Keys to the Kingdom

Just after Peter had confessed that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus blessed him for his divinely inspired declaration and said,
“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 16:15-19)

I have never forgotten evangelist Doug Newton’s application of Jesus’ promise. Our words, he said, can be keys that unlock the kingdom for another person. In a sermon on “the ministry of certainty,” Doug spoke of the many ways people are imprisoned inwardly, locked behind doors of fear and uncertainty and discouragement. They’re asking questions like,

• “What should I do?” They long for guidance.
• “Am I able? Do I have what it takes?” They doubt their ability.
• “How am I doing?” They question their effectiveness.

If we listen more closely, we just may hear these – and other - silent questions crying out from the lives around us. Children, parents, pastors, church workers, spouses, and friends need to hear answers, and our Spirit-prompted words can be like a key that unlocks the kingdom for them.

Haven’t you experienced it yourself? You were a monument of uncertainty until someone spoke just what you needed to hear, and it was as though a locked door swung open. You understood a spiritual secret you had never grasped before, or received assurance that dispelled doubt, or suddenly saw with clarity what God wanted you to do, and a whole new vista opened up before you.

Then how do we find the “key” that someone else needs? The prophet Isaiah knew the secret:
“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue,to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught” (Isaiah 50:4).

Our “instructed tongue” learns what to speak only by listening to the Teacher. The Sovereign Lord alone can awaken us to the need and the needed word. By spending time at His feet, we’ll be able to find the key that turns the lock and opens the door for someone full of uncertainty today.