On the testimony, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus builds His Church. As long as the Church of Christ stays in Him, the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. In Matthew 16:19, Jesus promised to give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore the Church possesses the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. But what do the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven mean? What are the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven? What do the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven represent?
What do keys represent?
Keys represent access and authority. When you buy a house and get the keys, you become the owner of the house. The keys give you access to your house and show that you are the owner. But the keys also bring a responsibility. Because if you don’t be careful with your keys and lose your keys or if you don’t use the keys the right way, you cannot enter your house or something bad can happen to your house.
Keys give access to the Kingdom of Heaven
And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:19)
It’s the same thing with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Through regeneration, you have become a son of God and belong to the Body of Christ. You’ve been transferred from the kingdom of darkness (the world) into the Kingdom of God. Although you live in this world, you don’t belong to this world anymore. You belong to Jesus and by becoming born again, you have decided to obey and serve Him.
Through regeneration, you have become a son of God. Because of that, you have been given access to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the Kingdom of God.
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5)
The Kingdom of God is a spiritual Kingdom and not a visible Kingdom, which you can perceive with your natural eyes.
When you become born again in the spirit and have gained access to the Kingdom of Heaven, this Kingdom shall become visible to you.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3)
In Jesus Christ, you have been given the keys; access to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the Kingdom of God. But you not only have gained access to the Kingdom of God, but you have also been given power over the kingdom of darkness.
The keys represent the authority in Jesus Christ
Now, that you have been given access to the Kingdom of Heaven, you’ve also been given a new position. You have become a new creation, who is seated in Jesus Christ in the heavenly places. You no longer war against flesh and blood, like you did before you became born again when your spirit was dead and your flesh ruled as king in your life. But you war against powers, principalities, and rulers of the kingdom of darkness. You will no longer be led, by what your senses perceive and what your feelings, emotions, lusts, and desires tell you, but you will be led by the Word and the Spirit.
Jesus has the keys, which means that He has all authority in the heavens and on earth. Every enemy of His, every power, principality, ruler of the kingdom of darkness is under Jesus His feet. Because you are seated in Him, every power, principality and ruler of the kingdom of darkness is also under your feet.
Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under His feet: (Psalms 8:6)
And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:22-23)
In Him, you have been given the keys, which means that you have been given all power, to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luk 10:19). Although, as long as you stay in Him, obey Him and walk after the Spirit. Because as soon as you leave Him, and leave the Word and trust upon your own abilities, power, and intellect, then you won’t have any power and it won’t be long before you will be overwhelmed by the powers of darkness.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)
As long as you are seated in Jesus Christ and walk after the Spirit, you have all authority in the heavens and on earth. You have been appointed to reign with Him and to establish His Kingdom on this earth. The power you’ve been given is not meant for your own glory, benefit, and kingdom. But for His honor, glory, and Kingdom. When you have been given access to the Kingdom of Heaven and have been given all power and authority in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, you have also a responsibility.
The responsibility of the church
When you, as a son of God, have received the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, you have also been given a responsibility. You’ll be expected, that you correctly represent, preach and bring the Kingdom of God to this earth.
How often do we hear that leaders of the church, like pastors, worship leaders, prophets, apostles, etc. fall into sin and because of that, they damage the Kingdom of God.
When you have crucified your flesh in Jesus Christ, then your flesh doesn’t exist anymore. This means, that you shall not be led by your flesh; your carnal emotions, feelings, lusts, desires, and what your senses perceive. But because many Christians are not willing to lay down their flesh, they have adjusted the gospel. They have adjusted the gospel and twisted and changed the Word in such a way, that they can keep walking after the flesh.
There are hardly any sermons about spiritual discipline, moral responsibility, and dying to self anymore. Because the flesh doesn’t like these sermons.
The sermons are adapted in such a way, that the enrichment and prosperity of man have become the center and because of these carnal sermons the flesh is continuously fed.
If you sow in the flesh, you shall reap corruption. And that’s what is happening. Many church leaders stay carnal and walk after the flesh and therefore many church leaders fall into sin and that’s exactly what the devil wants!
The devil knows, the bigger and the more famous a church leader, who falls into sin, the greater the damage to the church and the Kingdom of God.
Unfortunately, the devil is still able to seduce many Christians and use many lives to damage the Kingdom of God, because many are stubborn and want to keep living after the flesh.
A spiritual disciplined and righteous life is therefore essential as born again Christians. Because you are a representative of the Kingdom of God and represent Him.
