According to Christ, His church, like the Prophet Elijah, has the power to open and shut Heaven. This is due to the fact that Christ has given us “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 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.” (Matthew 16:13-19)

Contrary to the heresy of the Roman Catholic Church, Christ gave “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” to all of His disciples, not just to Peter, who supposedly served as Catholicism’s first pontiff. For instance, in Matthew 18:18, Christ says to all of His disciples, “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

What are “the keys of the kingdom of heaven”? They are simply our confession of “Christ” as “the Son of the living God.” Christ attributed Peter’s confession of Him with the power to open and shut Heaven. Likewise, the church holds this same incredible power and awesome responsibility today (1 Corinthians 1:21).

If we preach the Gospel; that is, if we confess Christ to others, Heaven is open to them. They will have an opportunity to be saved. If we fail to confess Christ to others, however, Heaven is closed to them. They will not have an opportunity to be saved.

Our world’s greatest need is to come to know Christ. It can’t come to know Him unless it is introduced to Him. Only those who know Christ—the church—can introduce Him to the world. If we fail to do so, the world will never come to know Him. Heaven will be shut in the faces of lost humanity.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:13-15)

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PUBLICATION SEND YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS TO: don@timefortruth.org