# 680 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 13:34 "It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.
Jesus seeks to explain to His disciples what's going to happen when He ascends into heaven. First of all, before He leaves He is going to give full authority to His servants to run His household, (the church) while he's gone.
His church has the authority to forgive sins or to retain them. Joh 20:23 says "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." This is the business of the church. And it is accomplished through the proclamation of the Gospel and the assertion that faith in Jesus is the only way to have sins removed. Anything less than faith in Jesus (or even more when we seek to add our own works or the works of others to the salvation formula) causes individuals to retain their sins.
Only those who have received the gift of “Jesus only faith” and continue to walk in that faith will have the clean slate that allows them into heaven. (whoever believes and is baptized will be saved- Mr 16:16) Anyone with retained sins will be left out in the cold.
In this sense the church is the doorkeeper, forever making sure that the proper credentials for entering the church are upheld and proclaimed. We must not doze off in this matter. It is to be faithfully proclaimed until the Lord returns. Joh 14:6 says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Father, help us to get on track and stay on track in this matter of doorkeeping. Sometimes we are too lenient and sometimes we are too strict when we proclaim the proper credentials. Let us not add to or takeaway from Your clear requirements.
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