COME ALL THE WAY TO CHRIST
There are so many who stand just outside the door of grace. They’ve heard the gospel. They believe it’s true. They even admire the Savior from a distance. But they’ve never stepped through the door. They stand close enough to feel the warmth of the light, yet they stay in the shadows. They are almost persuaded, but still lost (Acts 26:28). Christ still calls, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
It’s not enough to admire the beauty of the gate—you must go through it. You can study the cross, sing about the cross, even preach about the cross, and still be outside its shelter. Salvation doesn’t come through knowledge or emotion, but by trusting the living Christ Himself (Ephesians 2:8). When the flood came in Noah’s day, standing near the ark didn’t save anyone. You had to be inside, sealed in by grace (Genesis 7:16).
Some wait until they feel ready. They think, “I’ll come when I feel more sorry…when I’ve cleaned myself up a bit.” But that’s not how it works. The prodigal didn’t wash up before coming home—he came home to be washed (Luke 15:20–24). The Savior doesn’t ask you to fix yourself before coming. He opens His arms while the stains are still on your soul. “Whoever comes to Me, I will never cast out” (John 6:37). His invitation isn’t for the worthy. It’s for the weary.
Faith isn’t complicated. It’s leaning your full weight on Christ and saying, “Lord, I can’t, but You can.” That’s all. When Israel looked up at the bronze serpent, they were healed, not because they understood everything, but because they looked (Numbers 21:8–9; John 3:14–15). You may not feel holy. You may not feel strong. Just look. The power isn’t in your gaze—it’s in the One you’re gazing at.
Many confuse repentance with earning God’s favor. They think if they cry hard enough, or suffer long enough, they’ll be accepted. But tears don’t save. The blood of Jesus does (1 John 1:7). Repentance isn’t payment, it’s turning. It is not the price of pardon, it is the pathway to it. It’s stepping away from sin and toward the Savior (Acts 3:19). You don’t get clean and then come. You come and then He cleanses. He binds up the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3).
Others stumble because it seems too simple. They want a religion that gives them something to boast about. But grace won’t let pride through the door. The gospel is a gift, not a paycheck (Romans 6:23). True faith says, “I have nothing to offer but my sin—yet I come because Jesus died for me.” That’s salvation.
Maybe your faith feels weak. That’s okay. A trembling hand can still reach the hem of His garment and be healed (Mark 5:27–29). It’s not the size of your faith that saves, it’s the strength of your Savior. He doesn’t crush the bruised reed or snuff out the faint flame (Matthew 12:20). His mercy is deeper than your doubt.
If you’ve stood long at the door, hear this: it’s not locked. The only thing keeping you out is hesitation. The cross has already opened the way. The blood still speaks louder than your fear (Hebrews 12:24). Don’t wait for a softer heart or a better time. The Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart” (Hebrews 3:15). The water is stirred. Step in.
When you come, don’t bring your merit. Bring your need. Christ saves completely those who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25). The gate is narrow, but it’s wide enough for any sinner who’s willing to bow low. The proud can’t enter, but the humble find it open. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus said. “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Don’t linger at the light and die in the dark. Don’t stand at the door and never enter. Step inside the mercy of Christ. Trust Him. His blood still speaks peace. His love still welcomes. His arms are still open. The gate stands open not because of your worth, but because of His wounds.
And when you enter, you’ll find not a Judge waiting, but a Father. Not condemnation, but compassion. Not wrath, but welcome. The same God who calls you will keep you. “He who began a good work in you will finish it until the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Salvation isn’t a moment to remember. It’s a life to live, walking daily with the One who loved you and gave Himself for you (Galatians 2:20).
Don’t be almost saved. Don’t be near the kingdom—be in it (Mark 12:34). The Lamb of God still takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The time is short, eternity is long, and the door of grace is open wide. Come in. Come now.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
