By Dan C. Bailey
In Matthew
16:13-20, we have an account of when Jesus went to Caesarea Philippi. The Lord
asked his disciples two simple questions. The first question was. "Whom do
men say that I the Son of man am?" He received four answers to this
question. All of the answers from men were in error. Jesus was not John the
Baptist. Jesus was not Elijah. Jesus was not Jeremiah, nor was he one of the
former prophets of Israel. Many today would probably have gone along with most
of these opinions. It is easy to follow the teachings of men, but it is often
much harder to follow God.
The second
question that Jesus asked was, "But whom say ye that I am?" It was
then that Simon Peter correctly answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God." This truth has been revealed to Peter by God. Peter saw
the great wonders and miracles that Jesus had performed. He correctly concluded
from the evidence that Jesus was the Son of God. God reveals His Son unto us
today, if we will but read the Bible and believe the evidence.
We read in John
20:30-31: "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his
disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye
might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye
might have life through his name."
Jesus told Peter,
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"
(Matthew 16:18).The rock is the great truth that Jesus is the Son of the living
God. The Son of God is the very foundation of the church. We read in 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." We also read in 1 Corinthians
3:11 "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ."
My friend, the
church is not built on the humanity of Luther nor on the fallibility of John
Calvin or John Wesley. The church stands upon the rock of the Son of the living
God. It is this "Son of God" that we are to confess before men. We
read in Matthew 10:32-33: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before
men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever
shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in
heaven."
And again in
Romans 10:9-10: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
It was at this
time that Jesus promised to build his church. Jesus said, "I will build My
church." He did not build the churches that are established by men,
organized and fashioned after their own rules and traditions, but Jesus built
HIS church. It does not belong to Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Campbell, or any
other man. If you are not a member of the church of Christ, become one! The
Lord will add you to HIS church when you obey HIM.
Read the following
verses and think about the church that was built by Jesus Christ, the Son of
God.
ACTS 2:47 -- "Praising God, and having favour with all
the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be
saved."
ACTS 2:38 --"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
MARK 16:16 -- "He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
1 CORINTHIANS 12:13 - For
by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit."
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