Keys

“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18)

So, the other day I was at the office in the new building after everyone else had left. When it was time to go, I shut down the computer, picked up my briefcase, and headed out the door. When the door closed behind me, the building was all comfy, cozy and secure. Then when I got to the car, I reached in my pocket for the keys. I am sure you can guess where they were. I had to call one of the guys to come up and let me back in.

A little while back, I got a new flash drive for my documents that attaches to my key ring. I was forever forgetting my flash drive in the computer either at home or the office, which made for a special trip to retrieve it. I thought, “Hey, if I put it on my key ring, I won’t be able to leave without it, because I can’t start the car unless I have my flash drive.” Brilliant! Except the fact that there is no way to assure that a scatterbrain like me won’t figure out another way around the system. We all do things like this. Most guys run out of gas once in every car they own just learning how far they can push it (the ladies never do that – it’s a guy thing). Now that I have locked myself out of the building once, I will be sure to check for the keys and flash drive, and that will not happen again. Some other “dufus” moment will befall me, but not that one.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. Speaking of “dufus” moments, there has been enough abuse and downright blatant ignorance over that verse to fill the universe. Untold millions have met eternity without Christ resting on the false promise and misinterpretation of that verse. The common thought is that Satan and his hordes will not be able to overcome the church by any means of attack. Helloooo… Earth to Bible Scholar… You don’t attack with GATES! Gates are designed to keep someone in or out. If you live in a “gated community”, it is to keep the low life riff-raff out of your neighborhood. Prison gates are designed to keep the prisoners from roaming free in society and wreaking their havoc. When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible says, “…thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Acts 2:27) Satan had him for three days. But the gates of his prison could not hold him. In the same context in Acts 2:24, it says of Jesus, “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” When Jesus referred to the gates of hell not prevailing against his church, he was not talking about any ecclesiastical organization on earth, he was referring to his own resurrection from the dead. The church is not a man made institution. It is a living organism comprised of individual born again believers from every kindred, people, and tongue; and it crosses any denominational barrier. It was bought and paid for with his precious blood on the cross of Calvary. It was secured when he took out his key ring and found the one labeled “hell and death” and did what no man has ever done, he opened the gates.

If you have placed your faith in the risen Saviour, his resurrection has secured forever your home in heaven. It matters not what organization you belong to here. The Lord Jesus Christ has the keys to hell and death. And unlike us, Jesus will never lose his keys or lock himself out of his home or office or car. Unshackle your heart from the fear and bondage of uncertainty. Jesus has the keys. Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Go tell others about that wonderful news. Time is short, the world is spinning out of control, and his coming is soon.