The Foundation of God

The Foundation of God

Isaiah 28:16

“Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”

            The foundation stone that is mentioned in the subject verse is our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus is the stone that the builders refused, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (Psalms 118:22). The builders of the day of Christ were the religious leaders of that day, Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees, the chief Priests, and such like. These refused to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ of God, and so plotted His murder for their gain; as it is said, their “place and nation” (John 11:48). These religious leaders refused to believe that Jesus is the Christ even though our Lord Jesus had done things that no other could do (as said Nicodemus John 3:2) as heal all manner of sicknesses, feed great multitudes with food which came from His divine creative power, raised the dead, walked on water, cast out devils out of men, cure leprosy; all those things were His credentials to prove that He was the Christ; but these wicked men refused to believe; which demonstrates the total depravity of the human heart. They would not believe the insuperable evidence that Christ Jesus put before them.

It was thus that the religious leaders of that day refused the foundation stone of Zion, and in refusing the corner stone of Zion they fulfilled the word and purpose of God. For it is written “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and the foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:” (Acts 2:22-23). Again it is written “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done” (Acts 4: 27-28). To the Jews of that day Christ was; and is to this day, to many “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence” for, it is written “Wherefore it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed” (I Peter 2:6-8). These wicked men who rejected that Precious Corner Stone demonstrated that they “loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Of this sort are they “who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).

Christ Jesus us is the Elect Precious Corner Stone upon which the church of God is built, and upon which it stands, and upon which it shall stand to all eternity. Very many are the difficulties through which Christ’s church has passed in this world; many temptations, afflictions, troubles and trials, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (II Timothy 2:19). “The Lord knoweth them that are his” and those that are His, shall certainly know Him, for our Lord said “To him (that is Christ: writer’s parenthesis) the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and they follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers” (John 10:3-5). The sheep of Christ are His people “call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21); these particular individuals are His people because they were given to him of His Father “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4; John 6:37; 17:2) they are Christ’s sheep because He has redeemed them by His shed blood “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation:” (Revelation 5:9).

The sheep of Christ hear His voice because He prepares their ears to that hearing by quickening them: as He said “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28) Because Christ quickens the sheep, they have a spiritually living ear and therefore hear the voice of Christ. “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is of the Lord” (Proverbs 16:1). The people of God (Christ’s own sheep) know their Father because the Lord has said “And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7). And again He said, “And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me” (Jeremiah 32:39-40). And this is Christ; that Rock, for He said “And I say unto thee, “That thou art Peter, (a little stone built in the house of God, with many other living stones, {I Peter 2:5} upon the Rock Christ Jesus; writer’s parenthesis) and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, (Matthew 16:18). “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the wind blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27). Reader who is your foundation stone, is your house built on the Rock Christ Jesus or on the sand of free will works religion?  See the writer’s blog at     www.hebrews915.blogspot.com            

A.J. Ison

  

For Whosoever Hath

For Whosoever Hath

Matthew 13:12

“For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” 

            In previous verses (three through eight) our Lord Jesus had given the parable of the sower and had ended the parable with this statement “who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” This had prompted a question from His disciples “why speakest thou to them in parables?” To this question our Lord answered “because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” And our Lord continued “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.”

            “Whosoever hath” these are they who have interest in the everlasting covenant of grace; this group of individuals was chosen in Jesus Christ by God the Father from “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:1-11), and they were chosen to eternal salvation (II Thessalonians 2:13, 14), they were given to Jesus Christ before all worlds (II Timothy 1:8-10) and shall infallibly “inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). The thing they have (for it is said whosoever hath) is the love and favor of the God (Romans 8:31) who has revealed himself in Holy Scripture. To some, that is, His elect He has revealed Himself, but to others it is not given to know the gospel of God (Romans 1:1; Matthew 11:25). For the God of Holy Scripture has said “yea, I have loved thee (His chosen) with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jeremiah 31:3). But to false prophets, that is false preachers, and false professors the Lord Jesus will say “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity,” (Matthew 7:23).

