Doors
by Shirley D. Tingle
Doors—what would we do without them? Well, we could get creative, and come inside through a window. Or, if we were really determined to get in, we could kick through a wall to gain entrance that way. But I’m glad that something as simple as a door allows us a logical and dignified way of entrance.
Doors provide us with barriers to what’s on the other side of them. We’re careful, in today’s world, not to open our doors to just anyone. Doors with locks and alarm systems help us feel safer from having the “bad guys” break in. It’s comforting to feel safe.
Doors are ubiquitous. We go in and out of them everywhere we go. We pass by places with beautifully carved, ornate doors; doors covered with signs and stickers; doors of our favorite places to eat or be entertained; doors of the church building, the school building, the movie theater, the doctor’s office, the work place; our friends’ houses, stores, and so on. Many doors have signs telling us exactly what to expect on the other side, with some having clear glass that allows us to see through. Some doors that we may want to enter are more mysterious. We knock or ring the bell and wait to see who shows up at the door. One thing’s true about doors—it’s our decision whether to step over the threshold and enter, or not. And it’s our decision to open the door or not open it.
There are many scriptures in the Bible that speak about doors. And as the scriptures often do, they give us examples of sinful and unwise choices made by people and let us see why those choices are to be avoided in order to be pleasing to God. Other scriptures spread the loving message of God’s Son, so we can imitate Him, obey His Word, and continue to spread it to others.
Door #1: Cain was angry about having his offering rejected by God, while his brother, Abel’s offering, was respected by God. The LORD asked Cain why he was angry. God told Cain if he had done well, he would have been accepted, but also that “sin lieth at the door,” (Genesis 4:7, KJV). Cain chose to let that sin “come in,” let it grow, and let it lead him to murdering his own brother, Abel. We’re given this lesson as an example of what NOT to do, but we have scriptures that tell what TO do. Ephesians 4:26, KJV, says, “Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath...” Also, Jesus says in Matthew 5:21-22, KJV, that it’s been said in the old time that “thou shalt not kill,” but He adds that “whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” As we read both scriptures let’s keep in mind that sin can be “lying at the door—” just waiting for us to open the door and let it in.
Door #2: Matthew 25:1-13 is a parable told by Jesus that gives us an example of someone having a door shut, preventing them from gaining entrance. Five wise and five foolish virgins in this parable represent the kingdom of heaven. As the virgins await the coming of the bridegroom, who represents Jesus, they fall asleep. At midnight, the bridegroom arrives, but there’s a problem—five of the virgins have no oil for their lamps. They’re told by the five “wise” ones, who prepared themselves by bringing extra oil, to go out and buy more oil for their lamps. They had no other choice, so they departed. The bridegroom then accompanied the virgins who were ready and prepared into where the marriage was taking place, and he shut the door. The foolish virgins returned with their oil, but it was too late. They begged for the door to be opened. The bridegroom told them, from the other side of the door, that he didn’t even know who they were. Matthew 25:13 brings this lesson home to us all in that none of us know when Christ is coming back, and we must be prepared, and watchful. On Judgment Day, we don’t want the door to Heaven to be shut with us being left outside, begging for the door to be open. If so, then Christ will say to us, “I never knew you.”
Door #3: When we read the gospel in the New Testament, we are blessed with the knowledge that God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to die on the cross, so that we might have forgiveness of our sins. His death is not the end of the story. One very important door is spoken of in Matthew’s account. Matthew 27:60, KJV, says, speaking of Christ’s body, “And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out of rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.” Christ has now been buried, the stone was in front of the door, and the tomb was sealed. Also, soldiers were placed there to watch the tomb. There was no way anyone could go in or out of the door of the tomb. Christ had told the thief on the cross that he would be with Him in paradise at death. Christ had told the Jews on the occasion of His cleansing of the temple of the moneychangers that if they “destroy this temple, in three days I will raise it up,” John 3:19, KJV. He was speaking of His own body being resurrected in three days after the crucifixion. So, three days later, the first day of the week, there was an earthquake, and the angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled back the stone from the door of the tomb, and sat on it, Matthew 28:2, KJV. The “good news” continues—Christ has risen! And then there’s more good news—Christ has ascended to Heaven. And when Christ returns, He will gather all faithful Christians to Him, in the air, and take them home to Heaven, to live forever.
Door #4: Jesus, in the gospel of John, spoke about Himself as being a door. Jesus is the Great Shepherd of the sheep, who are His followers, or Christians, Hebrews 13:20, KJV. John 10:7, KJV, says, “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.” In John 10:9, KJV, Jesus speaks again saying, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” It appears that we have found the door of salvation—being baptized into Christ. God could have required us to do some other act of faith to complete our salvation, but He didn’t. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” Mark 16:16, KJV, makes it pretty clear. The door to salvation is always open because God wants everyone to be saved. Christ is that door. His blood “cleanses us from all sin,” I John 1:7, KJV.
Our hearts have a door, too. It’s a choice that each person makes as to whether the door to the heart (mind) opens to receive God’s message, or if the door slams shut, rejecting God’s truth. It’s always our decision to open our hearts (minds) and let the truth come in “and dwell richly,” Colossians 3:16, KJV. If we’re not prepared when Christ comes back again, then shall the great door of Heaven be shut for all eternity.