Foundations: March 2026
Table of Contents
Foundations
One evil after another starts up in this heart of mine, and I might well be discouraged and cast down; but the answer to all is, “Did not God give me to Christ before the foundation of the world?” A Peter might curse and swear, and deny Christ, but “having loved His own, He loved them unto the end.” He is up there in heaven as a Savior God—as the One who can pour out peace and joy. I can say, “He is on the throne of God for me, He knows what a price He paid for me.” But is it because He loves me that He leaves me down here as a sheep for Satan to drive and harass? Yes, because He will break down all that is not of Himself in my heart. But having loved His own, He loves to the end.
He cannot be in heaven without revealing to us now that He wants us there; wants us all around the throne. What would it be if, after all the travail of His soul, there were no saved ones there? What if He who sits upon the throne were to see all the seats around it vacant? What were we worth when Christ picked us up? What are we in self-worth now? Nothing at all. But we are united to Christ, and He never forgets His own, given Him by the Father before the foundation of the world. He has prepared their glory, not on the ground of their worth, but on the ground of what passed between Him and the Father, when we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.
G. V. Wigram
An Outline of Sound Words
We all enjoy sitting in a Bible conference or other venue and listening to a brother address us with his thoughts and meditations on Scripture. Or perhaps we enjoy reading something someone has written. But the one who is speaking (or writing an article) must usually assume a certain basis of truth that his listeners or readers already have. If he is giving a gospel message he can start at “rock bottom” and assume that his audience knows nothing of the Bible or God’s way of salvation. If he is addressing children or a group of young people, then that is a different challenge. An audience of adults and peers is different yet again.
As we progress in our Christian lives, it is assumed that our knowledge will progress as well. Perhaps you are sitting listening to an address, and the words “propitiation” or “substitution” are mentioned. Your mind draws a blank as to their meanings. May I suggest that you grab your pencil and notebook and jot the words down for further study? Or perhaps someone mentions an Old Testament prophet or an Old Testament story you know nothing about. That name or story should go into your “further study” notes as well.
Foundation Truths
It is so very important that we have foundation truths of Scripture clear in our minds. They form the base for everything else, and while the entire Word of God is important to us, there are some things that are more significant than others. For example, I remember my father-in-law telling us that we should all be well versed in the following three areas of Scripture, as they lay foundation truths for the whole Word of God. These three are:
The feasts of Jehovah as found in Leviticus 23.
The ten parables as laid out in Matthew 13, 18, 20, 22, and 25. These are often referred to as the “similitudes of the kingdom.”
The prophetic significance of the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
To lay these corner stones and basic building blocks takes three things – desire, diligence and discipline. Some of our older writers from the nineteenth century wrote in a style more difficult to understand. The Victorians were often very “wordy”! They certainly did not write in “point form” but it is very worthwhile to make the effort to read and maybe reread the writings of brethren in that era in order to grasp these basic truths. A reading meeting is a good place to learn, but once again you must first have the foundation on which to build the thoughts brought out in the various chapters and books discussed. You would not try building a house without laying a good foundation and reading some manuals on how to build. An older brother from whom I learned a lot when I was young used to tell us that “the Lord may give a gift in giving out the truth of God, but nowhere in Scripture does it mention a gift in taking it in.” The Lord wants all of us to “have an outline of sound words” (2 Tim. 1:13 JnD). What does this mean?
It means not merely knowing the truth of God, but, as another has remarked, it means that Paul wanted Timothy not just to know the truth, but to also have it down in his soul in an orderly way so that he had a working knowledge of it. Also, it means having the truth in my soul, “not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth” (1 Cor. 2:13).
The Tools
I am sure you all want to lay a foundation and begin to build. Wonderful! Let us gather the tools.
First is the desire to know more about this wonderful book of God and what He is telling us.
Many years ago, one of our well-known writers wrote to a young man who was asking many questions and told him he “needed to read the Word of God more and study it less.” What did he mean by that? We never want to make the acquiring of a foundation an intellectual study, and that is what this young man was doing. Our motive for learning the truth of God needs to come from the heart. If we dissociate the truth from Christ it will become a dead thing, and will not do us any good. All of Scripture points us to Christ, and a desire to know more of Him must come first in our souls. Our hearts and consciences must be involved and not merely our intellect.
Systematic Reading
The next step is regular and systematic daily reading of the Bible. As we have already remarked, this will take discipline and diligence. If we think that we will finish all of our secular responsibilities first, and then read the Word of God in whatever time is left to us, Satan will see to it that there is no time left over. No, we must put the Lord first. Another brother used to remark, “Never seek to know more about anything than you know about Christ and the Bible.” Do you have a career ahead of you that requires a lot of study? Spend more effort learning about the things of Christ than you spend on your career. The Lord Himself could say, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). Paul could tell Timothy, “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them” (1 Tim. 4:15). A career down here will last only for this life; occupation with the things of Christ will pay dividends for all eternity.