Sons of God represent the Kingdom of Heaven
As a son of God (this applies to both males and females) you represent the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and therefore you should have knowledge about the Kingdom of Heaven. You should know, what the Kingdom of Heaven is about and Who you represent. You should know the King of the Kingdom of Heaven and His will because otherwise, you will not be able to represent and execute His will. His law and His commandments represent His will. Therefore if you know these, then you know His will. If you know His will, you will know exactly what you should and shouldn’t do. You know what pleases Him and what does not.
Therefore you’ve got to have knowledge of God’s Word in order to find out HIs will, law, and commandments. Because only in the Word of God, you will get to know His will.
Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. That’s why, we should know and keep His will, law (law of the Spirit), and commandments. It is therefore important to renew your old way of thinking, that thinks like the kingdom of this world, with the Word of God, so that your mind will be renewed and will line up with God’s Word and His will. Besides that, it is essential to guard your mind, so that your mind won’t be polluted and defiled by the things of this world.
The will of Jesus corresponds to the will of God. Because God has given His rulership (temporarily) to His Son and Jesus represents the will of His Father (Read also: ‘The commandments of God and the commandments of Jesus‘)
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me (John 5:30)
All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him (Matthew 11:27)
Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15 24-28)
Through the knowledge of God’s Word and by living according to His Word, you shall not only get to know Him and His will, and be able to represent Him, but you shall also be able to expose the hidden lies of the devil. You shall be able to refute. Because the devil also uses the word of God. He only twists and changes the word for people’s pleasures, so that they can keep walking after their flesh.
Many times Christians say they believe. But when someone asks them a question about the Kingdom of God, they are not able to answer the question. That’s very sad! Because a representative of a kingdom should have knowledge about the kingdom. Because how else will (s)he be able to represent the kingdom correctly?
How to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth?
Jesus has commissioned His church to bring the Kingdom of God on earth. That means i.e. to go into the world, preach the gospel, cast out demons, heal the sick, and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15-18).
Where darkness is present, there is chaos. If there is chaos then you have a responsibility as a Christians (who are together the church) to create spiritual order. How do you know where chaos is? Look at the lives of the people. Look at what takes place in their lives and in the areas people live.
There can be areas where many people are seriously ill. The world thinks that it has to do with the pollution of the environment. But the spiritual new man knows, that in those areas (deadly) powers of darkness are operating.
The more the areas are possessed by demonic forces, the higher the rates of (sexual) abuse, violence, poverty, sickness, epidemics, sexual uncleanness, divorces, etc.
Why are these areas dominated by demonic forces? Because of the lives of people.
The people have deviated from God and His Word. They have gone their own way; the way of the darkness, that eventually leads to eternal death. Because of the fact that people have rejected Jesus and His Kingdom, they have automatically chosen to live in the kingdom of darkness.
They have given access to these evil forces of darkness to enter their lives. Because of the fact that these evil powers of darkness rule in the lives of the people, they rule and have dominion in the spiritual areas.
Now, only someone with a higher authority can cause a change and that is Jesus Christ and His church.
The church of Jesus Christ has a responsibility to preach, represent and bring the Kingdom of God to these areas. Through the lives of man, the evil powers of darkness access. Therefore a change in the spiritual atmosphere begins in the lives of the people. The more people repent to Jesus, the stronger the light will become and the darkness shall flee.
When the seventy went out to preach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons and returned to Jesus, they were very enthusiastic about the fact that the demons obeyed them. Jesus said to them, that He saw the satan as lightning fall from heaven.
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven (Luke 10:17-18)
The people were delivered and the devil lost his rulership over those areas
Sons of God pray and have a prayerlife
Every son of God prays. Prayer is a responsibility in the lives of the born again Christians, who are the church. Everything revolves around prayer. Because a praying church is a militant and victorious church. Through prayer you have communion with the Father and make intercession for people and areas, to claim them for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus spent many nights in prayer with the Father, and during the day Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to God’s people.
Before Jesus’ crucifixion, before Jesus was taken captive, Jesus spent hours in prayer to prepare Himself and to overcome the spiritual battle against His flesh. When Jesus won the spiritual battle, Jesus was ready to fulfill God’s work of redemption.
Everything revolves around prayer. That’s why prayer and prayer meetings are being attacked by the devil.
Many Christians don’t see the importance of prayer or they pray a short prayer for their own prosperity and wealth. Instead of praying that His Kingdom shall come and that God’s will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven, That’s what Jesus has commanded us to pray.
The purpose of every believer is to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth. For this purpose, Jesus has given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to His church.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
