My husband and I were next in line at the grocery check-out. We were enjoying exchanging smiles and silly faces with an adorable little bundle sitting in a grocery cart. She looked to be about five or six months old. While her mom was paying for their food, this cutie-pie was slobbering on a set of real keys. Real keys. Her mother’s keys. She happily gummed the keys that grants and denies access to everything her mother owns.

Then it hit me like a ton a bricks: WE have our Father’s keys to the kingdom of Heaven!!! In Mathew 16:19 Jesus describes it like this, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  But are we slobbering all over Heavenly keys unaware of their significance?

To be given the keys to a city today, is mostly ceremonial. But back in medieval times, it meant something. Many cities were guarded by walls, and locking gates. To be given a key to the city literally granted the recipient access ‘in’ and ‘to’ all city resources. Occasionally, a non-resident would be honored by receiving such a key. Here’s what it means to be given the keys to the city: “the possession of the rights and privileges of a freeman of the city; conferred on one not a resident as a mark of honorary distinction” (The Free Dictionary).

This is exactly what God has done for us. We once had no citizenship in Heaven, but the cross has granted us residency through Salvation (Philippians 3:20). We’re no longer slaves, but free (Galatians 4:4-7)! We are His chosen people (I Peter 2:9) that have been granted joint-seating with Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:6).

BUT THERE’S MORE! And this is where we can find ourselves slobbering and gumming on Heavenly keys: God has made us Kings and Priests (Revelation 1:6). In other words, we’ve been given power, authority, and access but we many of us don’t act like it!!

Kings have recognized power and authority.
Priests have direct access to God.

When Jesus died on the cross HE transferred to US power and authority that Satan recognizes; and He granted us access directly to the Presence of God: once a privilege only bestowed upon priests. God wants us to come boldly before His throne to make our petitions and requests known: so use your access. I think its past time that WE recognize that God wants us to live an empowered and victorious life. Let’s use the keys He gave us!