When you read the Word of God, let the Spirit of God teach you, and form your own thoughts on what you read. Then go to good ministry, written by reliable writers, to get a broader outline of the truth of God, and perhaps have your thoughts reshaped a little. Also, remember that you cannot get a right perspective on the truth of God from those who do not walk in it.
Walk in the Truth
Thirdly, walk in the good of what you have read: let it become part of you. Paul could tell Timothy, “Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of” (2 Tim. 3:14). To learn something is to know it; to be assured of something is to walk in it.
Some of you may ask, What do I do when I hear ministry that is “way over my head”? This can be a real problem, and we freely admit that there can be unprofitable ministry that is not suited to the hearers. As a personal note, I encountered this in medical school, where (at that time) most of the professors were involved in research. They were so excited to talk about their research, but we students who needed to learn about the manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of a particular disease were sometimes lost in a discussion of six different theories of what caused the disease. One doctor who was involved in teaching wisely remarked that researchers should be quarantined for their own good, and for the good of students.
However, in spiritual things we are told to “despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:20-21). We can always get something out of what is presented, even if we do not understand everything. Also, once again, make a note of what you do not understand, and then do some of your own research. The Lord will help you.
In summary then, we need a good foundation on which to build. Let us not be discouraged, but remember that “if any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine” (John 7:17). If our heart is right, the Lord will help us to lay a good foundation in understanding the truth of God.
W. J. Prost
Before the Foundation of the World
We do not know how old this world is, but Jehovah Himself says to the Son, “Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth” (Psa. 102:25). How wonderful it is to consider that God tells us in His Word of things that took place before the foundation of the world!
The first reference we will consider is in Peter’s ministry, where we read, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Pet. 1:18-20).
The work of Christ on the cross, and His suffering for sin, was no afterthought with God. No, God knew that sin would come in and spoil His beautiful creation, whether a creation that took place “of old,” or when it was modified before man was placed in it. God always had before Him the exaltation of His beloved Son, and as the “Lamb of God” who would “take away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He was “foreordained” or predestinated to be the One who would undertake this mighty work.
As creatures who were born into a time scene, we cannot “wrap our minds” around the concept of eternity, although we can understand the term and its meaning. But God lives and moves in eternity, and determined the remedy for sin, not only before sin entered this world, but long before the world’s foundation!
This gives us peace and rest, while we gaze in awe at the Godhead, who could devise such a plan. We cannot measure eternity, so that we are not told how far back in eternity this foreordaining went. Only God Himself can measure that, but we can rest in the Lamb of God, who came at the appointed time to be “manifest in these last times.”
Chosen in Christ
The second reference is in Ephesians, where we read, “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ... according as He hath chosen us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Eph. 1:3-5). This brings the whole plan of God even closer to us in this dispensation, for it is only about saints who are part of the church that the Word of God says we were chosen like this. Yes, those saved in this special time of God’s grace are brought into distinct favor with God, and were chosen to be part of the church—a place of nearness to Christ that others will not have.
While all in the church are chosen, they are chosen as individuals, and then added to the church. Have we ever considered what a privileged place we have? Many dear believers who have been, and are, part of the church have asked themselves, “Why was I chosen”? The only answer is that it is the sovereign grace of God. God could pick Saul of Tarsus to be part of the church, although he could accurately describe himself as the chief of sinners. God is forming His church out of every nation today, and together they will compose the bride of Christ. Again, what a place of privilege we have! If we had been able to choose when to be born into this world, we could not have picked a better time. It is indeed “according to the good pleasure of His will, and to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Eph. 1:5-6).
Thou Lovest Me
Finally we have the third reference, and perhaps the most precious of them all. We read in John’s gospel, “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovest Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). Perhaps we can connect this with the previous verse (vs. 23), where we read, “That the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” Here we are taken right out of ourselves into a divine love that existed between the Father and the Son in a past eternity, and it is the same affection with which the Father loves us. Again, it does not tell us how far back this love went, for we cannot measure eternity. But that love which began in eternity will endure for all eternity, because it is divine love. Before the world was made—back into ages before time existed, the Father loved the Son, and now has shown that same love to us.
The thought is overwhelming, for we are introduced into that which is ultimately beyond our understanding, although not beyond our enjoyment. Not only will we enjoy that love for all eternity, but we read in Zephaniah, “He (the Lord) will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17). This doubtless refers to God’s joy in the restored nation of Israel in a coming day, yet it will be fulfilled in a much greater way when the church is brought into full blessing. Our joy will be great, but the Lord’s joy will be greater. He will rest in His love—that love that existed before the foundation of the world.
