Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Regardless of a man's religious
sincerity, devotion, and or service to God, apart from Christ, he
cannot have eternal life. Christ is that tree of life which
was planted in the Garden of Eden, and even now is the very
sustenance of his elect, as he calls them to himself according
to his sovereign purpose. He alone possesses eternal life
and has the power to give that life to as many as he has chosen
and placed among the race of Adam. He is the source and substance
of their life and presently sustains them even as he has promised
to do throughout the ages to come. Peter speaks of the children
of God as living stones. These lively or living stones
are built into a spiritual house. The Lord is speaking of that
church which he said he would build, which the gates of hell
could not overcome. This is not a church which can
be joined or which men have any control over. This is that general
assembly and church of the firstborn which are written in heaven.
This is that body of Christ that Paul describes, and hath put
all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all
things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him
that filleth all in all. This is that same place which
the Lord spoke to the Samaritan woman about when he said, But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall
worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father
seeketh such to worship him. It is also one and the same with
that prophesied by Jeremiah. After those days, saith the Lord,
I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their
hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every
man his brother, saying, Know the Lord. For they shall all
know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith
the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember
their sin no more. These lively stones are placed
there by the living stone. He is the wise master builder
who is building an edifice for his glory, and he has chosen
and formed the material that he has desired to build his great
structure out of. There is no wood, hay, or stubble
here, but this is all rock hewn from his own quarry by his own
hand. Even as the sound of a hammer
was not heard in the building of Solomon's temple, so there
is none that can add to or take from this structure. Except the
Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. These
lively stones are gathered together in various locations by him.
The Lord has designed these assemblies, that is, local churches, for
the benefit of his elect. This body functions as every
joint supplies that which the body lacketh. There are no unnecessary
parts of this body, nor are some parts of the body more important
than others. The body has one head and needs
not another. These lively stones grate upon
one another, and forbearance is the result. Inanimate stones
don't need to learn to get along with each other, but these living
stones force one another to love one another. So often men think
that harmony is demonstrated when everybody crosses their
T's and dots their I's the same. Yet the Lord has placed great
diversity among His flock for the purpose of forcing them to
learn to love and forbear with one another. We often pray for
patience only to discover that the way the Lord is pleased to
give us patience is by giving us trials that force us to be
patient. So too does he teach us to love one another by the
same method. These lively stones need one
another. Paul exhorted the Hebrews, and
let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the
more as ye see the day approaching. There are many today who profess
to be the followers of Christ who pay no heed to this exhortation.
We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love
the brethren. He that loveth not his brother
abideth in death. It is difficult, perhaps impossible,
to demonstrate a love for the brethren if we do not have even
enough regard for them to assemble together with them on a regular
basis. These lively stones exist in order to bring glory to his
name. God's purpose in the creation of the earth is to set a stage
upon which He would magnify the glory of His grace by sending
His only begotten Son as the Redeemer and Great High Priest
of those elect sons which He chose in Christ from before the
foundation of the world. He will share His glory with
no man, nor has He devised a means of salvation which is in any
wise dependent on men to be accomplished. Christ has obtained eternal redemption
for that people which He has loved from the beginning. He
has raised up these living stones to praise Him forever.