A good question indeed! Well, all of us would like to think so and say ‘yes’. But the reality is this: Jesus would never, ever force Himself into one’s heart. He is a perfect gentleman, always patiently waiting for us to invite Him in.
“Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; IF you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you…”
Rev 3:16
The conditional ‘IF’ in the bible verse above and in the statement below has to be noted.
IF Jesus were to force Himself through the doors of our hearts, then this would not be love. It would be a violation of rights.
One becomes a Christian disciple only after he / she has willingly and consciously invited Jesus into his / her heart and at the same time, makes the necessary preparation of heart for Him to enter.
This is an ongoing process and has to be repeated throughout our lives. The sanctity and holiness of one’s heart makes it a worthy home for the Saviour to reside in. Hence, the preparation involves sincere repentance, total surrender, a strong desire to live a new life in Christ and daily personal prayer.
Yes, Christmas is a season to celebrate; but not to celebrate the event of the birth of Jesus in the stable of Bethlehem. Christmas is a season to celebrate the birth of Jesus in your heart. If this birth has not happened, then Christmas becomes a vain and meaningless activity.
“But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, he gave power to become children of God.”
John 1:12
At this time, it is mandatory that we understand that only through a personal, living relationship with Jesus, we become children of God. This relationship in turn allows for us to be heirs of the kingdom, jointly with Christ, if His spirit dwells in each of us individually.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Rom 8:11
Christmas is also a season to look into yourself and for you to renew your faith.
The spiritual joy one experiences during Christmas is directly proportional to the sincerity of the spiritual preparation during this season.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless, indeed you fail to meet the test!
2Cor 13:5
So back to the question: Is Jesus born in your heart? And does Jesus reside there?
There are outward signs of this. We have to ask ourselves these 5 questions.
- Have I completely stopped my sinful ways and sinful deeds of the past?
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
1 Cor 3:16
- Have I let go of my own plans & surrendered all the aspects of my life to His will and His plans?
Thy kingdom come and thy will be done.
Matt 6:10
- Am I in communion & friendship with God through a daily personal prayer time?
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thess 5:16-18
– Am I seeking Jesus proactively by regularly reading and meditating on His Word in the bible?
Search and you shall find.
Matt 7:7
- Am I living for Jesus? Or am I living for myself?
And He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for them.
2 Cor 5:15
Prayer: Jesus, here I am to say – Please come into my heart today. I now make a decision to let go of my sinful past. I now make a decision to change from my lukewarm attitude in seeking you and your will in my life. Lord, change my heart and make it ever new (Ps 51:10). Lord Jesus, this season and henceforth, by your grace, may I be transformed into your image and likeness and reflect your divine nature in my life. (Rom 1:20, 2Cor 2:15) Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Come Lord Jesus, come. (1Cor 16:22) Come Lord Jesus, come.
Published in ‘The Tabor Kirana’, Dec. 2014
