In Matthew sixteen verse nineteen it says, “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.” If you read Revelation though, it mentions two more keys. The keys mentioned are to hell and death. We as believers are afforded keys to the kingdom, so that we can bind and loose.
In the first five chapters of Isaiah he says, “Woe unto you”, eight times. In the sixth chapter he says, “Woe is me.” It is a litmus test of prayer in one’s life. I look at Isaiah and how judgmental he is of others in the beginning because the closer you get to the Lord, the more flaws you see within yourself. When you get around someone who is very judgmental hasn’t been broken in prayer for months. Let this not be said of you or me!
In the tabernacle of Moses there was only one seat the “Mercy Seat.” The priest couldn’t sit down, but in Ephesians chapter two, it says we sit with him in heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:9). There are two seats mentioned in scripture: mercy and judgment. The judgment seat is empty now, but he is in the mercy seat. I’d rather sit with him in mercy than without him in judgment. In the Bible, there are keys of the kingdom of heaven, hell, and death, but we were only given the keys to the kingdom. Don’t ever tell someone they are going to hell because we don’t have that key. We have more than enough work to do opening up doors of revival for people. Why should we waste time doing a job that isn’t ours? Scripture says,“ Let the wheat and the tares grow together, and at the time of harvest the harvesters will first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” (Matthew 13:24-43). Everyday, our goal must be The Christ’s goal: to seek and save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10). Our goal is not to judge people, but to lead them to truth. Our aim is not to condemn, but to bring them to conviction.