W. J. Prost
Christ, the Foundation
In Matthew 16:13, the Lord Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am”? When we consider Christ and all that He is, there is a great principle of grace here, a great comfort for our hearts, which has a peculiar cheer also for us. If we accept Christ, we accept all that is in Christ, and we have all that is in Christ, although we ourselves may perceive but the very smallest part of His glory. We may take in but the very least part of His glory; still, if we have Christ at all, if Christ is our center, if we have accepted Him as such, we have accepted all that He is. We may not apprehend it, but it is impossible to take away from the fullness that is in Christ. That is an immense comfort for the soul, an immense solace for us all. So we may say here, though the listeners here in Matthew who recognized Christ for who He was, only apprehended Him in what we may call the lesser part of His glory, that is to say, in His Messiahship. Still they accepted Christ, and were gathered together to Christ as their center; all that Christ was, blessed be His name, was there for them.
The Lord goes on to ask, “But whom say ye that I am?” (Matt. 16:15) He brings it home then to the narrow circle of the disciples. It was not merely the wide circle of men generally, but He brings it home now to the personal circle with Himself—”Whom do ye say”? How solemn that is! Think of it. The Lord would have this out, and have it out from us too,—”Whom do ye say that I am?” And then you get from the man that was taught from heaven, taught of God, by a revelation from the Father, those precious words, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Oh, what a confession of His Person and glory! What a foundation too, and center of this great superstructure that He Himself was about to raise, was that! Before He says a word, before He gives a single utterance as to what was the eternal purpose, and what He was about to do now, the foundation of it all, in His own blessed Person, stands out so blessedly here—”The Christ, the Son of the living God.” How blessed to look at such a center as that! Oh, what a comfort for us to think, that such an One as Himself is the center, that He is the foundation. The foundation of what? I suppose we should all own that He is the foundation of our souls’ hopes for time and eternity; but here it is the foundation, not of an individual, but of the church. It is here the foundation of the church, the foundation of the assembly; that upon which the assembly, His body, the church, rests. What a comfort that is! I think it an unspeakable comfort in these moments, when everybody is looking at the outward building, and looking at it too, as it is crumbling in the hands of men, to be free enough in spirit to turn and look at the foundation. Oh, let us dwell much upon the foundation; and not only let us see the eternal stability of the foundation, but let us think of that building upon which no man’s hand is lifted up, but which Christ builds.
W. T. Turpin (adapted)
Founded upon a Rock
In the New Testament, during our Lord’s earthly ministry, He often spoke in parables, and frequently referred to Himself in those parables. In two parables He illustrates Himself as the Rock on which we should build, although it is the same parable in both cases, but with some variations. This parable carries us back to the Old Testament, for we read in 1 Corinthians 10:4, concerning Israel in the desert, that “they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” He is indeed the Rock on which we must build, in order to have a solid and enduring foundation.
In the account in Matthew 7:24-29, our Lord refers to a wise man who built his house upon a rock. When the “rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house,” “it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” This is a picture of one who heard the sayings of the Lord Jesus, and did them. In his life there might be strong storms and high winds, but because his hopes and his life were built on Christ, his “house” did not fall. The natural man in this world may survive well enough when things go well, but he cannot weather the storms that may come. He needs someone outside of himself on which to rely. When death overtakes the man of this world, he has no foundation on which to rest, and all his hopes (his house) fall down.
The foolish man built his house on sand, but when the storms came, and the floods with it, his house fell, and “great was the fall of it.” When the foundation is only sand, floods will wash away that foundation, and nothing can support that house. The fall of it is “great,” for when one part of the house begins to fall, the entire structure collapses. For those who understood the parable, it was, and still is, a solemn warning to any who build their lives and their future on things in this world. They will not last, either in the storms of this life, or in the awful storm of God’s judgment that will eventually come upon this world.
He Digged Deep
In Luke 6:46-49 we have essentially the same parable, but with some significant variations. First of all, we notice that not only did the wise man build his house upon a rock as a foundation, but it is recorded that he “digged deep.” This would indicate not merely belief in the Lord Jesus, but a real exercise of conscience as to sin, and a depth of understanding of the work of Christ on the cross that went beyond looking at it as only a refuge from the storm. We read of this in 1 Timothy 2:3-4, where “God our Savior ... will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” A depth of understanding of who the Lord Jesus is, and all the truth connected with Him and His work, will establish our hearts in our salvation in a firm way.
