Thursday, December 12, 2024
Honored Guest or Permanent Resident?
Jesus replied, ‘All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.’ (John 14:23 NLT)
Being a Christian isn’t merely trying to follow the example of Jesus Christ. Being a Christian is having Jesus Christ Himself taking residence in our hearts and living inside us. It’s what distinguishes the Christian faith from any other belief system.
Jesus said, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them” (John 14:23 NLT). That is an amazing statement when you think about it. God the Father and God the Son are saying they want to make their home with us.
And in Revelation 3, Jesus said, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (verse 20 NLT). It’s interesting that Jesus made this statement to the church of Laodicea. Jesus essentially was speaking to people who were probably in the church and going through the motions of Christianity, but for all practical purposes, they didn’t have a relationship with Him.
A few verses earlier, Jesus said to them, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (verses 15–16 NLT).
In other words, “Lukewarmness turns my stomach.” Thus, Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”
It’s hard for us to appreciate the significance of that statement in our fast-food culture. We are used to quick meals. In fact, we have developed into an art form the ability to eat while we’re driving.
But in Jesus’ day, there was no such thing as takeout. A meal took much longer back then. Dinner was the main event of the evening, where you sat down with friends and family. You took your time to relax, share the events of the day, and bare your hearts to one another.
So, when Jesus said, “I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends,” He was saying, “I want to have fellowship with you, and I want you to relax and be honest. I want to spend a lot of time with you.”
Is Christ at home in your heart? The apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (Ephesians 3:16-17 NLT).
Is Jesus Christ an honored guest in your home, or is He a permanent resident? He wants to be the latter. Jesus doesn’t just want to be home for the holidays. He wants to live in your heart all year.
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