Question: Jonathan M. questioned the appropriateness of using Revelation 3:20 in the presentation of the gospel which according to him seems to be out of context since the original readers of John’s letter to the Laodiceans were already Christians (or it seems that way since they belonged to the local church).
Answer: I think the confusion arises because another NT writer, the Apostle Paul, addresses his readers in the different local churches that he writes to as “saints.” However I believe that, while it was out of diplomacy for Paul in his letters to address the members of a church as “saints”, in reality there exists within the churches he started, elements which are not exactly genuinely saved (e.g. Acts 20:30, Romans 16:17-19, 2 Tim. 4:10).
The Apostle John, on the other hand was less diplomatic to members of the church in his letters to them. A specific example of this is Diotrephes in 3 John 9-11. Other examples can be found in 1 John 3:10, 15; 4:20; 5:2. Therefore, I believe that in the church in Laodicea which was also written by John, he was reflecting the patience of Jesus in inviting the members of the local congregation who have not yet really accepted Jesus.
Likewise in CCF, although Pastor Peter addresses everyone in the Church as Christians, he is also aware that it is quite possible some may have not yet really accepted or received God’s gracious provision of His Son as payment for their sins and are still clinging on to salvation by their own merits. Therefore, the use of Revelation 3:20 for non-Christians is still in keeping with how it was originally written for unconverted church goers.
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