The result will be that not only will our house not fall, but the storms cannot “shake it.” When the house falls, it pictures to us an unbeliever who does not believe on the Lord Jesus, and thus goes into a lost eternity. But even a true believer who does not follow the Lord with a full heart can find himself being shaken by the storms in this life. This is further brought out by the fact that here in the account in Luke it says that the house of the foolish man was founded upon “the earth.” The word used here in the original text for “earth” is a totally different word from “sand,” and rather signifies the earth itself, including the whole globe, and the people on it. While this building on the earth may well refer to an unbeliever, I would suggest that it also is a warning to a worldly Christian whose life is spent pursuing the things of this life. He can never lose his salvation, but he can certainly be shaken by events in his life, for the Word of God never gives any comfort to a worldly Christian. Worldliness in a believer is a subtle snare, for we must live and move in this world, and we are to be a witness to the world. But we are not to be part of the world system, for at the moment Satan is the god and prince of this world.
In summary then, we see the importance of building upon a solid foundation—upon a Rock, which is Christ. He is our only hope for eternity, for “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). But how much better it is to have “digged deep” into the things of the Lord, and not to have built even on the earth. Then, not only will we be kept from having our house fall down, but we will not be shaken by events in our lives.
W. J. Prost
The House of God
The Word of God sometimes presents the church under the figure as a building—the house of God. When it comes to the house of God, there is a continuum between the Old and New Testaments. God dwelt among His people Israel, and the place of His dwelling (whether the tabernacle or the temple) was called the house of God: “All the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord” (Judg. 20:26). Whereas these were physical buildings, set down at a geographic location, the church is a spiritual building: “Yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5 JND). There is still a foundation and stones, but not of this earth. “Ye ... are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph. 2:20). In writing his epistle, Peter no doubt recalled the words of the Lord: “That thou art Peter [a stone], and upon this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18). The church is now the house of God. It is the habitation of God on earth for the present time, and it supersedes all other dwellings. “Ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22). We also note that the Apostle Paul refers to the church as the temple of God: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). The same building is in view, but with this expression the holiness of God is emphasized.
God Dwelling Among Them
It was not until the children of Israel were redeemed from Egypt that we read any thought of God’s dwelling among them (Ex. 15:17). It was necessary that they be delivered from that idolatrous country and its prince. In the wilderness, on Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the blueprint for the tabernacle—a pattern from which they were not to deviate (Ex. 25:40; Heb. 8:5). Although built by men, their ability was given by God through His Spirit (Ex. 31:2-3). Human ingenuity played no part in its construction. All these things foreshadowed what was to come. “The first [covenant] therefore also indeed had ordinances of service, and the sanctuary, a worldly one ... which is an image for the present time” (Heb. 9:1,9 JND). These principles, gathered from the Old Testament, are helpful in our understanding of the New. Throughout the book of Hebrews, the Spirit of God contrasts the earthly figure of the tabernacle with the present reality we have in Christianity.
The Building as Built by God
In considering the church as the house of God, we must distinguish, as Scripture does, between the building which God is forming (which will ultimately be seen in all its perfection and beauty) and the church’s present testimony here on earth—that which we currently see. As to the former we read: “Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:20-21). This building is perfect. It is this building of which Christ spoke to His disciples: “Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Christ is not only the foundation and chief cornerstone, but He is also the builder. Nothing contrary will be added to God’s building. We see that building in her heavenly splendor at the close of Revelation: “Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God” (Rev. 21:9-10).
The Building by Men
In contrast to this perfect building, the Apostle Paul presents us with another perspective: “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, 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” (1 Cor. 3:10-13). Although the foundation remains sure, men have added to this building materials that are seriously defective. As with her grand cathedrals, rituals, choirs, musical instruments, etc., much of Christendom has become an impressive edifice, but not according to the Word of God. Much has been added which God will ultimately judge and destroy.
The Testimony of God
Whereas the body connects us with Christ in the heavenlies, the house, as the habitation of God through the Spirit, is here on earth. The believers, at any given time, form the house of God (Eph. 2:22). As such, it is the vessel of God’s present testimony to this world. Peter describes our function in this spiritual house, both Godward (1 Peter 2:5) and manward. Of the latter he says: “That ye might set forth the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness to His wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9 JND). There is a conduct suited to God’s house, even as there was in the Old Testament. Paul gives instruction to Timothy concerning proper behavior in the house of God: “These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:14-15). The church should uphold and display the truths of Christianity.
As something committed to the responsibility of man, the house of God is subject to judgment: “The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). Christ is Son over His own house (Heb. 3:6). We have a responsibility as to the house, not because it is our house, but rather because the house is not ours. It is to Christ’s authority that we are to be subject.
N. Simon
How Are We Building in the House of God?
The church, as the house of God, is a spiritual house built upon that Rock of ages, the Lord Jesus Christ, and each believer in the Lord Jesus is looked at as a living stone in that house. “I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). When the Lord Jesus is the builder, there is no false material in that building.
This is a beautiful thing to enjoy and we need to enjoy it more in the depths of our souls that the Lord Jesus through all these ages has been building His church and He continues to build it. It is not a human organization. It is His church and He builds it through the sovereign work of His Holy Spirit. He is calling sinners to repentance, calling them to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and when a sinner comes to the Lord in simple faith he is then added to His church. There is nothing in Scripture about joining a church. No, when a person receives the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, he is joined to God’s church the moment he believes.
