The Door to Life

The Door to Life

Jesus is the door into the sheepfold. He is also the sheepfold itself; therefore it speaks about walking in Him.

It is one thing to come to a door, to knock on it, and speak with the agreeable man of the house.

It is another thing to walk through the door, especially when the door is unusually narrow.

There are many people who come to the Lord Jesus in order to be helped. Those who come to Him will never be cast out; on the contrary, they will be helped. There are many people who discover that this help is beneficial, and therefore they busy themselves with going back and forth to this blessed door; nevertheless, in spite of this there are very few people who love this good Lord so sincerely that they forsake their people and their father’s house and go in to Him and remain there.

Jesus Himself became the great Shepherd of the sheep by partaking of flesh and blood like us, thus consecrating a new and living way through His flesh (Heb. 10:20), which means through Himself. He is the door itself, and He has gone through the door (John 10:2), therefore through Himself. Hence it is also written: “I am the way . . . .” At the same time He also consecrated a way—that is, through Himself.

When a sinner repents, that means that he arises and goes to God. And whom does he meet? He meets Jesus.

We meet Him at the foot of the cross where we confess our sins and have them wiped out. Then we have peace with God (are reconciled to Him) by being justified by faith.

However, now we must pay attention. What happens now? Most people do not advance further. They still live for themselves, regularly going to the foot of the cross and confessing that they are sinners, but returning every time to their sinful life. This is how they become dull, lukewarm, and blind. Everything appears to be insincere.

Aren’t those who live like this Jesus’ disciples? Not at all! Jesus Himself says to those who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” John 8:31.

This is not just a figure of speech, because it has concrete results as it is written further: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

What else shall we do besides go to the foot of the cross? We should make an effort to make it through the narrow door! This door is not in a field, in front of the cross; it is on the cross!

Even if it should be ever so hard, strive to enter through the narrow gate! Luke 13:24.

The apostle Paul does not say that he stayed at the foot of the cross; on the contrary, he says that he was crucified with Christ. Christ is the way, and this way was opened into the sanctuary itself in that the veil was rent as He hung on the cross. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews says that this veil, as it pertains to us, is the flesh of Jesus Christ. It was sacrificed, nailed to the cross. Paul raced ahead on this way, exhorting us to follow him. On this way there is the sheepfold with green pastures and there is the Shepherd; there is the entire fullness of the Godhead bodily in Christ Jesus. It is not to be wondered at that Paul gloried in this cross which enabled him to enter through the door, and so he was hidden to the world. Gal. 6:14.

This is also what he speaks about when he says that he bore the dying of Christ in his body. 2 Cor. 4:10.

This is our Canaan, in the body of Christ’s flesh. Col. 1:22. That is where we are to walk and fight and conquer the land.

Life, truth, and the land are immortality—God’s own nature.

When Jesus says that He is the way, this does not mean that He is the way from the pigsty to the door. That way is definitely not narrow. He Himself is the way. In other words, it is in Him. We must go through Him as the door, abide in Him, and walk in Him as the way.

This cannot take place unless we give our life and everything that we are and possess—unless we judge ourselves as those in whom dwells nothing good. We can do this with concrete results by believing that Jesus died for us, by faith reckoning ourselves dead with Him on the cross and living by faith, always considering ourselves hanging on the cross, and nailed to it together with Jesus.

This mystery is great. I speak about Christ and the church. The two shall be one flesh.

When you, dear soul, fall down at the foot of the cross and call yourself blessed for the solace you receive there by God coming near to you, then I want to say this to you: If it is so blessed to stand by the door, seeing and hearing this blessed Jesus, and receiving good gifts from Him, how much more blessed it must be to go in through the door and be part of the household in this wonderful, good house!

This is our calling, dear soul! It is nothing less. Actually, it is considerably greater! Or what do you say about this, or to what greatness and highness and glory do you want to compare it that we are even called to be the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Not just entering into the house, but be the bride of the Lord of the house! The person who wants to be His bride must love Him to the exclusion of everything else; therefore he must take up his cross and follow Him. For if we suffer with Him, then we will also be glorified together with Him.

If we endure, we will also rule together with Him. Then we will receive a full reward when we, as a reward for having suffered mockery and scorn in this world because we have grieved over our own folly and have judged ourselves, will sit on thrones in all eternity and rule in the perfect purity and righteousness that we have loved and waited for, and whose refreshing fruit we have also tasted.

This word is sure: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

There are many people who have shown the way to the door for the sheep, and there are also many of them in these days. Probably the greatest of them until today is John the Baptist. He pointed powerfully to the door, and yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he! Matt. 11:11. John saw the Bridegroom and rejoiced over Him, and yet he was not of the bride. John 3:29.

Many people will come and sit at the table in God’s kingdom. Blessed is everyone who is invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!

When it is such great blessedness just to be present at the wedding feast, how much more blessed it must be to be the bride herself! Rev. 19:7, 9.

Those who go through the door are the bride. Seeing that the promise is still outstanding, use violence to enter in; go inside where no one and nothing can cause us any inconvenience, where there is perfect rest, where life’s imperishable content gains entrance to our spirit.