Doors of Misconception

Do you believe that Christ “opens and closes doors” for you, creating favorable opportunities (opening doors) and closing unfavorable ones (closing doors) on your behalf?

Although the metaphor stands, there are life-defining conditions that must be met for this to be true for you.

Christ declares these conditions:

You must take up your cross, deny yourself, separate from this world unto Me, take My hand in spirit, and I will shape your world. 

Your belief alone doesn’t assure that Christ will shape your world (or open and close doors for you).

The idea that faith alone drives His guidance and provision is a myth.

This myth has been propagated by people who do not understand Christ’s ways. 

If you are toiling of your own volition, depending on yourself and others for your provision, storing up for yourself, or investing in your wealth, you are essentially walking through your own doors and are just as corrupt as others who also live by the world’s ways.

Christ is the open door.

If you actually seek to live by Christ’s ways and walk through His door, you will put down the ways of the world and walk by His guidance alone.

You are deceiving yourself in thinking that you are a follower of Jesus if you are living by the world’s ways.

You are deceiving yourself in thinking that you are blessed when your provision came from your own construction, your own hand. 

You are reaping what you are sowing.

Sowing corruption will reap corruption. 

Therefore, you cannot act like the world does AND trust in Christ.

Truly, you cannot do both.

In all burdens, in all matters, in each day, you should look to Him and ask Him for your provision–not friends, family, employers, or anyone else, for that matter. 

His way is to eat from His hand: complete devotion to Christ as His bondservant.

Imagine that, completely obedient to Him and completely dependent on Him.

Listening to Him in spirit and truth; acting on His commands.

When you seek Christ, and Christ alone, He will provide what you need; this will be your blessing. 

So do not be deceived into thinking that you can seek riches and be His, regardless of whether you are rich or poor. 

Instead, be settled into life as His dependent, receiving what He provides.

He will tell you what you need to know.

He will provide for you what you need.

Live essentially with what you are given, whether little or much. 

This is faith in the Open Door. 

I was discussing “acting in dependence on Christ” with a pastor. He made the comment, “Am I to live naked in the street then?”

Where is your faith? 

Practice what you preach.

Overcome your fear; have the courage to wait for Christ’s provision. 

He will not hand you a stone.

If you lay down your life for His sake as He commands, you will succeed.

If you look to Him for all things, He will provide.

Provision may come from anywhere or anyone He chooses.

You sow so that others may reap.

By His hand, you reap what others have sown.

This is kingdom life. 

The supernatural is greater than the natural; the spirit is greater than the flesh.

The world’s ways and the King’s ways do not mix; His door is the only way. 

Therefore, stop pretending that you trust in Christ, and start acting like it. 

You may have already accumulated much of this world and strive for more, but what is the price of your soul?

Would you rather seek profit in this world or profit for eternity?

Do not let reason betray you; it’s one or the other. 

Seek truth in spirit.

So should you give away all that you have and only rely on Him?

Seek Him and ask Him.

What do you think He will say?

Consider what He has already said:

Do not store up; put your resources to work with the time you have. Be as the sparrow and the lily; they neither work nor toil, yet I provide.

Follow Me, and all will be provided. Follow Me, and lead a king's way.

Do not rely upon your own understanding. 

Do not forfeit kingdom life. 

Walk through His door and do not look back.