In Scripture the church is also looked at in another way. It is looked at as a house of Christian profession, and in this way man is looked at as the builder. Every true believer, every person that professes the name of the Lord Jesus, is looked at as a builder in this building.
In 1 Corinthians 3:1-18, Paul is writing to the Corinthian people; the Greeks were the most renowned for human, earthly wisdom of that time. But the church is not based on man’s wisdom; it is based on the divine revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
We find that these Corinthian people were carnal. In what way were they carnal or fleshly? It was in having before them a certain person, a human vessel. It may have been Paul or Apollos. It was not spiritual mindedness to prefer one person, even one who was an instrument of God. No, Paul says, What are we? We are only ministers and serve according to what God has given us. Paul may have planted and Apollos watered, but after all the planting and the watering is done, there is no fruit unless God gives the increase. So the work is of God whether He uses one instrument or another.
It is so natural to our human hearts to look at, or follow, persons down here. We have to confess there are certain people that we like to listen to more than others. The Scripture says, “Despise not prophesying. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:20-21). So God may use an instrument that you may not like very much, but he may say something that is really for your good. There may be things that are said that are not correct, as well. That does not mean you have to accept that, but rather prove it and hold fast that which is good.
The Building of God
The Corinthian people, in talking about Paul and Apollos, were saying, “I am of Paul; I belong over here.” Another was saying, “I am of Apollos; I belong over there.” That was carnality and not what God intended His church to be. No, it was the Lord Jesus who was to have the supremacy. But notice in 1 Corinthians 3:9, “Ye are God’s building.” Here we have the building of God again. It is not a physical building but a spiritual building. It is a collective thing and every believer in the Lord Jesus who professes that glorious name is part of that building.
“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” (1 Cor. 3:10). Paul says that he was especially given the truth and was the wise master-builder; he laid the foundation.
“Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.” Here is an individual responsibility to everyone who is a believer in the Lord Jesus, to take heed how he is building thereon. Some real believer might think, “I’m not really a builder. Those people who get up and preach are the builders.” Perhaps in a more public sense, but everyone is a builder in one way or another. The youngest boys or girls are building, if they are believers in the Lord Jesus.
Where to Build
There are two things that I would like to draw attention to in 1 Corinthians 3. First, where to build and second, what you build into that building. It is important to keep that building on the foundation. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). All building that is done outside of that foundation will not last. Human ideas often appear good, but how important to test everything by the plumb line of Holy Scripture.
What to Build
“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 Cor. 3:12-13). Here we have six materials that are built into this building. They are figurative, but clearly the first three are durable things: gold, silver and precious stones. When you light a fire and then put into it gold, silver and precious stones it does not do a thing to them. They last! It is not quantity that is so important here, it is the quality of the work.
But there are three other materials—wood, hay and stubble. It would not take too long to build a good-sized pile of wood, hay and stubble, or straw. But when you put the fire to it, it isn’t long before the whole thing is reduced to ashes. These are figures that Scripture uses to show how our lives are going to appear in that future day before the judgment seat of Christ.
It is a question of our works that are going to be proved in that day by the fire of God’s judgment. Each one of us! It is a serious, solemn thing to think of how much may go up in smoke in that day. Are we making our life count for eternity? We need to look at things in relation to how they will stand in that day when the fire is going to prove what kind of work it is.
Three Kinds of Workmen
In 1 Corinthians 3:14-17, there are three kinds of workmen. We all fit in here in one way or another. “If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” Here is the workman whose works abide in that day. It is gold, silver and precious stones, those things that are according to God’s precious Word. Not only does the work abide, but he also gets a reward. Isn’t that an encouragement to us to work according to the way that God has laid down in His Word?
A Workman
“If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” It is not a question of salvation here. This man is saved, but his work is lost. But according to 1 Corinthians 4:5, speaking of that same day of judgment, “and then shall every man have praise of God.” For every true believer, there will be something that will abide for that day. That thief who died on the cross beside the Lord Jesus could do nothing, but still he had a tongue that was loose and he confessed that Jesus was Lord. How many souls have been saved through the testimony of that dying thief! So there is going to be something that will remain for every believer. But it should exercise us that our lives be spent on things that will not go up in smoke in that day.
Another Kind of Workman
We have a third type of worker in this house. “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” Here is a person who has never really accepted the Lord Jesus as his own personal Savior. Yes, he says he is a Christian. Maybe he is a preacher or has some degree, but he has not known the Lord Jesus as his Savior. He is defiling God’s temple, and it says God shall destroy him. It is a solemn thing to think that there are so-called Christian workers who are not true believers in the Lord Jesus. The Lord grant that we may build according to His own precious Word so that there will be that which remains for all eternity.
