Matthew 16:18 records the encouraging words of our Lord Jesus Christ who says, "upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The Rock of which He speaks is His own Person and work. He is the "stone which the builders set at naught." He is the "Rock of Ages," the stone of stumbling" chosen and set by God. He is the sure foundation Stone and His work of redemption is a solid ground upon which all who trust Him can rest. All in the Church, which is His Body, can say, "On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand." But He also takes upon Himself the full responsibility of the building of His Church. "I will build" is the word of His pledge to successfully and completely bring each one of His elect as "living stones" into this habitation of God. He will hew them out of the rock of fallen humanity, make them fit and fit them into it by His sin-cleansing blood, imputed righteousness and power and take His abode therein. But He also gives a word of encouragement and comfort to all who will be more than conquerors in Him. He says, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Here, the Church militant is promised to be also the Church victorious! Sent forth by our King and Commander-in-Chief, we go with the gospel of His glory and grace. "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (II Cor. 10:4,5) The Church, with Christ as its Head, is never dying, always alive and full of His strength though it faces the greatest of enemies. It is always victorious in the midst of its trials, its persecutions and its conflicts. The Church's strength or wealth or success cannot be evaluated by looking at its often small number or resources at any given time and place; but must be seen and evaluated in light of its Head, Christ Jesus the Lord! He proclaims His sole possession of it by calling it, "my church." Many will resist it to their own defeat, many will leave the borders of its local expression to their own peril and many will view it as unnecessary to their own loss. But Christ, the King of the Church, declares, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Gary Shepard

Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29-30)

Many people dabble with the doctrines of grace. They like to discuss them and debate them. They like to read what men say about them. But in their heart, they have little regard for them. This is evidenced by what they don't do:

1. They don't see them as essential in salvation.

2. They don't desire to hear them preached regularly.

3. They don't support a ministry that upholds them.

4. They don't identify with the people who believe them.

5. They don't commit all their energies & resources to the

advancement of them.

6. They don't hesitate to call "brethren" those who despise

them.

7. They don't reveal any work of grace in them.

8. They don't love & follow the Person they reveal!

The "doctrines of grace" are but the "doctrine of Christ!" Believed in the heart, they produce a commitment to Christ Jesus that cannot be hidden!

GS '94

We dare not hope to be accepted with God because of anything that is in us by nature or may be infused into us by grace: we are accepted in the Beloved, and apart from Him we look not to be found accepted. Even what the Holy Ghost works in us does not furnish us with any merit which we can plead, for it is a gift of grace, and no part of our justifying righteousness. We rest upon Jesus Christ crucified (His imputed righteousness, atoning blood and Mediation alone), and not upon our faith, repentance or prayers.

C.H. Spurgeon

Every discontented heart is a proud heart. Instead of being angry with Providence for not making us greater than we are; the meanest (lowest) person of us all, if he rightly knew himself and God, would fall low at His footstool and adore Him for condescending to bestow ANY thought upon us, or take ANY care of us whatever. AS I once heart a valuable person remark, "God is often better to us than our fears; and always better to us than we deserve." We should be perfectly at ease, under every possible combination of circumstances, if we could but give credit to infinite Wisdom for doing all things well.

Augustus Toplady

Few seem to realize the fearful implications which necessarily follow the principles they hold and advocate. To predicate an atonement which fails to atone, a redemption which does not redeem, a sacrifice which secures not the actual remission of sins is a horrible reflection upon all the attributes of God. To make the efficacy or success of the greatest of all God's works dependent upon the choice of fallen and depraved creatures is to magnify man at the cost of dethroning his Maker.

A. W. Pink

TO JESUS’ THRONE

To Jesus’ throne I now would come;

And there be ever blessed.

He as my King shall ever reign,

The Lord my Righteousness.

The mighty King of kings He sits:

Who suffered in my place;

And through His sacrifice, His throne,

Becomes a throne of grace.

“Thy throne, O God, forever is”

“Thy scepter, righteousness.”

Thy day of power brings our souls,

To willingly confess.

His loyal subject I would be

Though oft a rebel found.

His chast’ning love the rod applies,

But marks of grace abound.

Our one and only Potentate,

All glory His alone;

And by His kingdom gospel preached,

The Spirit makes Him known.

All who believe do lowly bow,

Within the Holy Place;

And there as sons and subjects find,

Abounding help and grace.

On high, on high, we seated are,

In Jesus Christ alone.

And look to reign forever more,

With Jesus in His throne.