The Church’s Rock

16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. 17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19I 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.”

Matthew 16:16-19

Peter had just made a magnificent confession: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus told him that this truth had not come from human wisdom. God himself had revealed it. Then Jesus promised, “On this rock I will build my church.”

What a gift Christ gives his church! He places into the hands of ordinary Christians what he calls the “keys” of the kingdom of heaven. Those keys are the authority to announce God’s . . . . forgiveness, or to refuse to announce it because of impenitence.

Think of the power of hearing another person say, “I forgive you.” It can restore a relationship and lift an enormous burden. One writer put it this way: “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred.”

But how much greater to hear God say, “Your sins are forgiven.” The Almighty God who gave you life, who knows every sin, who will judge everyone, has cleansed you completely through Jesus Christ. That is life-changing.

The church must always remember whose keys they are. Forgiveness is never a bargaining chip, something withheld until people behave the way we want, support the right program, or satisfy church leaders. Nor is the church built on the personality, authority, or influence of any human leader. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).

Christ is the Rock of his church, not any other person. His death paid for sin. His resurrection declares the victory. His Word gives the promise. And his church has the joyful privilege of announcing it. In Christ, God’s forgiveness is full, free, and certain for all who believe.

That is a message solid enough to build your life on.