R. Thonney (adapted)
A Clean Course
Our present path is a very simple one. There may be all sorts of evil here and there, and even God’s people are so mixed up with it that we may not be able to say who are His and who are not. “Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His” (2 Tim. 2:19). But we have also a word to act upon the conscience: “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” If you say, I know what I am in is unscriptural, and I am constantly involved in what is wrong, but I see nothing better; I answer that you must not go on with that. You must “depart from iniquity.” We are told to purge ourselves from vessels to dishonor and that he who does, “shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21). Then, it may be urged, you will have to go alone, or lead in some new thing. But not so; I have to “follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” In these days, however, a great deal of patience also may be needed, as, indeed, Paul proceeds to remind Timothy in his day. Jeremiah was indignant at the state of things he saw around him; but he received the word, “If thou shalt take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth” (Jer. 15:19). So, at present, one might be provoked to abstain from having anything to do with persons in the sects, etc., but we have to remember that there are true saints of God in these associations whose good we are to seek for the Lord’s sake.
J. N. Darby
Cities of Men
From the days of Cain who “went out from the presence of the Lord,... and... builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch” (Gen. 4:16-17), unto this day, men have built cities and adorned them. Cities have furnished the means for men’s self-exaltation and pride.
Surely the Scriptures and common knowledge of existing conditions remind us of the vain show in the cities of the nations. The dread realities of the slums, the hospitals, the jails, the mental and corrective institutions of all kinds, the lives of sin and debauchery, stand in sharp contrast with gilded exteriors and boastful advertising.
Another strange phenomenon in the conduct of men with regard to cities is that from time immemorial the cities have been the special targets of attack and destruction. Some men build them, and others destroy them. The greater the city the more often it has been destroyed ruthlessly. Very few indeed have been the cities of the old world that have not been destroyed by men. Walls, great and high, were built to protect the cities, but conquerors invented machines of war to batter down the walls, or to catapult destructive missiles over the walls. With the invention of gunpowder, walls lost their effectiveness; and with the modern inventions which can rain down destruction from the skies, no city on earth is safe.
How good it is to note that men of faith rose above the cities of men, and looked forward to that which is more sure and certain. Abraham “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). There were some notable cities in his day, but he lived the life of a stranger and a pilgrim, and by faith looked forward to the “city of God.” Oh may we who live in the days of great cities and great achievements have a right perspective and look beyond the present evil world.
Paul Wilson (adapted)
A City Which Hath Foundations
I have been struck that in Revelation 4, speaking of the throne of God’s government, there are peoples, angels, assemblies, living creatures — a whole population there — but when I come to the heavenly city (Revelation 21), there is a high wall, streets, gates of pearl, but where are the people? No one is mentioned there, because the people are lost in the idea of the glory of God and the Lamb, and nothing else is thought of (though we know it is the Lamb’s bride), for God and the Lamb are there.
Abraham “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10).
It was looking for this city which made Abram a pilgrim and a stranger. The world could not understand him, and it might have said, “Now that Abram is in the land, what has he got?” Nothing, for he could not explain to them how it was, but he had seen by faith that city of which God was the builder. We see, then, Abram is called, and having entered by faith into the conditions of the calling, he gets into the land. There he has a present revelation of the Lord, which is the ground of his worship, but he did not have rest; the Canaanite was there.
If God has called me out, I must leave the world just as it is, and not think of setting it right. You cannot hold relationship with Christ and the world at the same time. The worship of God is founded on the knowledge of the heavenly position we are in, being called out of the world into fellowship with Himself. We do not have a single thing in common with the world, but we can sing of redemption, just as if we were now in heaven. My relationship with God will not be in the least changed when I get home; they will be just the same then as they are now. He has set us in Christ, and we can say, as in Deuteronomy 26:3, “I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country” — not shall come. We are there and have the understanding of how God will accomplish His promises—”in thy seed.” Not the earthly rest in the fulfillment of a promise to man, but heavenly rest where He dwells, where the glory of God does lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
J. N. Darby
The New Jerusalem
If we turn to Revelation 19, we will observe that from the eleventh verse of that chapter down to the eighth verse of chapter 21, we have a consecutive narrative. It begins with the coming forth of the Lord Jesus, followed by the armies that were in heaven, in judgment; and then we have the destruction of the “beast,” the false prophet, and their hosts, the binding of Satan, the thousand years, the loosing of Satan, the great white throne, and the eternal state. Immediately upon this we are led back, in the ninth verse, to a description of the new Jerusalem, which reaches onward to chapter 22. In this scripture we have the character of the city during the millennium, and its relation to the millennial earth.
