Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3.20) Here is yet another proof of divine humility. He needs us to open the door and make room for Him in our hearts.
Saint Gregory the Illuminator, meditating on the sovereign choice of man, clearly states that our benevolent God entrusted us with the power of free choice, making us the steering force of divine Providence. Guided by this abundant source of grace, we can learn the ways of God—the knowledge that brings the pleasure of the Heavenly Father through doing what is good.
This first creation is like a baptism, through which man came to exist within the realm of limited material measurement, even though he carries the power of freedom to create spiritual and eternal merit. But how do we use such a tremendous power? To renounce what is evil? To seek what is good through our will, anointed with such kingly power? To earn the bravery matching the noble greatness we possess? To receive the timeless honor of eternal life due to our victory? (Teaching of Armenian Church Fathers, II.113).
The greatest gift of freedom we have been given is the door we must open to allow the Holy Spirit of God to enter our nature and anoint our identity with the seal of His own excellence. The supernatural grace of Faith we received through the power of our Baptism gives us the ability to open this door for God to enter into our nature, says Saint Gregory of Narek. Through the inspiring proclamation of our Lord, we received this divine encouragement that all is possible for the one who has faith, observes Narekatsi. He concludes that Faith is the door through which we have access to all holiness. The great saint makes a subtle observation: the word of Jesus, “your faith saved you,” establishes a personal connection between Faith and God through His almighty power. Having its support through such a sovereign connection with God, Faith grants eternal life (Prayer 10.2).
Opening the doors of our faith, we will never fall prey to doubts, nor will we pursue empty promises. When we open these doors, we use the keys given to us to set others free, not to bind them. This faith guides us on the true path of atonement, bringing us closer to our Father, whom we begin to see clearly. Faith causes the seed of the Word to grow, which the Father planted in us like the mustard seed, offering us the protection of divine grace against all temptations of the evil one.
