The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-04-05

considerable about doors. Christ In
this text represents himself as the
open door, The words with which he
paints this into the picture are, "n any
man enter in," 'go in," and "go out"
Now there must be some very plain
and fundamental lessons Christ would
teach us by this homely and common
place portrayal of himself. One Of
these Is the simple one that the Lord
Jesus Christ is the open door into sal
vation. How elemental" you say;
yes, but how essential it Is that we
know this, for many mistake other
doors for the door. They think salva-
ton is either through the church, or
baptism, or good works, or something
else, when the truth Is salvation Is
through Christ. How plain and direct
are the Scriptures concerning this, as
for example, Romans 6:23, ''the gift
Of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord" or Acts 4 IL, "Nei-
ther is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we
Of Christ in our text, 81 am the door;
by (through) me If any man enter in
he shall be saved"
Next to knowing that Jesus Christ
is the only open door into salvation Is
the need of knowing that he Is the
open door for all. He himself makes
this clear when he says "by me IL any
man enter in he shall be saved" "Any
man" includes every man, and ex-
cludes no man. Jesus Christ, the open
door into salvation, swings wide open
for every one to enter in. This also Is
clearly taught in the Scriptures. Our
Lord himself bids all men to come to
him and the all-inclusive word of the
Gospel Is whatsoever" In this connec-
ton it is usually coupled with another
important word that we do well to pom.
der, and that is the word "will :" "who-
soever WILL" we read, may come" and
again "wbosoever will, let him take Of
the water of life freely" So we see
that while Jesus Christ is the open
door for all, the question Of entering
that door depends upon the wills Of
those for whom the door swings wide
open. Jesus never coerces anyone into
entering through him, the open door,
into salvation; he invites, entreats and
constrains all to enter, but never COM
pels anyone to enter. This puts the
question of entering the open door
squarely before each person. Christ
Is the open door for all into salvation.
but whether one enters or not Is a
matter of his own will. This Is why
Jesus said to men in his day to whom
he appealed: "Ye will not come unto
me that We might have life" What
solemniZing truth it is, that our saliva
ton depends upon our willingness to
accept the offer of salvation fully pur-
chased by Christ and freely offered to
the world in him. In other plain
words, that we may be saved, or not,
as we choose. If we enter through
Christ, the open door, we shall be
saved if we choose not to enter, we
shall be lost. 1t is not enough, you
see, to know that Christ is the only
open door into salvation and the open
door for all. If he is to be our Savior,
he must, as the open door, be made
use of, otherwise how can he avail usf
We should also note that Christ Is
the open door into service for those
who have entered. OF such he says
they "shall go in and out and find pas,
ture." Sustenance for the ChristianIh
is found not only in the study Of the "
Bible, and other means Of grace, butgl
as well, we see from our text, in Chris
t1an service.
Christ does not. intend that those
who are saved shall rest in ease; rath-
er he means that they shall serve and
in service find strength. OF himself
he said "my meat is to do the will OF
him that sent me-" This word was in
response to his disciples who returning
from Sychar whittier they had gone to
buy meat, prayed him. saying, master
eat" To this he had replied, 81 have
meat to eat that ye know not Of" They
thought someone must have brought
him something to eat.s But 1t was not
of material food he spoke: 1t was Of
that spiritual sustenance which comes
to those who in service do the win of
God. He had been ministering to the
woman Of Samaria, and had met her
spiritual need; this service was to him
the meat they knew not of.
And so those who have entered into
salvation through Christ, the open
door, will find spiritual sustenance
(pasturage), as they go out through
Christ, the open door In service to
their fellow men.