37 lines
4.4 KiB
HTML
37 lines
4.4 KiB
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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<script src="./js/MainHeader.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div class="head">
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Day By Day By Grace
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Bob Hoekstra
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July 12
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<h1>The Lord Promising to Build His Church</h1>
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<div class="block"><i>"You are Peter, and on this rock <b>I will build My church</b>, and the <b>gates</b> of Hades <b>shall not prevail against it</b>."</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Mat', 16, '18-18');">Matthew 16:18</a>)</div>
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<p>"<b>The</b>" promise of all promises that God has made is the gift of everlasting life. <i>"And this is <b>the</b> promise that <b>He</b> has <b>promised us</b>—<b>eternal life</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('1Jo', 2, '25-25');">1 John 2:25</a>). All who respond by faith to this promise of life become part of <b>the church Jesus promises to build</b>. <i>"<b>I will build My church</b>."</i></p>
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<p>The Lord gave this promise after Peter's accurate confession of Jesus being the Messiah. <i>"You are <b>the Christ</b>, the Son of the living God"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Mat', 16, '16-16');">Matthew 16:16</a>). As Jesus confirmed this confession, He let Peter know that he did not come up with that insight on his own. <i>"Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for <b>flesh</b> and <b>blood</b> has <b>not</b> revealed this to you, <b>but My Father</b> who is in heaven"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Mat', 16, '17-17');">Matthew 16:17</a>). Then, Jesus contrasted the meaning of Peter's name with the kind of foundation He would lay for His church. <i>"You are Peter</i> [in Greek, "Petros," a <b>stone</b>]<i>, and on <b>this rock</b></i> [in Greek, "petra," a <b>bedrock</b>] <b><i>I will build My church</i></b><i>."</i> Peter's name signified a stone, that which could be easily moved or held within one's hand. Jesus would not build His church on mere men, which at best are like movable stones. Rather, he would build upon a bedrock foundation that could not be moved. He would build upon the rock-solid truth contained in Peter's confession. <i>"You are <b>the Christ</b>, the <b>Son</b> of the <b>living God</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Mat', 16, '16-16');">Matthew 16:16</a>). Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself would be the actual foundation for the church. <i>"For <b>no other foundation</b> can anyone lay <b>than</b> that which <b>is laid</b>, which is <b>Jesus Christ</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('1Cr', 3, '11-11');">1 Corinthians 3:11</a>).</p>
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<p>This picture of Jesus Christ as the foundation of His church is a fulfillment of one of the great prophetic promises the Lord made long ago. <i>"Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a <b>foundation</b>, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a <b>sure foundation</b>'"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Isa', 28, '16-16');">Isaiah 28:16</a>). Also, this is in perfect harmony with the Old Testament revelation of God as our <b>Rock</b>. <i>"Oh come, let us sing to the <b>LORD</b>! Let us shout joyfully to the <b>Rock</b> of our salvation"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Psa', 95, '1-1');">Psalm 95:1</a>). This rock-solid, anointed King (Jesus, the Messiah) would be fully effective in His mission. Even Satan and his demons, the authorities (<i>"gates"</i>) of death and darkness (<i>"Hades"</i>), would be unable to prevent the fulfillment of His promise to build His church: <i>"and the <b>gates</b> of <b>Hades shall not prevail against it</b>."</i></p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Lord Jesus, I also confess You as the Christ, the Son of the living God. I praise You as the rock-solid foundation of Your church collectively—and of my life individually. Please use me as You fulfill Your promise to build Your church. In Your mighty name I pray, Amen.</div>
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