KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

“I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of  Heaven, and whatever you bind – that is, declare to be improper and unlawful –  on earth must be already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth – declare lawful – must be what is already loosed in heaven” Matthew 16:19 (Amplified Version)

“Truly, I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be already permitted in heaven.” Matthew 18:18 (Amplified Version)

“Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, together make a symphony) about anything and everything – whatever they shall ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by my Father in heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as my followers in (into) my name, there  I AM in the midst of them. Matthew 18:19-20 (Amplified Version)

What are the keys? What is the Kingdom of  Heaven?  First, let’s look at the kingdom. A kingdom denotes that there is a king or a ruler. In the natural we attach the idea of a king as one who controls, makes the rules and requires you to abide by the laws that he sets forth. Where the king is there is the kingdom.

The Bible speaks of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of  Heaven. The Kingdom of God is where God rules (Psalms 22:28, 145:13). In the earthly realm, the Kingdom of God is anytime His (God) rule is acknowledged in the earth.  Entrance into the Kingdom of God is by the new birth (Matthew 18:3: John 3: 5).  The evidence of the new birth is your obedience to the King. The Kingdom of Heaven is established in the heart of the man or woman who accepts the rule of God. So, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are not necessarily the same. The  Kingdom of Heaven is always the Kingdom of God, but the Kingdom of  God is not limited to the Kingdom of  Heaven. What?

God created all, and all belongs to him, but not all accept him as King. The new birth draws us into the Kingdom and we then obey the King who is ruling from the heavens. The Kingdom of Heaven (God) in within you. Luke 17: 21

The keys denote the need to unlock something. Peter was given the keys to the Kingdom. When you think about it, Peter was the first to preach the Gospel and people were saved.  Many people entered into the Kingdom. Faith comes by hearing, and Peter unlocked the door of faith.  Peter also preached to the gentiles and thus opened the door for them to enter into the Kingdom of God. We too, have been given the keys to the Kingdom. We are all called to preach the gospel, to unlock the door of faith whereby others are given the opportunity to enter in and come under the rule of the King.

Some of the keys are: binding and loosing. Two or three gathered together. Can you think of some other keys?

In His Service,

Rosita