The Keys of the Kingdom

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Matthew 16:19

Jesus said these words to Peter who had just made the very first confession of Christ. I find it interesting that Jesus did not say he would give Peter the kingdom of heaven, he said he would give him the keys of the kingdom. This implies that there was no question that Peter would have the kingdom within him. The promise given was that he would be given the keys. So the only question that remained was: Would he use the keys? We can apply the same things to our lives. There is no question that we have the kingdom of heaven. It is resident in us through the Holy Spirit. Like Peter, we have been given the keys of the kingdom. But we have questions as well. Do we know what the keys of the kingdom are? Do we know how to use them? Are we using them?
    Jesus did not tell Peter what the keys of the kingdom were. He only told him that he would have them. But we have been given a great treasure in the Word of God. He plainly tells us what the keys are. Love is a key of the kingdom. We must love God and others in order to access the kingdom. Faith is another key. We must believe that all things are possible and then, we must act on that belief. Humility is a key. Jesus said that we must become like little children to inherit the kingdom. Righteousness is a key. We must have right standing with God in order to enter the kingdom. Abiding in Christ is another key. We must be in constant rest and peace so that we may see the kingdom. Finally, the fear of the Lord is a key. We must know that God is mighty and we must walk in awe, fear and respect for him. This will release the kingdom into our lives. God certainly can and will show you other keys. I believe there are some keys that are unique to each person.
    Once we have the keys, we have authority. Jesus said that what we bind on earth will be bound in heaven. A closer translation of the Greek text would say, "Whatever you bind on earth, has already been bound in heaven." The same is true of the things we loose on earth. We can expect the kingdom to be entirely applied to every situation on earth. And what has already been accomplished in heaven, will be accomplished here on earth. This clearly speaks to the authority we have to access the kingdom.
    There is an interesting thing about keys. You can have them, but if you never use them, they are nothing but table decorations. We have the keys of the kingdom. Now let's begin to use them. Today, think about the keys mentioned here. Ask yourself these questions: Do I possess these keys? If so, am I using them? Do I really believe that things on earth can be changed through my access to the kingdom of heaven? If there is a 'no' answer to any of these questions, ask God to give you what you need. Then, take the kingdom!