On the testimony that Jesus is the Christ, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, Jesus builds His Church. As long as the Church of Christ stays in Him, the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. KuMathewu 16:19, Jesus promised to give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Ngakho-ke, the Church possesses the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. But what do the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven mean and represent according to the Bible? What are the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven?
What do keys represent?
Keys represent access and authority. When you buy a house and receive the keys, you become the owner of the house. The keys give you access to your house and show that you are the owner. Nokho, the keys also bring a responsibility.
If you are not 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.
The keys give access to the Kingdom of Heaven
And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (Mathewu 16:19)
The same principle applies to the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Ngokusebenzisa ukuvuselelwa, uba yindodana kaNkulunkulu (lokhu kusebenza kokubili abesilisa nabesifazane) and belong to the Body of Christ. You’ve been transferred from the kingdom of darkness (Umhlaba) embusweni kaNkulunkulu. Yize uhlala kulomhlaba, you don’t belong to this world and the ruler of this world anymore. You belong to Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven. Ngokuzalwa okusha, you decided to follow, thobela, and serve Jesus Christ.
Njengendodana kaNkulunkulu, you have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus and received the Holy Spirit, and have been given access to the Kingdom of Heaven, okunguMbuso kaNkulunkulu.
UJesu waphendula, Ngiqinisile, ngempela, ngithi kuwe, Ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu azalwe ngamanzi langoMoya, Akakwazi ukungena embusweni kaNkulunkulu (UJohane 3:5)
The Kingdom of God is a spiritual Kingdom and not a visible Kingdom, that you can perceive with your natural eyes.
When you are born again in the spirit and have gained access to the Kingdom of Heaven, this Kingdom becomes visible to you.
UJesu waphendula wathi kuye, Ngiqinisile, ngempela, ngithi kuwe, Ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu azalwe ngokusha, angewubone umbuso kaNkulunkulu (UJohane 3:3)
KuJesu Kristu, you have been given the keys; access to the Kingdom of Heaven, okunguMbuso kaNkulunkulu. But you’ve not only gained access to the Kingdom, 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 became a new creation, who is seated in Jesus Christ in the heavenly places.
Njengendalo entsha, 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 sinful flesh reigned as king in your life. But now you war against principalities, powers and the rulers of darkness. You will no longer be led by what your senses perceive and what your feelings, imizwelo, izinkanuko, and desires tell you and dictate you to do, but you will be led by the Word and the Spirit.
Jesus has the keys! This means that Jesus has all authority in the heavens and on earth.
Every enemy of Jesus, every power, ubukhulu, ruler of the kingdom of darkness is under Jesus His feet. Manje, ngoba uhlezi kuye, every power, ubukhulu, and ruler of the kingdom of darkness is also under your feet.
Uyamenyamise ukuba abusi ngemisebenzi yezandla zakho; Ubeke zonke izinto ngaphansi kwezinyawo zakhe: (Amahubo 8:6)
Futhi ubeke zonke izinto ngaphansi kwezinyawo zakhe, futhi wamnika ukuba abe yiNhloko phezu kwakho konke ebandleni, Okungumzimba waKhe, ukugcwala kwakhe ogcwalisa konke kukho konke (Kwabase-Efesu 1:22-23)
KuKristu, 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 (Luka 10:19). Hhayi-ke, inqobo nje uma uhlala kuye, mlalele, futhi nihambe emva kukaMoya. Because as soon as you leave the Word and trust and rely upon your own abilities, amandla, nokuqonda, then you won’t have any spiritual authority and power, and it won’t be long before you will be overwhelmed by the powers of darkness.
Makatuswe uNkulunkulu noYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, Ngubani osibusisile ngazo zonke izibusiso ezingokomoya ezindaweni zasezulwini kuKristu (Kwabase-Efesu 1:3)
Uma nje uhlala kuKristu bese uhamba emva komoya, you have all authority in the heavens and on earth. You have been appointed to reign with Him and establish His Kingdom on earth.
God didn’t give you this power for your own glory, inzuzo, kanye nombuso, but for His honor, inkazimulo, 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.
What is the responsibility of the church?
The responsibility of the Church is to represent, shumayela, and bring the Kingdom of God to the people on earth and use the keys of the Kingdom of heaven wisely through ukubopha nokukhulula.
We often hear that church leaders (abefundisi, abaholi abakhonzayo, abaprofethi, abaphostoli, njll.) fall into sin. Ngenxa yalokho, they not only deny the power of God over sin and death, but they also defile the Name of Jesus and damage God’s Kingdom.
