When the Church Loses Its Keys

Have you ever lost your keys? Most of us at some time or another have at least misplaced them for a short period of time. When you lose your keys, it can cause chaos. You might not be able to get into your house or place of business. You might not be able to use your car. You might not have access to important files, supplies, or money. Even worse, what happens if your keys fall into the hands of someone who does not have the best of intentions? The consequences become even more severe and dangerous. But what happens when the church loses the keys to the kingdom? The effect is much greater than just not being able to get where you want to be or what you need. The effect of the church losing the keys of the kingdom is a matter of spiritual life and death.

Lord’s Day 31 of the Heidelberg talks about the keys of the kingdom and their purpose in the life of the church when it says in answer 83, “The preaching of the holy gospel, and Christian discipline, or excommunication out of the Christian church; by these two, the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers, and shut against unbelievers.” These keys are the responsibilities entrusted to the church, specifically the leadership of the church, for the proper administration of the church until Christ returns. So important are they that Jesus says that when the keys are used that “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19) and “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (John 20:23) That is serious business. So, what happens if the keys are lost, or even worse, fall into the wrong hands?

1. People think they are in the kingdom when, in fact, they are not. This is the greatest danger possible. What can be a worse delusion, or more costly? This can happen when the true gospel is not preached, or a false one is put in its place. A false sense of hope, a misplaced faith, or an idolatrous love are the results when this key is mishandled. This misuse of the Keys of Christian Discipline can also leave someone with a false sense of eternal security. If suspension or excommunication are not rightly administered, the unrepentant sinner is left believing that they are still right with God. This may be far from the truth. Their soul may be in great peril because the church failed to act.

2. It denies entrance to those who seek it. This is the exact opposite of the purpose of the keys. We who hold to the sovereignty of God and irresistible grace realize that those whom God chooses can in no way be kept out. However, in practice, by mishandling the word of God and the privilege of preaching the gospel, many are led astray. They are presented with a road that supposedly leads to heaven, but in fact takes them to hell. Thanks be to God that even though truth may be replaced with lie, God’s purposes to save a people for Himself cannot be stopped. This even has the effect of keeping the elect out of the kingdom and denying them fellowship with God until the true gospel is revealed to them.

3. The Sacraments become a means of profaning Christ rather than of proclaiming His death. Paul deals with this in his first letter to the Corinthians. “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 11:27) Paul clearly states that there are times when people should not partake of the Lord’s Supper. He states that partakers are to “examine themselves” and “discern the body and blood.” The thing about this process is that one must be adequately instructed in order to do so. Hence, the proper preaching of the gospel is a necessity. When Christian discipline fails to be executed, unworthy people are allowed to partake to their own judgment and to the profaning of Christ name.

4. Sin goes unchecked and no conviction of sin occurs. When Christians fail to do their duty to “Convince, rebuke, exhort” (2 Tim. 4:2), sinful practices are left to continue. That is the place of Christian discipline. Christian discipline begins when each believer demonstrates concern for the spiritual welfare of their brothers and sisters in Christ, and purity of Christ’s church. We can be afraid to speak to someone who has fallen into sin. It is intimidating – if we are concerned only for ourselves and not for the other person. Jesus states in Luke 17:3 “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” When we fail to do that, sin goes unchecked. When sin goes unchecked, no repentance occurs. When no repentance occurs, sin grows. Eventually that sin may grow to the point where the church itself needs to get involved (Matthew 18:15-18). If no one has done their duty up until this point, the church’s task becomes more difficult. But what if the church is aware and does nothing? Woe to those men on the day of judgment who have failed to care for the souls of those in their care. Failure to call fallen believers to repentance leaves a stain on the witness of the church and is dishonoring to the work of Christ.

5. People are given a “form of godliness” while “denying its power.” Paul warns Timothy “that in the last days perilous times will come” when people will have “a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:1,5). It will be a time when sinful behavior is tolerated and even flaunted (sound familiar?). Many assemblies that call themselves churches of Christ are just like what Paul warned. They put on the trappings of religion. They may speak of morality or change, but the power of the gospel to transform lives is completely absent. The power of God in his gracious and merciful acts is gone. The power of the blood of Christ to take away our sins is gone. The power of the Holy Spirit to enliven and transform is gone. The power of the Word of God to impact our lives is gone. When this power is denied, what is left? A bare form of godliness that is unable to save.

6. Political correctness becomes more important that doctrine or practice. Unfortunately, this is all too often the case today. Likely, this has its root in a poor view of the inspiration and authority of scripture. If the scripture is seen as fallible, out of date, or riddled with mistakes, it will not be preached, nor held out, as the standard for doctrine or practice. When this occurs, the church is blown about by every wind of doctrine. In our time, the strongest wind is political correctness. Tolerance, religious plurality, and personal freedom sweep away God’s righteous standard. Jesus as prophet, priest, and king is replaced by Jesus’ activist, philosopher, and role-model.

7. The church opens itself to corruption of doctrine and life. Of course, when the church fails in its use of the keys, corruption is bound to happen. When those whose doctrine is heresy are allowed to roam free, doctrines once held as essential are cast aside, or at best considered optional. Practices long considered deplorable are now considered ‘alternatives.’ Soon, the faithful are the minority. When someone tries to point out corruption, church discipline is threatened or used in a way that our Lord never intended. It is detestable but has happened throughout the history of the church.

8. The church loses it “saltiness” and its light is held under a bushel. Jesus says in Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then no longer good for nothing except to be thrown out and trampled under underfoot by men.” This is what happens when preaching no longer contains conviction of sin, a call to repentance, or the work of Jesus Christ. It is preaching that is nothing less than salt-less and worthless. It is the light kept under a bushel.

9. Lone Ranger Christians are developed. Many Christians feel that there is no need to submit themselves to the discipline of the church in membership. It is just “them and Jesus.” But that is not the Christianity of the New Testament. The New Testament reveals a church knit together in covenant responsibility to one another under the covenant headship of Christ. When the church fails to declare the wonderful privileges and responsibilities of membership in the local church, it leaves believers to feel as though they are the sole authority in the matter of their “relationship with Jesus.”

10. The integrity of the gospel is compromised. This is the ultimate result. The truthfulness, the beauty, the majesty, and the wonder of the gospel are stolen away. When the keys are lost, the gospel is lost. When the gospel is lost, hope is lost. We need the keys to maintain a faithful witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ throughout the generations.

This article originally appeared in the Reformation Voice, April 2008. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[1] This article originally appeared in the April 2008 edition of the Reformation Voice.

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