Open Only For Jesus

When I left my house the other day, I noticed something out of the ordinary at a house on our street.  Despite the early hour, the front door adorned with a Hindu banner stood wide open with no one in sight.  A small wooden table was arranged on the porch with two ornamental brass and silver vessels sitting on top.  I am not sure what the significance of the decorations and the open door were, but it seemed to signal an home that was open and welcoming to spirits and good luck.  It certainly requires faith to believe a banner (Toran) can act as a spirit filter like a flyscreen--allowing sunlight and the cool breeze to pass through but prevents flies and mosquitos from coming in as well.

I suspect those who go to great lengths to obtain good luck and prosperity are often in a quandary when troubles arise and lack sure spiritual footing:  did a malevolent spirit come into their home?  Is their bed or mirror arranged in the wrong way?  Have they angered spirits because they could not find their preferred flowers for an offering?  In the midst of a long season of idolatry in Israel, the Jews found themselves in a similar predicament.  Though the God of Israel established them in the land of Canaan, provided seasonal rain, prosperity, and protection from their enemies, they departed from Him and served the "queen of heaven."  The people of Judah fled from their land to Egypt, and they doubled-down on their need to sacrifice to the queen of heaven in Jeremiah 44:18:  "But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine."

God's people foolishly gave credit to the queen of heaven for all God had graciously provided them.  God revealed it was their sin of idolatry that withheld good things like seasonal rain and bountiful harvests from them in Jeremiah 5:25:  "Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have withheld good from you."  The hearts of God's people were cluttered with useless, hopeless idols that were powerless to save, and their troubles were a direct result of departing from God.  The queen of heaven could not help, deliver them from trouble or restore them to their land, but they insisted on serving her anyway.  What a sad situation this was, for spiritually impoverished people who had a rich spiritual heritage of faith in God to wear themselves out seeking the favour of idols that could not see, hear, speak or save.

The door standing open aligns with the new age approach of opening up yourself to deceitful spirits that are not of God.  Jesus Christ showed His power over all unclean spirits by delivering people possessed by them.  He explained what can happen when an unclean spirit leaves a person in Matthew 12:44-45:  "Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  It is good to regularly clean our houses and to put them in order because they quickly become dusty, grimy and disorganised.  Unless the LORD Himself takes up residence in our hearts by faith in Jesus, our hearts and minds resemble an empty house with an open door that allows any unclean spirit in.  Any spirit that would dare enter us--beside the Holy Spirit who is part of the triune God--is a wicked, malevolent spirit.

Jesus pointed out the last state of a man influenced by unclean spirits was worse than the first, and so it also would be with this wicked generation--a blasphemous, unbelieving and corrupt generation.  We observe history repeating itself with the idolatrous men of Judah in the book of Jeremiah, with the self-righteous and proud religious rulers who argued with Jesus, and unbelief in God and His word continues in our day.  There is only one remedy and means of being purged of sin, reconciled to God and true prosperity:  by faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God, by opening up the door of our hearts to Him only.  He alone is able to wash us from sin and grant eternal and abundant life.  In this case the cure is also a preventative measure, for Jesus does not leave us empty but fills believers with the Holy Spirit.  One great tragedy in the world is when people are willing to open themselves to every restless spirit but intentionally close the door when Jesus stands, knocks and calls out for us to open to Him.