man openeth;
... behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it."
Rev. 3:7, 8.

Who Is The Builder Of The Church?

Abraham "looked for a city, ... whose builder and maker is God." Heb.
11:10. Like many other holy men who walked with God in those ancient days,
Abraham looked by faith to the promise that was to come to bring
deliverance to the captives. Christ says, "Upon this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Mat. 16:18.
"Every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God."
Heb. 3:3, 4.

Jesus purchased the church with his own blood. Acts 20: 28. He gave his
life for it. Eph. 5:25. God, or Christ, who was God manifested in the
flesh, built himself a glorious and pure church--holy, blameless, and
spotless. It is all his own. He bestows upon it the fond title of Bride:
"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom." John 3:29.

"For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I have espoused you
to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." 2
Cor. 11:2. Paul addresses this letter to the church of God at Corinth. 2
Cor. 1:1. He presents this church as a chaste virgin to her one husband,
even Christ.

John in conversation with an angel from heaven was bid to "come hither,"
and he would be shown the bride the Lamb's wife; and behold he was shown
that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most
precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Rev. 21:9-11. This
is beautiful descriptive language. This holy city Jerusalem, clear as
crystal, is

The pure and holy virgin bride,
The spotless church for which Christ died.

"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies."
S. of Sol. 6:3.

The Foundation Of The Church.

"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ." 1 Cor. 3:11. "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone." Eph.
2:20.

A quotation here from the Old Testament will only add strength and beauty
to this subject: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion
for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure
foundation." Isa. 28:16.

God here gives promise of establishing Zion--the church--upon a sure
foundation; namely,