The Bible asks us to believe—to appropriate Christ's finished work on the cross by trusting Him alone to save us.
| posted 5/03/2006
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Two other things are worth noting. In Revelation 3:20, the Greek translation of in to means "toward." In figurative language, Jesus is saying to Christians that He will enter the church and come toward the believer for fellowship. Secondly, the word dine refers to the main meal of the day, to which you invited an honored guest. This would not be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches eaten hurriedly at the kitchen counter. More likely, it would be roast beef with tender carrots, potatoes, and gravy. It was the meal given over to hospitality and conversation. Had you said to my wife and me, "Come dine with us" and used this word, we would have known two things: you meant the evening meal, and you wanted to fellowship across the table. Jesus' offer, then, was one of intimate fellowship.
Revelation 3:20 is addressed to Christians, inviting them to "open the door" and allow Christ to enter into close fellowship. It is addressed to Christians and concerns their fellowship with Christ, not to non-Christians concerning their salvation.
What term or phrase does the Bible use to mean salvation?
In evangelizing the lost, speak the language the Bible speaks. The Book of John explains how to receive the gift of eternal life. John, in fact, identifies the purpose of his book: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (20:31).
How does one receive that eternal life? The word that John uses ninety-eight times is believe. Prior to raising Martha's brother, Lazarus, from the grave, Christ explained to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25-26). Believe means, "Understanding that Jesus Christ died for me and rose again, I receive eternal life by trusting Him alone as my only way to heaven."
A woman who attended a liberal church once asked her pastor, "If I watch a John Wayne movie, is God more likely to let me into heaven?" She sincerely thought that John Wayne was a good friend of Jesus Christ and watching one of his movies would increase her chance of getting into heaven. We might laugh at her logic, but we're just as mistaken to think that church attendance, baptism, keeping the commandments, taking the sacraments, or any amount of good living can get us into heaven. God asks us to trust a person—Jesus Christ—as our only means of salvation.
Does the Bible use other terms to convey the idea of appropriation? Consider the following:
- Nicodemus was told to look and live (John 3:14-15).
- The Samaritan woman was told to ask (John 4:10).
- The Jews were told to come to Christ (John 5:40).
- The multitudes were told to believe in Christ (John 6:47).
- They were also told to eat His flesh and drink His blood (John 6:53-54). Note: This is in the context of Christ being the "Bread of Life" (cf. John 6:35).
