GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 3

Our  book this month  is a continuation of “Chiseled by the Master’s Hand ~ Lessons From the Life of Peter,” by Erwin  Lutzer.  Dr. Lutzer is  Canadian-born and served as Senior Pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years, until his retirement in 2016.   He now serves as Pastor Emeritus of Moody Church.  He’s written many books and has radio and internet teaching programs.

PETER’S PERSONAL PROMISE (Cont’d)

Matthew 6:13-20

 (Speaking of Jesus saying that Peter has the keys to heaven —Matthew 16:19)

Keys not only have the power to open doors but also to close them.  Those who repent can be admitted, but those who are unrepentant can also be excluded.  Unfortunately, as the centuries progressed and the church itself slipped into apostasy, it began to exclude the very people of God who should have been welcomed into the church!  Such is the nature of man that the pure Gospel of grace was soon perverted (particularly after the time of Constantine) so that the genuine believers found themselves outside of the official established church.  The heretics within were administering severe discipline (often torture and death) to the saints without.

This text has often been interpreted to mean that men on earth have the power to determine God’s actions in heaven.  The theory is that when we bind or loose individuals, God binds or looses these same people.  God, it is thought, follows our lead.

But notice the tense of the verbs in the verse:  “Whatever you shall bind on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN BOUND IN HEAVEN, and whatever you loose on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN LOOSED IN HEAVEN.”  (Matthew 16:19).  Men can only do what has already been accomplished in heaven.  We do not direct God; God directs us.

(Some translations erroneously translate that in the future tense (“shall be bound…”) but the actual tense of the original Greek verb is the past perfect, which means it will have been already done at the time of the declaration.  This makes a huge difference in the meaning of the verse.)

Properly understood, the Church today can still exercise the responsibility of administering the “keys” by welcoming sinners into the Church, affirming that if they accept the Gospel of God’s grace they will be saved.

On the other hand, we can also exclude from fellowship those who know the Truth but will not abide by its teachings.  We do this only because, according to God’s Word, He has already done this in heaven.

Thankfully, the souls of men and women are in the hands of God, not men.  Those whom God has included in His Church no man can exclude.  Even if men should err, what God has done still stands.

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Revelation 1:18 ~ ~ I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

1 John 4:19 ~ ~ We love Him because He first loved us.

Ephesians 2:8-9 ~ ~ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Isaiah 44:24 ~ ~ Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;

Matthew 20:16~ ~ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

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