And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. Luke‬ ‭19:5‬

When Jesus came into Zacchaeus’ house, salvation came in too. ✝️ There was an immediate and a great transformation in the life of this tax collector — a man, who was once abhorred by his society because of his unjust deeds. On meeting Jesus, Zac instantly confessed every wrong deed that he had done and promised to restore fourfold of anything he had taken from any man by false accusation!! Luke 19:8.

So then, here are the 7 steps of welcoming Christ home :

• Open the door - Well ...!!! That’s what everyone would do when a guest knocks on the door of their house. But then, what about the KNOCK ON THE HEART’S DOOR? Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation‬ ‭3:20‬. The knock on the heart’s door is very intimate; only those who can hear it will be able to open this door. When Jesus knocked the door of Zac’s heart, he happily opened it for the Saviour to come in.
• Humility of heart - Scripture says, God grants grace to the humble. Those who are humble from their heart have a great depth of character in them. In this context, one of the good natures in Zacchaeus was — he had some bit of humility in him. That’s why, as soon as Jesus called him, he came down from the tree and took Him into his house. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah‬ ‭57:15‬.
• Faith and Love - Both these characters are very important to be had while inviting someone into our house. We must have this faith that the guest inside our house is our well-wisher and not someone who intends to do harm. Zacchaeus had heard a lot about Jesus and had a secret desire to meet Him😇 The love he had for Jesus converted also into faith upon Him — that if only he got to see the Saviour, he would be satisfied!! And YES!! Not only did he see Jesus, he was there sitting with Jesus in his house❤️!! Amazing Love!

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, Ephesians‬ ‭3:17‬.

(..... to be continued)