A Door Open or Shut

In my last post, I wrote about God’s gentlemanly behavior. I discussed how He abides by the way we choose to exercise authority, even though He’s the very one who granted it.  He doesn’t violate our boundaries, even when they are against Him.  Where He bestows authority, He relegates Himself to its ruling. In this we can use our free will to banish Him or to invite Him in. We are granted the power over the entrance. And this is a global principle that includes our very lives, so let me show you how.

God’s given us authority over our lives and bodies. We will answer for how we steward our temple, our time, and our life. He endows us with free-will authority and then refuses to violate our sovereignty in it. Yes, I said it, I have sovereign rule over my life, will, and choices. If I block His entrance into my life, He will abide by my will. Conversely, if I invite Him in, He fills all with Himself on His terms.

His abiding by my rule as sovereign blows me away! It makes me want to go and find all my hindrances to Him, conscious as well as unconscious ones, and remove them quickly.

One of our most amazing gifts is free will. It’s a tremendous weight of responsibility, which God gives us the freedom to wield. I have the power to bring Him in or send Him away. That He shows me the tremendous weightiness of my accountability is an amazing kindness. I will answer for how I managed His passage: did I shut the door to Him, or open up and let Him in? If I was ignorant of the fact, I could go about life empty-headed. But because I know what I steward, I shudder in fear of God.

My will gives right of entrance or blocks God’s presence! A door open or shut is all in my control! How and when He manifests is His to determine, but if He can manifest is under my domain. In this life I have the say, but in the next, every knee will bow! Now this doesn’t mean that the Father won’t work circumstances to change my mind.  He is very persuasive.  But the Holy Spirit is such a gentleman, that He will not violate us. As with the pastor’s wife in my last post, He will leave if we grieve Him.

Even though I say all this, there are extenuating circumstances—God’s loophole so to speak. Although God has given us free will to choose, He’s a good Father who cares too much not to object when our choice is away from Him. While He won’t violate us, He will create conditions that may dissuade us from our path.

Everywhere we block His presence, whether in a church, in a job, or even within our own hearts, we will answer to Him for it. We will give an account for every choice we made for or against Him. Did we close the door or open it wide? We’re literally the gatekeepers for our world of influence for the King of Glory to come in.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me.
Revelations 3:20 AMP