John says: “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God” (Rev. 21:9-11). The first thing that strikes us is the designed contrast between this scripture and that in chapter 17: “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters” (vs. 1). In this chapter we have Babylon depicted, in chapter 21 The new Jerusalem. The former is man’s city, and the latter God’s; the one the expression of what man is, the other the perfection of God’s thoughts, robed in the glory of God. Let us carefully ponder the contrast, and learn its divine lessons.
The Bride the Lamb’s Wife
Another thing must be remarked: the city is “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev. 21:9). This determines its character. It is the church which Christ has now presented “to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing .... holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27), beautified with His own beauty, and having the glory of God. Its position is also to be noted. In both the second and tenth verses it is seen to come down from God out of heaven; but a comparison of the two scriptures will show us the place the city occupies throughout the thousand years. In the tenth verse it is seen descending out of heaven from God; but after the similar statement in the second verse, John hears the proclamation, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,” showing that the city now had come down to, and rested upon, the new earth. The inference therefore is—and one which is abundantly substantiated from other scriptures—that in the tenth verse the city descends towards the millennial earth, but rests above it, over the earthly Jerusalem. Poised thus, as it were, above the earthly city, it will be a visible object of light and glory; and this perhaps may explain the language which the prophet addressed to Jerusalem, “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory” (Isa. 60:19).
We may now examine some of its [millennial] characteristics.
It has “the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Rev. 21:10-11). Her light therefore is the outshining of the glory in which she is set; for jasper is a symbol of the glory of God (Rev. 4:3). The church is glorified together with Christ in the glory of God, and as such is here displayed. In Revelation 21:18-19, it is stated that the building of the wall, and the first foundation, are both alike of jasper. The glory of God is thus the stability and security, as well as the light and beauty, of the heavenly city. But the wall excluded everything unsuitable to that glory, as well as guarded everything according to it.
Twelve Foundations
The next feature is, that it “had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: on the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:12-14). It must be carefully observed that all this concerns the wall of the city, and its distinguishing characteristic is the number twelve—twelve angels, twelve tribes, and twelve apostles. As one has said, “It has twelve gates. Angels are become the willing doorkeepers of the great city, the fruit of Christ’s redemption work in glory. This marked the possession too, by man thus brought in the assembly to glory, of the highest place in the creation, and providential order of God, of which angels had previously been the administrators. The twelve gates represent full human perfection of governmental administrative power. The gate was the place of judgment. Twelve, we have often seen, notes perfection and governmental power. The character of it is noted by the names of the twelve tribes. God had so governed these. They were not the foundation; but this character of power was found there. There were twelve foundations; but these were the twelve apostles of the Lamb. They were, in their work, the foundation of the heavenly city. Thus the creative and providential display of power, the governmental (Jehovah), and the assembly once founded at Jerusalem, are all brought together in the heavenly city, the organized seat of heavenly power! It is the assembly as founded at Jerusalem under the twelve, the organized seat of heavenly power, the new and now heavenly capital of God’s government.” Then it is measured (vss. 15-17), indicating that it is owned and appropriated by God. The measurements are, it need hardly be said, symbolical—symbolical of a divinely-given perfectness. Thus the city is a cube—equal on every side—finite perfection. Then we have the materials of which the city and the foundations were formed. Again we borrow the language of another: “The city was formed, in its nature, in divine righteousness and holiness—gold transparent as glass.”
That which was now by the Word wrought in and applied to men below was the very nature of the whole place (see Eph. 4:24). The precious stones, or varied display of God’s nature, who is light, in connection with the creature,’ now shone in permanent glory, and adorned the foundations of the city. The gates had the moral beauty (every several gate was of one pearl) which attracted Christ in the assembly, and in a glorious way. That on which men walked, instead of bringing danger of defilement, was itself righteous and holy; the streets, all that men came in contact with, were righteousness and holiness—gold transparent as glass.”
It has no temple. “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (vs. 22). A temple would speak of concealment, or of a special place where God manifested Himself to those who drew nigh to worship. But all this is past. Even now, while here, we have liberty of access into the holiest of all (Hebrews 10); our place is in the light as God is in the light. In the heavenly city, therefore, God is fully displayed.“
‘”There is no need of created light. “And the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (vs. 23). If God is fully displayed this would be impossible. When He stands disclosed His glory lightens the city, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
E. Dennett
The Shunamite
God’s resources are unexhausted by man’s failures, and faith is undistracted. But in the present New Testament days, we have somewhat of another thing to mark — the full satisfaction that faith takes in what God has already provided it with. We have the jealousy and care of the Spirit, that we use that, and hold by it, in the perfect satisfaction of its being equal to all new and rising demands. In other days, faith calculated on what it was still to get; in these present days, it is faithful to, and abides by, that which it has already got. For it has got Christ, the end of all divine provisions.
