9. THE KEY OF ALL KEYS – The Word of God

Unless we use the Word of God to gain access to all the keys that open all the doors to the

resources of God’s kingdom, life under God’s loving rule will always be out of our reach….

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:14-17

And ultimately, there is one more key that unlocks the Word of God –

10. THE FEAR OF THE LORD.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10 NIV

“The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV

Conversely, without the fear of the Lord, nothing works.

When we honour the Lord enough to believe His Word and take Him seriously, every door into the resources and provisions of God’s kingdom are flung wide open.

The fear of the Lord, to change the picture, is the root of all the fruit we can pick from “the tree of life”. God gave Adam one instruction – leave “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” alone. We can only experience life when we live under God’s authority and in submission and obedience to Him.

When we live on the fruit we pick from living selfishly and making our own rules, we are already dead and destined for an eternal destiny of being “dead” to God; no life, no light, no hope, no love, no joy, no peace, just eternal nothing.

CONCLUSION

It amazes me how often the Holy Spirit opens the Word of truth to me by beginning at the end and slowly taking me back to the beginning. That’s how Jesus taught the truth. He took His hearers, in response to their questions, back to God’s original intention. “It was not like that in the beginning…”

So too if we are to understand the keys of the kingdom. Without God’s Word and the fear of the Lord, our absolute commitment to honour and reverence the Lord by taking His every word seriously, we cannot experience the fullness of life in His kingdom.

In the Lord Jesus Christ, God has provided everything we need to live as citizens of His heavenly kingdom right here and now in this present evil world. He supplies all our physical and material needs, as we take care of the needs of others. He provides all the grace we need as we acknowledge our weakness and call on His name.