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Grounded-In-Biblical-Truth | |
Sovereign Grace Doctrine
Concerning 'THE GOSPEL' - JESUS CHRIST
CHRIST AS “GOD OF THE HOUSE OF GOD”
GENESIS 35:7
Good News From The Redeemer
DANIEL E. PARKS, PASTOR
OCTOBER 23, 1999 - RADIO MESSAGE #290
Jacob erected an altar at Luz and named that place El Bethel, “God of the House of God” (Genesis 35:7). He named it in honor of Jehovah, who had earlier appeared to him in that place (Genesis 28:10-22). Jehovah had appeared to him in the persons of both God the Father, who appeared at the top of the ladder, and God the Son, who was typified in the ladder itself (see John 1:51).
Christ is therefore (along with His Father) the “God of the House of God.”
In this day and age, “the house of God ... is the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15), the congregation of believers in Christ. Believers in Christ are as building blocks in this house, “living stones ... being built up a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:4f).
And as Christ was the “God of the House of God” in Bethel, so is He the God of the house of God which is His church.
I. Christ is the divine foundation of the house of God. Paul the apostle declares that the house of God has been “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19f). Jesus Christ was therefore referring to Himself when He declared “on this rock I will build My church” -- for which reason “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
1. The cornerstone of the church, like that of any other building, serves two important purposes. i. The cornerstone, being a part of the foundation, supports the superstructure which rests upon it. Likewise, believers rest in and on Christ alone, having heeded His invitation “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). ii. The cornerstone establishes the shape of its building. It is placed at the corner formed by its two primary walls, and the lay of all its walls are determined by it. Likewise, Christ establishes the character of His church. Every member is being “conformed to the image of [God’s] Son” (Romans 8:29).
2. The cornerstone of the church has been laid by Jehovah Himself. He prophesied of doing so in saying “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation” (Isaiah 28:16). This prophecy was fulfilled through the resurrection of Christ (Psalm 118:22-24), when the “stone which was rejected” by wicked men was made by God “the chief cornerstone” (Acts 4:8-11).
II. Christ is the divine builder of the house of God. As we have already observed, Christ Himself declared “I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18). He does so by making “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5) out of stones cut from the quarry of dead humanity, and adding them one by one upon Himself. In this work He employs gospel preachers, who are described as “God’s fellow workers” for “God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Every sinner who is saved through the preaching of the gospel is added to the church by Christ the builder of it (Acts 2:47).
Many men have built churches on themselves. But Christ has built His church on Himself.
III. Christ is the divine theme of the house of God. This point is easily proven from The Acts of the Apostles. In every instance in which the words “preach” and “preached” and “preaches” and “preaching” is found in the context of the apostolic church, the only theme is Christ (e.g. Acts 5:42; 8:5; 19:13; 8:4).
How different is the case of churches built by men and women upon themselves! Such churches exalt their founders and themselves at the expense of Christ by denying the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Jesus Christ. They preach instead salvation through confessing their man-made creeds, or joining their churches, or submitting to their baptisms, or observing their sabbaths, or adhering to their eschatological views, or any other such nonsense.
Christ is the “God of the House of God” because it is built upon Christ alone, by Christ alone, to the glory of Christ alone.
Are you a member of it?
Your servant for Jesus' sake.
Address all questions to pastor
Daniel E. Parks (2 Corinthians 4:5) e-mail RedeemerBC@aol.com
Pastor, Redeemer Baptist Church
2801 Cleveland Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40206 / 502.899-9205
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