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The Church as the Kingdom of the Son of God’s Love 60

kingdom. The kingdom produces the church, and the church brings in the
kingdom; because it is the church that will defeat the enemy and cast out the
evil one. There is one more sentence. The ultimate issue is the kingdom and
the church.
This is consummated in the New Jerusalem. When you look at the New
Jerusalem, there are these two aspects. First, the New Jerusalem has been
renewed to become the bride of Christ. Second, the New Jerusalem is a city,
a kingdom. In the New Jerusalem, there is both the church and the kingdom.
Don’t you think this is wonderful for us to see? This is the church we are in.
This church should be a kingdom. This church should be a realm where God
can rule. Nobody should rule in the church except God. God is the supreme
leader of the church.

Something also touched me very much. In the New Jerusalem, you have
the nature of the church and you also have the condition of the kingdom. In
the New Jerusalem, God can express His sovereignty fully, and can therefore
execute His will and display His glory. This is what the church should be. The
church is the kingdom of the Son of God’s love.
We come to the scripture reading. Matthew 16:18 says, “And I also say
to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and
the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Even while the Lord was
revealing the matter of the church, right away He says there is an enemy who
is going to attack the church. There is another kingdom that will try to defeat
the church. But He says the church He is building will not be defeated by this
other kingdom.
Verse 19 says, “I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens,
and whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens,
and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in the heavens.”
This means whatever you condemn on the earth shall have been bound the in
the heavens. You can also say, “Whatever you forgive on the earth shall be
forgiven.” This church has the power to bind and to loose.
We know that Matthew 16 is talking about the universal church, but in
chapter 18, He talks again about the church. Matthew 18:17a says, “And if
he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.” Verse 18 says, “Truly I say to
you, Whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in heaven, and