On the Receiving End
By John Gavazzoni

There's a popular concept among the great majority of Christians, i.e., that God's sending and man's receiving are two related, but separate actions, as in, "it's God's part to send, i.e., give, and my part to receive." It's often thought of, and described as, God coming to the door of one's heart, knocking and calling out to that one to be allowed in, and then waiting for that person to complete the transaction by the exercise of his will to allow Him in. The verse referenced is Rev. 3:20 that speaks of God standing at a door knocking--which, by the way, is addressed to a church, not an individual-- and pertains not to individual conversion, but to that church about renewing intimate communion with their Lord.

This verse presents the Lord as knocking at the door ("heart" is not mentioned) and obviously calling out, since He says, "If any man hears my voice..." But there's a condition involved in the context: that of having "an ear to hear" (Rev. 3:22; KJV) as obviously necessary, otherwise there could be no entering transaction. Without an "ear to hear," those inside are deaf to the call, and nothing will transpire. People can't choose to have an ear to hear, it must be granted them. If you have an ear to hear, it's been given to you. Your spiritual deafness needs to be healed, and then you will hear. You will not acquire an ear to hear by any initiative on your part. It follows then, that when we're given an ear to hear, that very hearing sets in motion the dynamic of the Word doing what it was sent to do.

In any matter of response to God, we can only do what Christ does in us; "...Yet, not I, but Christ..." (Gal. 2: 20; KJV) can be laid over top all biblical instructions about what ought to be in the life of a believer. Everything Jesus did and said, according to Him, was the Father in Him doing the doing and speaking the speaking (Jn. 14:10 any translation). Likewise, consistently so, anything of spiritual worth that comes forth out of us, is Jesus doing it in us. Nothing's changed. As the Father did it all in Jesus during His earthly life, He continues to do the same, but now He's doing it in Jesus in us.

It's really quite simple, saints, once you give up insisting on getting some credit for yourself (or blame if you don't do it). God sent His Son into the world (Gal. 4:4; Jn. 3:17; KJV), and then sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts (Gal. 4:6; KJV). He sent, we received; one seamless transaction. We received BECAUSE He was sent. He came in BECAUSE He was sent, NOT because we received. The receiving was integral to the sending. Think of an arrow shot from heaven, a dead-center, bull's eye shot, right into your heart. You received it all right; you sure did!

Haven't you noticed how consistently scripture presents God in the active mode and we in the passive? "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (Jn. 3:3; KJV) "Except a man BE BORN..." Do you know of anyone who has given birth to himself? Peter had it right: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1Pet. 1:3; KJV)

We've been begotten BY God. We didn't GET ourselves begotten. Before being begotten unto a lively hope by Christ's resurrection, "...our old, former humanity is crucified together (or: was simultaneously and jointly impaled and put to death on an execution stake) with [Him]..." (Rom. 6:6 JMT [Jonathan Mitchell's Translation of the New Testament]). Try doing that to yourself! We were raised up together with Christ (Eph. 2:6; KJV)... all actions done FOR us. We did not act; we were acted upon. We were dead in our sins (Col. 2:13; KJV), helpless to raise ourselves. Even Christ was "raised from the dead by the glory of the Father." (Rom. 6:4; KJV)

Scripture says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, AND THAT, NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD." (Eph. 2:8; KJV, Emphasis, mine); "...the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith OF the Son of God..." (Gal. 2:20; KJV, Emphasis mine). It's all grace; it's all Him; it's all His doing. "...HE which has begun a good work in you, HE WILL PERFORM it..." (Phil. 1:6; KJV, Emphasis, mine). HE will, "...for it is God which works in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Phil. 2:13; KJV) All of the above brings to mind, for me, the words of the hymnist: "What more can He say, than to you He hath said..." [From the hymn: How Firm a Foundation]

Please understand this principle: The God of creation, is the same God of recreation. Both are products of the Word of God. Within the Word of God sent into the world and into our hearts is the dynamic of God's perfecting of Jesus' humanity from incarnation, through death, and on to glorification. The Word of God makes that Reality an experiential Reality for us, in us. The Christ Event continues working in, and as, and by the Word of God.

The following very directly related lyrics are especially precious to me, for they spoke to my heart years ago when I read them, as if for the first time after the Lord had delivered me from a long and terrible depression. They extol the power of God in delivering the helpless:

The words are:
"Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound by sin and nature's night.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I rose, the dungeon flamed with light.
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee."
[From the hymn: And Can It Be (Amazing Love)]