Titus 3;10.—2 Thess. 3;6, 14, 15.—2 Cor. 2; 6-7.—Matt. 16;19.
31. LORD’S DAY.
83. What are the keys of the kingdom of heaven?
The preaching of the holy gospel, and Christian discipline, or the excommunication out of the Christian Church: by these two the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers, and shut against unbelievers. (Matt; 18;18).
Matt. 18;18.—Verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.—Matt. 16;19.—John 20;22, 23.—2 Cor. 10;4-6.
84. How is the kingdom of heaven opened and shut by the preaching of the holy gospel?
Thus: when, according to the command of Christ, it is declared and publicly testified to all and every believer, that whenever they receive the promise of the gospel by a true faith, all their sins are really forgiven them of God, for the sake of Christ’s merits (Acts 13;38, 39); and on the contrary, when it is declared and testified to all unbelievers, and such as do not sincerely repent, that they stand exposed to the wrath of God and eternal condemnation, so long as they are unconverted (John 8;24); according to which testimony God will judge them, both in this life and the life to come (Rom. 2;16).
