Well, as we come to another Friday
evening, we would like to conclude our thoughts and meditation on
the second chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians. So
the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, chapter 2, and we'll read verse
20, 21 and 22. 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
unto an holy temple in the Lord. Groweth unto an holy temple in
the Lord, in whom you also are built together for an habitation
of God through the Spirit. Of course, the previous verse,
verse 19, tells us, Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household
of God. And therefore, having made that
distinction, he now comes and speaks to the Church of God and
says, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. Well, the apostles and prophets,
of course, are those in the Old Testament prophets, and of course,
the apostles in the New Testament, and throughout the Word of God,
we read wonderful, glorious, and precious doctrines, which
really are to be built upon this wonderful foundation, the chief
cornerstone being the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and then
the foundations, the foundations for our faith are indeed those
doctrines which are so clearly set before us in the Old Testament
and the New Testament. And of course we can think we
go right back to the time of Moses when he wrote the first
five books in the Bible and brought to our attention the sad condition
that man came into in the fall in the Garden of Eden so many,
many years ago. And that clearly sets before
us the solemn position that all mankind is in as unworthy sinners. And that must be the foundation. No one can come to Christ unless
they have the understanding of their position and condition
before a holy God. And then as we can run through
all the blessed doctrines that the prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah
and the minor prophets, and of course in the Psalms themselves
and in the New Testament, And they all direct us really to
that great and blessed Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is
without any doubt the chief cornerstone. So if the chief cornerstone in
a building is missing, if the corner is not erected properly,
if it hasn't got a good beginning, then it will never succeed in
being a good building. And that is very clearly the
position regards to the Church of God. Every member needs to
recognise that the cornerstone on which the building is erected
is the Lord Jesus Christ, and to know that without me you can
do nothing. There would be no successful
building if it is not built upon the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,
and of course going back to that time in Genesis when the Lord
came and spoke to Adam and Eve there on that far off day was
that great and glorious doctrine spoken of the Saviour who would
come and save his people from their sins. The seed of the woman
would bruise the serpent's head. Here we have these who are strangers,
fellow citizens, and with the saints. They are all built upon
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief cornerstone. So really these things are very
essential. These things are very fundamental. And as we read in that chapter
in Corinthians, in the third chapter of that first epistle,
where we read, for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. So we need to be very understanding
of the need to have the Lord Jesus Christ as the cornerstone
in the church, cornerstone in each of our religion, in each
of our belief and religion. And so he says, in whom all the
building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in
the Lord, in whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation
of God through the Spirit. And it surely is a very pleasing
thought, isn't it, to think here that the Apostle speaks about
all the building, that means every part of it, fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. We can really
take our minds back to the Old Testament days when in Solomon's
king, when he was king, there was the temple which was erected. And it was a very wonderful and
a very beautiful building. And first of all, we know that
it took a long time to build. It wasn't something which just
came out very quickly, it took a long time to build. And everything
that was fitted in place in that building had been shaped very
carefully some long way from the actual temple site. So that when the stones and the
timbers were brought to fit in place, it was a perfect fit And
we're told in the Kings in the sixth chapter and the seventh
verse, we're told, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor
any tool of iron heard in the house which was in the building. So clearly this was that which
was set before the people and they kept to it in that position.
And we might think, well, what's the relevance of that today?
Well, surely the relevance is that if we are part of this heavenly
building, which is described in whom all the building, fitly
framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, then
there must be that forming in each one of us. And before we
really become part of this building which grows, and it may well
be that this occurs when we pass out of time into eternity, because
then we fit perfectly into the place the Lord has appointed
for us. And of course we don't know what
that will be like. All we know is that there is
a place reserved in heaven for all of his people and that reserved
place will be a right place and a perfect place. So may we recognise
that while we are on the earth there will be that forming so
that we all fitly frame together be no bit out of joint. There
won't be any member arriving in glory which will still need
work to be done. Because that great and glorious
work of grace, the work of the Spirit will be performed in all
of his people on this earth as they travel through. And of course
it will always be building on that foundation, that's the doctrines
and truth of scripture which is laid by the prophets and the
apostles with the saviour of course as the chief cornerstone
and in whom you also are builded together for an habitation of
God through the spirit. Well the church of God will of
course be formed here on this earth and we'll be that joined
together there will be that union in the Church of God and because
if they fitly grow together and are builded together for inhabitation
of God through the Spirit to think the wonder of that that
by the grace of God we will be where the Holy Spirit would dwell
within us. It's a very important and tremendous
thought to think of that and it should really influence us
in our lives as we walk about on this earth to realize that
we're not our own we're bought with a price and that the blessed
spirit dwells within us and what a vast difference therefore there
is between those who are of the household of faith and those
who are not because those who are the household of faith those
who are part of this building are indwelt by the holy Spirit
of God. And really that thought should
have a great effect and a great influence daily in our lives
as we realise that we are a chosen people, a separated people, a
people being prepared for eternal glory. And so these verses really
set before us a very beautiful picture of the Church of God,
completed Church of God, with nothing out of place, everything
fitting together, and nothing that defineth will be found in
glory. And so as we come together tonight
to seek God in prayer, may we be able to commit ourselves to
Him in praying that we indeed may be found being worked upon
by the Holy Spirit to prepare us for our eternal home, so that
when we come to die, the work will be complete. There won't
be anything else required to be done. It'll be fit for the
Master's use, fit to be placed in this eternal temple, and are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself, being the chief cornerstone. It is so important
to realise that, isn't it? Jesus Christ himself, no one
else, in whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth
unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together
for inhabitation of God through the Spirit. And of course that
building will be complete when the last child of God is called
by grace. What a wonderful thing That is
to look forward to, to realise that time hastens on when the
Lord will return in all his glory to take his ransomed people home.