INTRODUCTION: In one of the views which the Scripture gives of the Church of Christ it is called "the house of God." 1. What did Paul say to Timothy? 1 Timothy 3:14-15 THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: the house of God, is the church of the living God, and most importantly that makes it the pillar and ground of the truth. 2. Who is the Living Stone? THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: Christ is the "living Stone," and they who believe on Him become "lively" stones because they live by Him who is life. 3. What else did Paul say about the house of God? Hebrews 3:5-6 THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: The house is the House of Christ. 4. What does Peter say about the same house? 1 Peter 2:4-5 KJV THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: Take not that the lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, and we are that spiritual house and that house is the Church of God. It is only that house (church) that is acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. The house is the House of Christ and we are that house if we hold fast the to pillar and ground of the truth. Christ is the "living Stone," and they who believe on Him become "lively" stones because they live by Him who is life. In the quarry of the Jewish and the Gentile world the apostles laboured, bringing out stones to lay upon the foundation. In his letter to the believers at Ephesus, Paul said, "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22. {AA 596.1} And to the Corinthians he wrote: "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." 1 Corinthians 3:10-13. {AA 596.2} The apostles built upon a sure foundation, even the Rock of Ages. To this foundation they brought the stones that they quarried from the world. Not without hindrance did the builders labour. Their work was made exceedingly difficult by the opposition of the enemies of Christ. They had to contend against the bigotry, prejudice, and hatred of those who were building upon a false foundation. Many who wrought as builders of the church could be likened to the builders of the wall in Nehemiah's day, of whom it is written: "They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, everyone with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon." Nehemiah 4:17. 5. What else does Peter have to say about the chief corner stone? 1 Peter 2:6 THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: “He shall build the temple of the Lord.” Zechariah 6:12-13 By his sacrifice and mediation, Christ is both the foundation and the builder of the church of God. The apostle Paul points to him as “the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also,” he says, “are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.” [Ephesians 2:20-22.] {GC88 416.1} These persons therefore who by believing on the living Stone become lively, or living, stones, are built up a spiritual house, and this house is the church of the living God. 6. Who is God’s building? 1 Corinthians 3:9 THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: Paul further speaks of it as God's building. Speaking of himself and Apollos as ministers by whom the brethren had believed on Christ we now know whose house are we, and we are built up a spiritual house and we are God's building. That is to say: By their labours in preaching the gospel of Christ, these brethren had been brought to believe on Christ, the living Stone, and, by believing on Him, had become imbued with life from Him, and had thus become in the figure living stones. These then built up that spiritual house, became God's building. Now Paul carries the thought further: 7. What is the foundation that is laid? 1Corinthians 3:10-11 THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: Christ is the foundation and chief corner-stone, the very foundation of the foundation, and in the letter to the Ephesians, Paul carries the thought yet further and completes this conception of the church as the house or building of God. Of Christ he says: 8. What else can be said of the foundation? Ephesians 2:18-22 THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: It is important to know the household of God is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; Here, then, is the LORD's view of the church as the house or building of God: Christ, and the apostles and prophets are the foundation, and the membership at large is the superstructure. But Christ Himself is the chief corner-stone, the foundation of the whole structure, the foundation of the foundation itself. Because it is only in Christ that either the apostles or prophets were ever what they were, or that any member is what he is. Christ is the living Stone, to whom the apostles and prophets and all others must come that they might be made lively stones, fit for the building of God. In Jesus Christ, and upon Jesus Christ, the church of Christ, the church of the living God, is built. 9. What is the habitation [a dwelling place] of God, and by what means? Romans 8:9 THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: The purpose of this building is "for an habitation [a dwelling place] of God through the Spirit." Look at what Jesus said: If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23 10. Does the Bible actually say God will dwell in us? 2 Corinthians 6:16 THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ 11. What else doe God call this building or house? 1Corinthians 3:16 THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: "For ye are the temple of the living God." When these in whom the Spirit of God dwells are "fitly framed together," and built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and Jesus Christ, they grow unto an holy temple, in the Lord, and are "an habitation of God through the Spirit." And that is the house of God, the church of the living God. Peter said, as before quoted: "To whom coming as unto a living stone, ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house." We, the lively stones are built up a spiritual house. Now it is a characteristic of a living stone that it can be polished to such a height that it will reflect the image of the one looking upon it. Thus, Christ is the living stone, to whom we come, and upon whom we look, and as we look we see ourselves. 12. How does the Bible describe how we to see ourselves? 2Corinthians 3:18 KJV THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: And thus, being changed into the same image, we also become lively stones, reflecting in turn the image of Christ as He looks upon us; 13. Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, where and why did it shine? 2Corinthians 4:6 THE BIBLE SAYS: _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: Then the church is indeed the light of the world, a city set on a hill which cannot be hid. It is written of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, that it has twelve foundations "garnished with all manner of precious stones." Revelation 21:19-23 These are surmounted by a wall great and high, "and the building of the wall of it was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass." And the glory of God does lighten the city, and the Lamb is the light thereof; and her light is like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Revelation 21:10-23. Eye has never seen except in holy vision such a scene of glory and beauty as is here pictured of the city of the living God, and the home of the redeemed. Now the New Jerusalem is not the church. It is not the house, the building, the habitation, the church, of God, referred to in the texts which we have quoted in this article. But from this description of the glorious city of God, we may gather from this image of the church as a house, a building, and an habitation of God, an idea of what the Lord desires that the glorious church of God shall be. Christ is a living stone, the chief corner- stone, most precious. He is the first, the chief foundation of the church. Upon Him as part of the foundation also, rest the apostles and prophets, made from Him lively stones. Then upon this foundation are built all the saints, as silver, precious stones …… 1 Corinthians 3:11-12 The silver and precious stones, they build the true house of God. No earthly organisation can fit this description as there would be too many dead and rubble stones, which would weaken the walls of the structure and cause the house to fall. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God as it reflects from the face of Jesus Christ, shining through and reflected from all the silver and precious stones, makes the church indeed the light of the world, giving to men the knowledge of the glory of God as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Oh, that each one who professes to be a member of the church of Christ were really so! Oh, that everyone who is professedly joined to the church, were really joined to Christ! that each one were indeed a lively stone reflecting the precious image of the dear Redeemer, and thus conveying to them that are in darkness the light of the knowledge of the glory of God as it is manifested in Jesus Christ our Lord. Then indeed would the world believe that God did send Jesus Christ. Christ is the Cornerstone, the Livingstone, the one in which whose image we must reflect to become a reflection of the Livingstone and thus we help Him build His house, HIS CHURCH, HIS BUILDING of PRECIOUS LIVINGSTONES. MY RESPONSE TO CHRIST IS: □ YES □ UNDECIDED Email us at: admin@thebiblesays.net