PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 16:13-20
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Whatever you bind or loose on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
Jesus says something similar about forgiveness after the resurrection (John 20:23).
This sounds like Jesus’s followers get to decide who is saved, and who is not.
In the context, Jesus is asking about who the ‘son of man’ is.
For Jews, the Son of Man was Eve’s offspring who would crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15).
He would take back humanity’s position as God’s image-bearers, His sons and daughters.
Jesus is this promised ‘Son of Man’ who reclaims the title ‘Son of God’ (Matthew 16:16).
Adam was the first son of God (Luke 3:38); Jesus reclaims this for all of us (John 1:12).
As such, we are God’s partners who dispense God’s goodness for Him.
We are God’s “very important partners”, called to bring God’s grace to the world.
This idea echoes God’s call to Abraham to be the agents of God’s blessing (Genesis 12:3).
To be clear, we don’t DECIDE who is blessed; we DECLARE and SHARE God’s blessing.
If we hold back, we are keeping people from experiencing this blessing with God.
This is what it means to be called (elected); we are assigned a very important job!
Am I sharing God’s grace, or am I standing in the way of other’s experiencing it?
PRAYER
Lord, we hold the keys to the kingdom (restored life with You). People can experience it, or not, depending on how we relate to them. Make me a channel of Your grace, and not a barrier.
Lord God almighty our Father thank you and I praise you for calling me to be your agent, your partner to dispense your grace and goodness to this hurting world. Holy Spirit, Jesus in me strengthen me to be always faithful channel and agent of your love, grace and mercy among my circle of influence and enlarge it Lord. Gor Jesus and in Jesus name alone.
Lord thank You for making us Your rock. Help us be steadfast and stable as a foundation for Your Church.
Ambassadors – temples of Jesus – we carry treasure: the Gospel – the way to heaven – to paradise. We are messengers of hope and have the opportunity and responsibility to forgive – and that has eternal significance for those whose lives we may interact with – that is how we have an impact on who is bound and who is loosed – however I do trip over what it means to be bound or loosed in heaven? What did the disciples understand? What I do know is that Jesus is the way to the kingdom – and I am bound to Him and when I am hades has no hold on me and that I have the privilege of being a temple, an ambassador!