KEYS OF THE KINGDOM
Part 3 of 7 in Work of Honor devotional seriesc
Luke 22:29
“And I confer on you a kingdom, just as My Father conferred one on Me,...”
Kingdom Warriors devotion lesson shows how we’re to dress for daily battles. From the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, to feet clad in the Word of God’s truth, we stand firm (Ephesians 6:13-17). Our weapons are prayer and the sword of the Spirit.
Jesus isn’t messing around. His ministry is the Kingdom of God (Matthew 4:23).
Jesus offers—to all who accept His partnership—keys! Keys mean salvation (for believers), and citizenship into His Kingdom as partners. Jesus empowers us with His presence. He came to give us life in abundance (John 10:10). People who’re “Full” means lives stretched from the present into the future—a new dimension: Kingdom to the world. Kingdom keys open the door and give us the right to enter.
How humbling that Jesus’ gives us keys! Yet this requires our partnership.
These “Keys” release Jesus’ power to advance God’s will “on earth as it is in heaven.”
Gulp. Wow! Really?
Proper use of these keys requires a grasp of how valuable this partnership is. We need to realize the responsibility, and the privilege. Obedient sons and daughters never use keys carelessly—ESPECIALLY not THESE keys! Wisdom from God guides Jesus’ partners to use these keys correctly, respectfully.
Be impressed with the privilege [PRIV-i-lej means freedom, benefit, favor] of having Kingdom keys. Use them, but know that their power comes from God. Your right to use them in Jesus’ name comes through His shed blood on the cross.
Everything in God’s Kingdom is opened to us through the cross. That’s why to whomever the keys to the Kingdom are given must first be saved, reborn, forgiven, and free from sin. Being reborn—accepting Jesus Christ as Lord—promotes Holy Spirit power for us to understand: what being an active partner in advancing the rule of God’s will is all about.
This rule conquers evil works of the devil and the flesh. (Sin that blankets the earth in darkness after Adam and Eve first sinned, Genesis 3:1-7). The rule of God’s will releases His love for humankind in a flowing river of life, forgiveness, grace, and power.
Take Home Nugget
Jesus only enters one’s heart when invited. Once in, He can work the Father’s “will on earth” (right where you are) “as it is in heaven.” His transforming power, character, and qualities become Christ-likeness in you. God is not far away. And His presence is the whole point.
Holy Father, help me get it, without losing the whole point of what it means to have the “keys to Your Kingdom.” Amen.
cJack Hayford with Rebecca Hayford Bauer, Penetrating the Darkness (Chosen, Michigan: a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2011), 10-19.
J.D. Griffith
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