Dear Brethren,

Those of us in God’s Church look forward to the day when Jesus Christ will appear.  There is an important consideration that we must not forget, and it is this:  When Christ returns to this earth, the opportunity to be firstfruits will have elapsed.  It will then be too late to prepare to meet the Lord in the air.  Make no mistake about it, now is the only time to prepare.  Our lives are a record, and that record is being written in heaven.

Revelation 20:12  I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

This is a most serious matter!  In Jesus’ day, when judges decided cases based on God’s law – it was known as binding and loosing.  It was a judgment of the court.  For Christians, Jesus is the ultimate Judge.  What will He use as evidence in our case?

Revelation 20:15  Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

When and how often are entries being made into the Book of Life?  Jesus said:

Revelation 22:12  Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

God is keeping track of every deed – for good or for bad.

Romans 2:5-6  After thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

Exodus 32:33  The Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my Book [of Life].

Revelation 3:5  He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life.

Binding and loosing in heaven has to do with entries being made in the Book of Life.  Jesus made this statement to Peter:

Matthew 16:19  I will give unto thee the keys (plural) of the Kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

All my life I’ve been hearing the arguments as to which MAN has the key to the Kingdom – who could let me in or keep me out.  This verse does not say anything of the sort.  This verse does not appoint the Pope or anyone in the ministry to judge any person, or to represent God’s authority.  Nearly everyone says that keys are a sign of authority.  One key would be enough for the one man in authority – if that were the case – wouldn’t it?  But, what if Jesus was speaking of multiple keys to the Kingdom – which He was?  What if Jesus was describing who would get their own personal key to the Kingdom based on their works and deeds – their own bindings and loosings?  Other Scriptures show that Jesus was not speaking solely to Peter, but the others as well.  Who will be it the Kingdom of God?

Matthew 18:1-3  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?  … Truly I say unto you, Unless ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

Notice then that Jesus was teaching some lessons on conflict resolution and reconciliation through verse 17.  And then Jesus says:

Matthew 18:18  Truly I say unto you, Whatsoever ye (the second person plural form of you), shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

This is not about which man has the power to get us into the Kingdom – No!

Jesus is not passing on some magical power to Peter; He is saying to everyone that how a person handles himself in these situations is being recorded in heaven.  Jesus did not give His apostles and disciples the power to make binding or loosing decisions regarding anything on earth that had not already been decreed in heaven.

Binding and loosening is a principle that goes all the way back to the beginning of creation.  Everyone is liable for what they know, and those who are converted are responsible, and are being judged now!   We are being tested and tried now for the purpose of writing a permanent record in the Book of Life.

In today’s sermon we will explore binding and loosing in the Bible.

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Sermon:

"Bind and Loosen"