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 (Matt. 16:19).
God has given us the keys to the kingdom. However notice what those keys give us the authority to do – to bind and to loose. Now the Moffet’s translation reads it this way: whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven and whatever you release on earth shall be released in heaven.
Now the word prohibit means to forbid by authority or right and is applicable to persons or things. So the keys of the kingdom of heaven give you authority over any person or thing that is contrary to heaven’s desires.
Matthew 18:18, also tells us whatsoever we bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. The Greek word bind means to paralyze. However, when somebody is paralyzed, it doesn’t mean they are dead, but it does mean they can’t move.
The second part of that verse says, whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Now that word loosed means to break the grip of.
Notice that the understood subject of the sentence is YOU. You do the binding and you do the loosing. It’s on you – whatsoever you do, not God or somebody else, the keys were given to you.
Now if you don’t use the keys, it doesn’t make sense to get upset. For example, if I give you the keys to my truck, and you just stood there and said, I don’t understand why this truck won’t move. I don’t understand why I’m not getting any benefit from this truck. I mean God must not want me to drive this truck. The truck is not moving because God is testing me. He is trying to teach me a lesson about trucks. That’s pretty stupid, isn’t it?
We all know that if you have the key in your hand, you just put it in the ignition and drive the truck.
Well that’s what a lot of Christians are doing. Well the Lord must not want me to have this. He must be testing and trying me. I don’t know why God is allowing this to happen to me.
But He put the keys in your hand and said whatever you bind in earth will be bound in heaven. And whatever you break the grip of on earth shall be loosed in heaven. So walk in your authority. God has given you the keys to the kingdom.
Scripture References: Matthew 16:19; 18:18-20
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Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center.
He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).