Uma une Ubethele inyama yakho kuKristu, then your flesh isn’t alive anymore but dead. Ngakho-ke, you shall not be led by your flesh, your carnal emotions, imizwa, izinkanuko, izifiso, and what your senses perceive.
Nokho, since many Christians refuse to lay down their flesh, they have adjusted the gospel. They have adjusted the gospel and twisted and changed the words in the Bible in such a way, that they can keep walking after the flesh in sin.
There are hardly any sermons about spiritual discipline, ukujezisa, moral responsibility, and dying to self. Ngobani? Because the flesh doesn’t like these sermons (Funda futhi: Umlayezo ongafunwa muntu)
The sermons have changed in such a way that the enrichment and prosperity of people have become the center. Because of these carnal sermons, the flesh is continuously fed.
If you sow in the flesh, uyakuvuna ukonakala. And that’s what is happening.
Many church leaders stay carnal and walk after the flesh. Ngenxa yalokho, church leaders fall into sin, futhi yilokho kanye udeveli akufunayo!
Usathane uyazi, the bigger and the more famous a church leader, who falls into sin, the greater the damage to the church, Igama likaJesu, kanye loMbuso kaNkulunkulu.
Ngeshwa, the devil is still able to seduce many Christians. The devil uses many lives to damage the Kingdom of God, because many Christians are stubborn and want to keep living after the flesh.
A spiritually 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
Njengendodana kaNkulunkulu (lokhu kusebenza kokubili abesilisa nabesifazane), you represent the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Ngakho-ke, 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 Him 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 know exactly what you should and shouldn’t do. You know what pleases Him and what does not.
Ngakho-ke, you’ve got to know God’s Word to find out His will, umthetho, nemiyalo. Because only in the Word of God, will you get to know His will.
Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. That’s why we should know and keep His will, umthetho (Umthetho womoya), nemiyalo.
Kubalulekile uku renew your old way of thinking, that thinks like the kingdom of this world, ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu, so that your mind will be renewed and will line up with God’s Word and His will. Ngaphandle kwalokho, it is essential to linda ingqondo yakho, 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 (okwesikhashana) to His Son and Jesus represents the will of His Father (Funda futhi: ‘Imiyalo kaNkulunkulu nemiyalo kaJesu‘)
I can of mine own self do nothing: Njengoba ngizwa, Ngihlulele: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me (UJohane 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 (Mathewu 11:27)
Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, ngisho noBaba; 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 AbaseKorinte 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 them. 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.
Izikhathi eziningi, Christians say they believe. But when someone asks them a question about the Kingdom of God, they are not able to answer the question. Kuyadabukisa kakhulu lokho! 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?
Jesus commissioned His church to bring God’s Kingdom on earth.
How to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth?
You bring the Kindom of heaven on earth through obedience to the Word and doing the will of Jesus and go into the world, Shumayela iVangeli, khipha amademoni, philisa abagulayo, and make disciples of all the nations. (Mathewu 28:19, Maka 16:15-18).
Where darkness is present, there is chaos. Uma nakhu isiphithiphithi, you have a responsibility as Christians (who are together the church) to create spiritual peace and order. How do you know where chaos is? Look at the lives of 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 the death reigns through sin (ukungalaleli uNkulunkulu) futhi (deadly) powers of darkness are operating.
The more the areas are possessed by demonic forces, the higher the rates of (ucansi) ukuhlukunyezwa, udlame, ukuntula, ukugula, izifo eziwumshayabhuqe, ukungcola kobulili, ahlukanisa, njll.
Why are these areas dominated by demonic forces? Because of the lives of people.
The people deviated from God and His Word. They have gone their own way; the way of the darkness, which 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 darkness.
They have given access to these evil forces of darkness to enter their lives. Since these evil powers of darkness rule in the lives of the people, they rule and have dominion in (the spiritual) areas.
Manje, 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. Ngakho-ke, 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 enthusiastic about the fact that the demons obeyed them. Jesus said to them that He saw satan as lightning falling from heaven.
Futhi abangamashumi ayisikhombisa babuya ngokujabula, ethi, Nkosi, ngisho namademoni ayasithobela ngegama lakho. Wathi kubo, Ngabona uSathane ewa ezulwini (Luka 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, Ngubani isonto. 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, UJesu waletha uMbuso kaNkulunkulu kubantu bakaNkulunkulu.
Ngaphambi kukaJesu’ ukumelana, 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 Umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu wokusindisa.
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. Ngale njongo, Jesus has given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to His church.
‘Yibani usawoti womhlaba’
