What Is The Door?
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9. “I am the door of the sheep.” Ver. 7. “For through him [Jesus] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Eph. 2:18.
Jesus is the only entrance into the church of God. He that would climb up some other way is a thief and a robber. John 10:1. We could get into a human organized body without coming in through Christ, but not into the divinely organized body.
“He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no 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, [pg 142] 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,