He will come to be our Saviour - to save us, to bless us, to supply our need, to satisfy our souls, to give us peace, comfort, and happiness in union with Himself.

"And he with Me" - the poor sinner, all unworthy in himself, will not be afraid of One so gracious. He will venture to hold communion with Him, and it will be the strength and happiness of his soul.

What follows expresses even more, a higher glory and happiness still. "To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and sat down with My Father in His throne." What! Shall repentant sinners sit with Him in His throne? Will He raise us as high as that? We can hardly raise even our thoughts so high. Yet He says so. And though we may not be able fully to understand what He means - yet this is plain, that He will give a share in His glory to all who overcome.

But mark, this is for "him who overcomes." When Christ is admitted into the heart - the course of the Christian does but begin. Thenceforward he is a soldier of Christ. The battle is before him. It will last until his Captain calls him home. We must endure hardness. We "must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." We shall meet with dangers, difficulties, and temptations. The promise is to "him who overcomes" - to "him who endures unto the end" - not to him who grows careless, yields, and goes back to sin and the world.

But He Himself will help us to overcome - and to bear what He sends: trial, sickness, loss. He Himself will help us to withstand the tempter; to persevere in our course to the end; to remain steadfast in the faith.


But have we heard His voice and opened the door? That is the great question. Even if not - yet He is so gracious that He knocks still.  Would the kind man who came with gifts stand knocking still at the poor man's door - who refused to open to him? Yet the Lord Jesus stands and knocks - even after long neglect and many refusals. Ah, how often has He knocked by His Word, by sermons, by His warnings, by His mercies, by the voice of conscience, by sickness, by death of friends.

If you hear His voice and open to Him - then He will come in and be your Saviour and make you happy now and forever. Will you refuse? Will you stop your ears? Will you keep the door closed? Will you run the risk of His going away?

Lord! Bring home Your Word with power to the hearts of those who hear it. "He who has an ear - let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches!"

~Francis Bourdillon~

(The End)