Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven – Matthew 18:18.
The “you” of this Scripture actually stands for the “church”. The Lord said so plainly in verse 17, “…tell it to the church.” The whole discourse in this regard deals with a sinning brother or believer. The Lord enjoins us not to keep silent when one of us is sinning or going astray. He prescribes that you should directly confront a fellow believer if he sins in private, but if he is stubborn and unrepentant call for two or three witnesses, and if this also fails report the brother to the church. The church should adjudicate the matter. Whatever the church forbids, declares to be improper and unlawful – (the meaning of bind), heaven shall have ruled likewise. Or whatever the church permits, declares to be proper and lawful – (the meaning of loose), heaven shall have ruled so.
By the aforegoing the Lord Jesus was clearly establishing the Church as God’s highest authority in the earth. A very scary thought if you consider how even believers treat the church very lightly and are ignorant of what it actually represents on earth. The Lord guarantees His ever-abiding presence in the church in verse 20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” There is no higher authority in the world than in the church where the presence of Jesus is. God’s presence must not be confused with or taken for His anointing, power, spiritual gifts, etc. These may well be there in the absence of His presence.
If anyone disregards a directive of a living church of Christ, they have disregarded heaven itself. This binding and loosing business is far more than the mickey mouse business people have made it out to be. This is the reason why most people’s lives are stuck, their breakthroughs denied, blessings withheld and destinies shut. The living church of Christ, where His presence dwells, is God’s highest authority on earth. There is no getting around it!
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