Anchor My Faith

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Author: Stephen Weller
540 words, 3 minutes read time

Which Side of the Door

Scripture: Luke 13:25-27

In the previous lesson the question of how many would be saved was asked to which the implication was made that it would be few. Jesus pointed out the importance of striving to enter through the narrow door while there is still time because for many the time will come upon them when it will be too late, and the door will close, and they will no longer be able to enter. In this lesson we will consider those left standing outside the door who desire to enter.

^{Lk 13:25} “When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’”

The house that these who stand outside the door and knock is the kingdom of God. The master of the house who shut the door, preventing those standing outside from entering, is the Lord Jesus Christ. At their knocking, Jesus comes to the door and they request that he open the door for them, but he answers, “I do not know where you come from.”

^{Lk 13:26} “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’”

Those standing outside remind Jesus that while alive on earth, they ate and drank in his presence; they were part of the crowds that followed him around, listening to his teaching and watching him perform miracles, but they did not accept him into their lives by faith. Now after physical death, they stand at the door to the kingdom and find it closed to them and Jesus declaring that he does not know them.

They persist and the second time Jesus tells them that he does not know them, but this time he is firm with them and tells them to depart from him for they are workers of evil. At this point we see Jesus as not only the Savior but also the final judge of all mankind. For Christians, they will come before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) to receive what is due to them for the deeds that they have done in their earthly life. For the unsaved, they will come before the great white throne where they will be judged before being cast into the lake of fire. These are the ones that stand outside the door, who Jesus declares to be workers of evil.

Conclusion

We see in this lesson that there is a time of salvation when the door is still open, and that there is a time coming for everyone when the door closes. The question is, “When the door closes at the time of your death, what side will you be on?” Make sure you know before the door suddenly closes and you lose your chance to enter.