I know thy works, behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and has not denied my name. Revelation 3:8
A number of years ago, as the Communist system collapsed in in Russia, many of our brethren rushed into that country with the Gospel. They found not only a deep hunger for the Word of God, but also a great openness among the authorities there to allow them to preach and to distribute Bibles. For awhile, a great work was done, and the open door allowed millions of Bibles to reach the hands, and hopefully the hearts, of people throughout that huge nation. But if the door was open to the Gospel, it was also open to the cults, and into the arena swept the carriers of Russelism, Mormonism, and many other false doctrines. This roused the concern of the Russian Orthodox Church, and their efforts resulted in the slamming shut of the door to all, including those who carried the Gospel. Our text speaks of an open door, as well, but it is an open door that cannot be shut.
The letter to the Assembly in Philadelphia describes a period of history that is with us today, in a great measure. For the past two hundred years or so, the Gospel has been freely preached in most of the western world, and is making great inroads in many of the developing countries. The open door that God has set before us means liberty to gather in Assembly capacity for worship, Bible study, and evangelism, with no fear of danger for doing so. The open door means we can each witness by word and godly life in our personal lives, we can invite and bring people to Gospel meetings, and our preachers can carry the Gospel wherever they find the Spirit leading. The open door is a wonderful blessing, and we rejoice that it is open to not only our Assemblies but to other groups who preach the Gospel faithfully. But our text places some qualifications on those for whom the door is to remain open.
The first qualification is for those who have a little strength. There are some who act as though they have a great deal of strength, as they hold their great crusades, build their vast mega-churches, and launch their world wide programs. For them, the door closes, and they no longer preach the Gospel; they preach, but it is another gospel. But if we will always acknowledge our weakness, our inability to do anything but speak for our Lord, we will see the door remain open. Another qualification is for us to keep the Word. How can the Gospel flourish in places that no longer acknowledge the Bible as the Word of God? No wonder that these places have found the Gospel deteriorate into dead social religion. Only by recognizing all of the word of God, and only the Word of God, can we preserve the open door. The door also shuts on those places that take another name than that of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s one of the requirements for keeping the door open, and we wonder why any would choose another.
May our Assemblies always meet the requirements for keeping the open door of the Gospel! -Jim MacIntosh