July 31 – LD 31, Day 2: The Spiritual Nature of the Keys of the
Kingdom
by Rev Arie den Hartog
Read: John 20:19 - 23
The keys’ power is
spiritual in nature. This is very important for everyone to understand. The
same thing can be said in another way. The authority which Christ has given to
His church on earth is spiritual in nature, not physical. God has given
physical earthly power to the state. This power is called in scripture the
power of the sword. See Rom 13: 1 - 3. Kings and princes, governors, prime
ministers and other rulers of the nations of this world were given by God the
power of the sword. The power of the sword is the power to maintain law and
order in the state. It is the power to administer physical punishment to the
evildoers and the power to reward those who do well. As Christians, we are to
honor all those in authority over us. This honor is especially shown by
submission and obedience. Those who do evil should fear being punished by the
state for their evil doing. The Bible teaches that the government does not bear
the sword in vain, so we ought to have a proper fear of those whom God has
appointed to rule in the state. The state even has the power to put those who
do great evil to death. The power of the sword given to the state is also the
right to defend itself against aggressors and to wage war against them.
The power of the keys which Christ has given to the church however is
spiritual. The church does great wrong when she
imagines that she also has the sword’s power. She does wrong when she threatens
physical punishment to those whom she judges even rightly, to be wrong. She
does wrong when she takes up the sword and engages in war to advance the cause
of the
The key power given to the church is spiritual. It has to do with declaring the
forgiveness of sin and the salvation of God’s people.
That the power of the keys is spiritual does not mean that it is really
nothing, and that it need not be feared because such spiritual power really
cannot do anything. That would be a very grave mistake. The spiritual power of
the keys of the kingdom is the power to open and shut the
The power of the keys is also the fearful power to declare to impenitent
sinners that as long as they continue in their wicked sin and impenitent lives,
they are in danger of being cast out of the kingdom unto everlasting judgment
in hell by the just and holy God.
The power of the keys is ultimately that of Christ, the king of His kingdom. In
the book of Revelation, it is said that Christ has the key of hell and death.
Rev 1: 18. It is also said with reference to the