A Gracious Invitation by X

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 27, 1898

A Gracious Invitation.

By X

THERE are no more precious words in the Book of God than those found in 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.”

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.

Whose Door?

It is the door of every soul in Laodicea. It is not a general knocking to get into a church; it comes home to the individual heart—to “any man” in Laodicea. It matters not who he is. He may be “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17), so that all earthly friends will pass him by. His house may be a hovel; his bed, the cold earth floor; his clothing, rags and tatters; he may be diseased and blind. Yet notwithstanding all this there is One who does not pass him by.

Who Is He?

He is one with the everlasting God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth; “for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him and for Him; and He is before all things, and by [in] Him all things consist.” Col. 1:17. He is “the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy.” Isa. 57: 15. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and He comes to the doors of the hearts of Laodicea. Nay, more, He does not come in judgment, altho it is a time of judgment. He comes as a brother, an elder brother; for while He is one with God, He is one with humanity. His name is Immanuel—(God with us.)

What a Guest!

Who would or could desire a greater honor than to open the door to receive Him? than to welcome Him? than to entertain Him?

What He Will Do.

“I will come in to him.” He will enter our home and be with us. More, He will “sup” with us. But what have we, the wretched ones, the “miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,” to set before the Royal Guest? Surely it is a poor bill of fare at the best. Upon it we have reached the condition in which we are. Upon it we have starved, and have become miserable, and poor, and blind. But He will sup with us. “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” Matt. 8:17. He was “in all things” “made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest.” He is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” Heb. 2:17; 4:15. He “became sin for us.” “The chastisement of our peace was upon Him.” “With His stripes we are healed.” O, He is a partaker with us! We may bring all the miserable fare before Him, we may spread our bare-board table, but it will not turn Him away. He will partake with us, and His blessed presence will transmute the bread of sorrow into a feast of gladness.

What More?

O, He will spread His table! He wishes us to sup with Him. When He sups with us, we spread the board and furnish the fare; but when we sup with Him, He will place before us all the delectable bounties of heaven. His goodness fills our whole lives. He takes our rags, and clothes us with His glorious robe of righteousness, woven in the loom of heaven. He takes away our blindness and anoints our eyes with the eye-salve of the Holy Spirit, and we see. He takes from us our poverty, and bestows upon us the riches of His grace and access to the great infinite storehouse. He takes away our wretchedness and despair, and gives us hopefulness. He takes away the misery, and gives us happiness. O, let Him in! Why should He knock longer? You lose all without Him; you obtain all with Him. Let Him in; open the door, and let Jesus in. X.