The Shunamite, in 2 Kings 4, illustrates these beautiful ways of faith, and does so beautifully. We are reminded of that verse, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do”? (Psa. 11:3). She was not dismayed or distracted by a day of failure and confusion; she is prepared for such under man’s hand; but having apprehended and reached God and His resources, she is satisfied, and abides there.
This shows itself well in her history. At the beginning of it, she apprehends Elisha justly. Without introduction she perceives him to be “a man of God,” and as such she welcomes and entertains him. She can count on God’s having His resources at command, though the kingdom be reprobate. And this she does in the due manner. She knows his character as well as his person. If he be a man of God, she will trust him as having the tastes and sympathies of such, and as such she prepares for him—a little chamber on the wall, and then the necessary furniture, a bed, a table, a stool, a candlestick. Not to display the treasures of her house, but to meet him in character, is her thought; and this is communion. Her instincts are right, as her faith is strong and intelligent.
The scenery was heavenly, for all about that chamber spoke of being heavenly strangers on the earth in the days of corruption and apostasy. Things were then in utter moral ruin. Ahab’s family, the house of Omri, was on the throne, and nothing in the kingdom then was worthy of God. Little things do, and alone do, for God’s people then. In Solomon days it shall be otherwise. Now a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick, is enough; then, servants and their apparel and their sitting, with all beside, shall set out earthly, worldly greatness. All this is full of beauty and of meaning.
This dear woman apprehends God’s witness in this evil day. She knows that God is true, though every man be a liar. She knows that if the foundations be destroyed, there is still something that the righteous can do (Psa. 11:3). God is still in His holy temple. In this evil day, she sees God’s resources in His vessel, Elisha. He is a stranger, a lonely man, a kind of Jonah in Nineveh, unintroduced, unaccredited. But she apprehends him, and having accepted him, she holds fast by him. The husband may talk of new moons and Sabbaths; Elisha himself may talk of the servant and the staff; but with her, God’s vessel is everything. He had been the beginning of her confidence, and she will have him as such steadfast to the end.
Faith, in those days as well as in these days, held to God’s resources. Faith looked again and again, as I have said, for new resources, as new exigencies sprang forth; but while these resources were in God’s hand for His people, until they had given place, through fresh corruption to new ones, faith clung to them. So was this Shunamite to the prophet, when all the kingdom of the ten tribes, whether on the throne or in the sanctuary, was in ruins.
J. G. Bellett
Our Role with Crowns
The saints are in a more blessed place when off their thrones and casting their crowns at His feet, than when on their thrones, because they will be adoring Him who has given the crowns. “Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world,” and I want them to see even that glory. He would have us see the way He was loved before the foundation of the world. This is the personal glory (John 17:24); as the world’s lot is ignorance of the Father to its ruin (v. 25).
J. N. Darby
Rich in Good Works
In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 we have the rich addressed—those whom God has permitted to have earthly possessions. They were charged not to be high-minded, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches, but in God. They were exhorted to be “rich in good works,” and ready to distribute of their possessions, and so to use this world’s goods in a way to lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against “the time to come.” They might hoard their money, and yet lose it, because it is a very uncertain thing; or they might retain it, and leave it to their posterity. But in neither case would they have gained a reward for themselves in the time that is yet to come. Not that the reward should motivate one to be liberal in giving of what God has given him; it should proceed from love to Christ, and the sense of holding all for Him, but the reward should encourage us. Such giving will not be forgotten by the Lord, the righteous judge.
G. V. Wigram
Thou Lovest Me
“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).
Thou lovest me, in spite of all my failure,
Thou knowest all my weakness and my sin;
But Thou did’st die on Calv’ry to redeem me,
To cleanse and make me white as snow within.
Thine is a love, unsearchable, eternal,
And many waters cannot quench Thy love;
Such love as Thou dost bear the guilty sinner,
Caused Thee to leave Thy glorious throne above.
Thou lovest me, a wretched, failing creature,
Unworthy, but Thy worthiness I claim;
Thy robe of righteousness is my salvation,
I pin my faith on Thy most precious Name.
Thou lovest me before the world’s foundation,
“Chosen in Him” before the moon and sun,
Eternal love has marked out all my pathway,
And will direct ‘till life on earth is done.
Thou lovest me, and Thou art interceding,
And ever working all things for my good,
O help me Lord, to rest upon Thy promise,
Rejoicing in Thy ways, not understood.
Thou lovest me, Ah! marvel of all ages,
Such wondrous love! we’ll never understand;
But we can thankfully with joy receive it,
Enjoying blessings from Thy blessed hand.
O may we rest upon Thy love more fully!
And trust Thee for the needs of every day,
Assured Thy goodness, and Thy lovingkindness,
With mercies will surround my path alway.
Lois Beckwith
“We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).