Open House

Romans 6:5
"Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was."

Chambers offers great insight related to this passage:

"The Holy Spirit cannot be accepted as a guest in merely one room of the house - He invades all of it."

Being united with Christ in his death is an act of surrender, an invitation for the Holy Spirit to reside within us. Being raised to life is what follows as we submit to His authority. But that submission must be complete... there can be nothing withheld as our own, no room in our houses kept locked.

I know that I'm a better man than I was ten years ago. I'm a better husband, father, leader... I'm even a better guitarist than I was ten years (not that it matters much). But I know there are still dark, dusty, cluttered rooms that I've kept under lock and key. There have even been times when I've sensed the Lord trying to teach me something, seeking to invade those restricted rooms, and I've checked the bolt and chain to ensure their security.

If I want to know this new life that Christ's death and resurrection offer, then I must have an open house, granting him full access to even the most hidden and messy areas of my life; allowing him entrance even to the rooms that I claim as mine (my man caves, as they were).

The question I ask myself is this: why do I lock the doors to those rooms, when he only wants to come in and clean things up... maybe even do a little remodeling? An open house can only lead to a better house.

We hold on to things because we like them the way they are. We fear change. We may even worry that giving God the keys to all the rooms will mean that we have to give up the things we really enjoy. But God doesn't want to hamper my life... he wants to raise me to new life. I need to start handing over some keys.