Matthew 16:13-20 – “When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!  ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.  ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, something filled my heart that intrigued, challenged, and inspired me.   What was that – “The Door to Demonstrated Authority.”

Jesus told Peter (and, by inference, us), “I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”   What are the keys for?  To lock or unlock doors in the natural.  In the spiritual keys are clues that unlock or unveil hidden truths and revelations.

He then said (explaining the usage of those keys of truth), “Whatever (how much is whatever?) You bind on earth Will Have Been Bound in Heaven, AND whatever you release on earth Will Have Been Released in heaven.”

Those keys available for believers were founded upon a particular revelation.  “Who do you say I am?”   Who is Jesus to you?  Peter said, and we must see and confess – “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”   Unless we comprehend the Cross and the Christ of the Cross, we have no spiritual authority.   But if we know who He is.   If we know Him as both Savior and Lord, we have the spiritual keys of Demonstrated Authority to bind and loose.

If we have that authority, why don’t we consistently use it?  Rather than making excuses like “God is Sovereign” or something similar, if we see the Revelation and Victory of the Cross and the Christ of the Cross, we realize that the “keys” of authority granted to us are not intermittent but continuous.

What we bind or loose on earth Has Already been bound or loosed in Heaven.  The Completed Work of the Cross means healing is done.  Deliverance is done.  Provision is done.  Guidance is done.  Wisdom is done.  What was not provided through the Cross?  Therefore, when we see and believe the completed work of the Cross, we know we have authority that is demonstrable in Jesus.  We have access to whatever has been bound or released in heaven.  We can call it into reality in Jesus’ Name.

The fact that we exercise this authority intermittently reveals that we either do not see or do not believe the completed work.  We doubt ourselves and, in that state, doubt God.  So, “Lord, help us to have eyes to see spiritually, ears to hear the divine, and hearts to believe, embrace, and implement the Provision of the Cross.”

We allow the devil to win through our inconsistency.   Peter said, “Such as I have, I give.”   What did he have?   Faith?   Yes, but more than faith.  He had the keys of the kingdom of heaven and knew he could unlock the door that was already unlocked in heaven and release healing to the lame man.

We have the keys.   We need to see it, believe it, and exercise it.  The devil can only win if we fail to exercise our authority.  Let’s exercise it consistently!

May your day be victorious, and may you fully utilize ‘The Keys of the Kingdom.”