“Whosoever hath” This group of persons is made up of sons and daughters of Adam, but before they were the sons and daughters of Adam, they were “the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed (the seed is Christ, Galatians 3:16, 29) shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed,” (Acts 3:25). Therefore when God spoke to his church He said “and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children,” (Isaiah 54:13). And again the Lord in addressing His church has declared, “and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father:” (Galatians 4:6). And another testimony of the Lord, “forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” (Hebrews 2:14). Reader take special notice of this truth; that in each of the testimonies presented, the persons involved were first children, then, they were “taught” Isa.54:13; they were first “sons” and then the Spirit of His Son was sent into their hearts Gal. 4:6; and they were first “children” and had been made partakers of flesh and blood Heb. 2:14. In each of the cases presented, covenant interest in the love and favor of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39) was the differentiating factor, not man’s supposed free will, not man’s works, it was “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,” (John 1:13). The differentiating factor was “not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy,” (Romans 9:16). “For who maketh thee to differ one from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why doest thou glory” (in anything of yourself; your dream of free will, the wise choice you have made, your own good works) “as if thou hadst not received it?” (I Corinthians 4:7).

“And he shall have more abundance” the children of the covenant are given grace in this world, and glory in the world which is to come (Psalm 84:11). The children of the covenant have been interested (or given an heirs part) in the covenant without beginning, and shall be interested without ending (Revelation 1:8; Isaiah 42:6; 49:8), though in their experience, as sons and daughters of Adam, they have no knowledge of that covenant interest as they are born in this world. But by regeneration the Holy Ghost brings them “into the bond of the covenant” (Ezekiel 20:37) then they are “taught of God” (John 6:45).

Someone may ask, what is it that the children are taught? They are taught a great many things; they are taught that they, in themselves, are helpless and hopeless sinners and as sinners they have not that righteousness of God (Romans 1:17) which is requisite for fellowship with the Eternal, and they are taught that there is a day wherein God will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ (John 16:8-11). The children are taught that God is their Father (John 20:17), that they are His sons and daughters through the Father’s election (Ephesians 1:4, 5), and that they were redeemed at Calvary by the precious blood of Christ (I Peter 1:18, 19). The children of the covenant are taught that they were not chosen because of any special thing in themselves, not foreseen faith, nor good works, nor personal obedience, not for a choice they would someday make, they are taught that their being chosen was “not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost;” (Titus 3:5). The children are taught that all things are theirs (I Corinthians 3:21-23) and that Christ is made to them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and, redemption (I Corinthians 1:30) because they are in Christ Jesus through the eternal and immutable covenant obligations that the Triune Jehovah has established in Himself. The covenant children are freely given “all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3), and they are blessed “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

“But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” There are some who have a great name in religion, they are like the church at Sardis “thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead,” (Revelation 3:1). It is the writer’s opinion that almost all the present day local assemblies of church members are lost in a false profession of faith. These churches have Pastors who claim to preach the word of God but what they preach is a perversion of the truth. For example; (1.) most present day preachers say that Jesus Christ came to save all men, the Scriptures declare that Jesus Christ came to “save His people from their sins,” (Matthew 1:21). (2.) Most preachers of our days say that God gives every man a chance to be saved, the Scriptures declare that God saves according to His own purpose and grace (II timothy 1:9). (3.) Most preachers of our day say that God has done all He can or will do to save sinners and that the rest is the responsibility of the sinner, but our Lord Jesus said “without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5). (4.) Today preachers say that Jesus Christ died for all men; but our Lord Jesus said “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11), then in John 10:26 our Lord said to the Jews “ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep,” it is therefore evident that the Lord Jesus did not die for those who are not His sheep, and therefore it is sure the Savior did not die for all men.

“But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” There are many who have said, “we have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: (Isaiah 28:15). Everyone who denies the gospel of God’s electing and predestinating love, and everyone who denies the Son’s absolute redemption of His elect and of the elect only, and everyone who denies the effectual or irresistible call of God the Holy Ghost, denies the Father and the Son by denying their work in their respective offices. And it is written “who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son,” (I John 2:22). Therefore to everyone who despises the covenant as it stands in the blood thereof (Hebrews 13:20) let them hear these words “and your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it,” (Isaiah 28:18). In the day of judgment, everything that is false, such as salvation by the choice of man’s supposed free will, and not by the will of God alone, and everything false such as man being saved by his good works, and all those false teachings that are currently taught and received by the greater multitude of professed Christians, will be swept away, and those who have adhered to those teachings will stand naked, and filthy in the sight of God.

Reader; have you an ear to hear? Or do you cling to the religious wrangling of the multitude of professed preachers who teach things contrary to the Holy Scripture? Do you believe the Holy Scriptures are the word of God? If you do, then you must consider the end of listening to those who pervert the word of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ has said “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Fathers hand. I and My Father are one,” (John 10:27-30). The sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, therefore, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,” (Matthew 13:9).

A.J. Ison