Empowered by Heaven: Unlocking Our Authority in Christ
Matt. 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Keys are significant in many ways. They imply action because they are rendered useless if not employed. They imply authority because of their ability to permit or deny passage. They imply access because of the level of trust given to the one holding the keys. In our text, Peter was given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. This level of empowerment was given to him because of his ability to perceive and receive the revelation that was given unto him by God the Father of who Jesus was. It was based upon the truth that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, that Jesus then handed over the keys to Peter.
As long as Peter knew by what authority he operated, he would be able to fulfill God’s purpose for his life. So it is with us. We must understand by what authority we operate. Having done so, we too can fulfill God’s ultimate purpose for our lives. The question is, are we operating under and in the authority of Jesus Christ, or are we just under the spell of man-made religion?
God not only gives us access directly to the throng of Grace, but he also gives us full access to bombard the gates of hell and to intrude into enemy’s territory with the Gospel of Christ. To me, one of the saddest things in the church today is the reality that most Christians never tap into the fullest authority and access given them by the Gospel, because we have become a people of little or no action.
What good are a set of keys if you never use them? How many prayers have we prayed that God would open doors and shut doors, all-the-while listening to the keys as they jangle from our side? We’ve had the keys the entire time; we’ve just never used them. Notice in our text that action must be taken upon earth before it is supported in Heaven. Whatsoever we bind or loose first on earth then shall be bound or loosed in Heaven.
Dear believer, exercise your God-given right to lock what needs locking and unlock what needs unlocking in your life. If you will operate in the authority vested in you by Jesus Christ, He will back you up! Never forget who you are and whose you are. Stand for Jesus, and He will stand with you!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
Keys are significant in many ways. They imply action because they are rendered useless if not employed. They imply authority because of their ability to permit or deny passage. They imply access because of the level of trust given to the one holding the keys. In our text, Peter was given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. This level of empowerment was given to him because of his ability to perceive and receive the revelation that was given unto him by God the Father of who Jesus was. It was based upon the truth that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, that Jesus then handed over the keys to Peter.
As long as Peter knew by what authority he operated, he would be able to fulfill God’s purpose for his life. So it is with us. We must understand by what authority we operate. Having done so, we too can fulfill God’s ultimate purpose for our lives. The question is, are we operating under and in the authority of Jesus Christ, or are we just under the spell of man-made religion?
God not only gives us access directly to the throng of Grace, but he also gives us full access to bombard the gates of hell and to intrude into enemy’s territory with the Gospel of Christ. To me, one of the saddest things in the church today is the reality that most Christians never tap into the fullest authority and access given them by the Gospel, because we have become a people of little or no action.
What good are a set of keys if you never use them? How many prayers have we prayed that God would open doors and shut doors, all-the-while listening to the keys as they jangle from our side? We’ve had the keys the entire time; we’ve just never used them. Notice in our text that action must be taken upon earth before it is supported in Heaven. Whatsoever we bind or loose first on earth then shall be bound or loosed in Heaven.
Dear believer, exercise your God-given right to lock what needs locking and unlock what needs unlocking in your life. If you will operate in the authority vested in you by Jesus Christ, He will back you up! Never forget who you are and whose you are. Stand for Jesus, and He will stand with you!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill