The Great and Wonderful Builder of His Church

What a wonderful confession was heard from Peter upon the question asked by Christ, “But whom say ye that I am?” From his heart he answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” No, that was not something which he had read in a book, but a living testimony of a man who might know Christ as the One sent by the Father, as the promised Messiah. That is why the Lord Jesus called him blessed, saying, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.” After this he used the name given by Jesus, “Thou art Simon the son of Jona; thou shalt be called Cephas.”

No, of himself Peter was not strong, but weak. Remember what happened in the hall of Caiaphas. There he was so weak that he denied all that had ever taken place in his life, saying, “I know not the man.” He was not strong, but the confession which he might make, as fruit of what the Lord had done in his life, was strong. Christ did not say, “I will build My church upon you, Peter.” This is said by Rome, but what a weak foundation that would be if the church would have been built and would have to rest upon such a weak, frail man. Soon the Lord had to say to him, “Get thee behind Me, Satan: you do not consider the things that be of God, but the things that be of man.” No, the foundation upon which Jesus builds His church is not Peter, but the confession which Peter might make of Christ.

A rock is a symbol of strength. A rock which rises out of the ocean, having the waves beating upon it year after year, always remains the same in appearance. “And upon this rock I will build My church.” What a solid foundation it is upon which the church of God is built. It is a foundation placed by the Lord Himself. In the stillness of eternity, in the Counsel of Peace, it was laid. For there a most holy God raised the question, “How shall I place them among the children, how shall I bring them in a pleasant land?”

What a solid foundation it is upon which the church of God is built.

God in His free and sovereign grace would love and save a multitude of those deeply fallen sinners. But the justice of God must be satisfied. That price must be paid. And who could and would make such a payment? Then the only begotten Son speaks; the bosom Child of His Father opens His mouth, saying, “Lo, Father, I come to do Thy will. Let Me be the One to pay the price. Let Me be the sin-bearer. Let Me be the deliverer, so that the children of the Father may come home.”

There the foundation of the church was laid. The Son of God gave Himself to be the foundation upon which those deeply fallen sinners may be built. And in the fullness of time He came to establish His Word. Then He became like unto His brethren, sin excepted. He came upon this sin-cursed earth to pay the price, and thus to obtain a righteousness which would cover His church before a holy and just God. Yes, then He is the foundation, and upon that foundation the church of God must be built. Only that foundation can carry the church.

However, the great question in our life must be: Are we built upon that foundation? For is it not true that every one of those known by the Father in the eternal covenant as living stones must be placed upon that foundation? How does He do this? Is that an all-important question for you? He does it through the preaching of His Word. He spoke to His apostles, saying, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16).

Although Paul possessed much grace, he could only plant. And although Apollos was an eloquent speaker, he could only moisten. It was always God who gave the increase. People are only tools in God’s hand, used by Him to build upon that one and only foundation. The most gifted ministers are only men. When they may preach the Word, then it is the Spirit of Christ that makes alive. It is this that places an individual as a living stone upon the foundation. However, will we have any knowledge of that and any comfort, then the Holy Spirit must make us acquainted with those blessings which descend from above.

Who are those who are known by the Father, who were given unto Christ, and who must be built upon that foundation? Are they not a people of whom the Word of God says that they are enemies of God and His salvation? Are they not people who are lying dead in sin and trespasses? From their side there was never an asking to be lifted out of the mire of sin and to be built upon that foundation. From their side there was never a praying, “Lord, come to build me.”

That is precisely what makes it such a wonder of grace, makes being built such a great wonder. There came a time when the great Builder came to ask for them. It was, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead” (Ephesians 5:14). Oh, they stood there along the way to the great eternity, with no God for their soul, no Mediator for their guilt. The burden of sin was so great that they said, “Lord, such a wretch as I can never be built upon that foundation.” As a miserable one they walk upon the earth. Ever more deeply they experience what it is to be poor, blind, and naked. What will ever become of them?

No, they cannot comfort themselves with the knowledge that there is a Jesus, for He is so hidden for them. They must experience that which He said, “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him” (John 5:44). And when the Father draws, then they come to know more and more how black they are. Ever more deeply they experience the knowledge of what they are before a holy and righteous God.

What is their need? It is that the Father may reveal His Son to them, and that their eyes may be opened for that only foundation. Oh, now there are times in their life that they beg the Lord over and over that He would reveal that foundation and that they may know Him as their foundation. That may take place as soon as they may have come to an end with all that is of self.

It is true, in the beginning they thought all would go so differently. Standing in their first love, they said, “We will go from strength to strength.” They did not know then that there would come a time when they would go from complaint to complaint. Upon that way, the sinner is ever more uncovered and ever more discovered. It is then that the Rock Christ becomes so precious. They want nothing other than Jesus, the crucified One. When their feet may stand upon that Rock, they tremble in holy anticipation, but they experience that that Rock never trembles. Experiencing something of the solidness of that Rock, something of its preciousness, they stammer, “Lord, when may I come there where I will never sin anymore?”

However, the journey is not finished. There are still a few more steps, and there then may be a homecoming for the child of God. Then there may be the fullest beholding of Him who said, “Father, let all their transgressions come upon Me.” He is the Builder of His church. And because they are built upon that foundation, they have no reason to fear. He has promised that the gates of hell will never prevail against them. Let the devil do all that he can to destroy the church from off that foundation, all his efforts will prove to be in vain. Let the devil roar as a lion, or come as an angel of light, the church need not fear. For the great Builder has promised, “I will give them eternal life, and they can never go lost.”

Oh, that this would drive us ever nearer unto Him who promised, “I have bought you with the promise of My blood.” Which ever way it may go, there is a people who travel to the eternal shores, and there He will meet them, saying, “Come in into the kingdom of My Father and your Father.” There they may forever praise Him who gave Himself to be the foundation of His church.

Half Truths

Nehemiah 6:5-8. In Nehemiah’s day and in the Apostle James’s day (James 3:6), and in our day, too, there were idle men and women who went about from house to house dropping slander as they went. Yet in some cases you could not easily show exactly where the falsehood lay. You could not fasten upon any part of what was said and say that it was calumny — half truths are often more slanderous than whole falsehoods. It is not even necessary that a word should be distinctly uttered; a twist of the lip, an arched eyebrow, a shrugged shoulder, a significant look, an incredulous expression, nay, even an emphatic silence may do the work. And when the light and trifling thing that has done the mischief has fluttered off, the venom is left behind to work and rankle, to inflame hearts, to fever existence, and to poison society at the very springs of life. No wonder it was said by one whose whole being had smarted under such affliction, “Adders’ poison is under their lips.”

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