The Sure Foundation

Luke Chapter 6: 46.”And why call ye me, Lord, Lord,

and do not the things which I say?” 47.”Whosoever cometh to me, and

heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:”

48.”He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid a foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.”

49.”But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”

The Sure Foundation

Psalms Chapter 11: 1.”In the Lord I put my trust: how say

ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?”

2.”For, Lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.”

3.”If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

5.”The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”

The Sure Foundation “The birth of the Spirit in the

days of the Apostles.” “From the beginning of the

Reformation, even down to the days in which we now live, the cry of the hearts of the people of God has been incessantly, ‘BACK TO PENTECOST.’ Every advance truth that forged its way to the front, throwing light on the path of the Just, has always met with a storm of opposition from those who are supposed to be seeking for a closer walk with God.”

“The birth of the Spirit in the days of the Apostles.”

“THE REST “The first scripture that we wish to bring to

notice is that of Matthew 11:28: ‘Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,’ is one of the most favored texts used in inviting the lost sinner to seek the way of salvation. No one has ever been known to interpret the ‘Rest’ that Jesus offers here to be anything short of the New Birth, or full salvation. With this we must all agree, and that that rest comes in being born again, but the question arises, what has that to do with the baptism of the Holy Ghost?”

In Isaiah 28: 11-12, we find these words, ’For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to His people.’ To whom He said, ‘This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest.’ It was on the day of Pentecost that God spake unto the people with stammering lips and another tongue (Acts 2:4). From these scriptures it can be plainly seen that the rest and the baptism of the Holy Ghost are one and the same.

“The birth of the Spirit in the days of the Apostles.”

“Born of Water and the Spirit “(John 3: 5) To Nicodemus Jesus said, ‘ Verily

verily, I say unto you except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus was a Jew and a Pharisee. His morals were perfect; he was a master of Israel. To him to be born a Jew was a great favor of God, but his pride was humbled and he was filled wit astonishment when Jesus said unto him, ‘Ye must be born again.’ To be born into the kingdom of the Jews was one thing, but to enter into the kingdom of God was another. In reply to his question, ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Jesus answered, ‘Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ In these words he set about to explain to him what He meant by being born again, Not that it was any different from the salvation that was offered to the Gentile, but the illustration of a birth would convey it to the minds of those who boasted in the fact that they were a people of God through being born a Jew.”

“The birth of the Spirit in the days of the Apostles.”

“Born of Water and the Spirit “St John is the only writer in the New

Testament who likens salvation unto a birth. St. Peter only mentions it slightly in one place (1 Peter 1:23). St Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, never used such a term in his writings to those whom he had brought out of darkness into light, but instead, he used the word BAPTIZE or its equivalent more than any other writer. While Jesus spake to Nicodemus concerning being born of water and Spirit, yet there is no record in the Acts of the Apostles that will indicate that His instructions were ever carried out, except by being baptized in water and the Holy Ghost . Not one place in the book of Acts can we find the words, ‘born of water and the Spirit,’ or ‘born again,’ but we can find the words relating to ‘baptism’ twenty seven times. If to be ‘born of water and Spirit’ is not the baptism of ‘water and the Spirit, where is there any record of anyone ever being ‘born again?”

“The birth of the Spirit in the days of the Apostles.”

Synonymous Terms “Scripture will interpret scripture if we seek to

rightly divide the word of truth. To be born of ‘water and the Spirit,’ and ‘believe and is baptized,’ (John 3:5 and Mark 16:16), are proven to be synonymous terms expressing the one self-same thing by reading and comparing the words of Jesus in John 10:9. All three of these expressions are spoken by the same person. In the first mentioned scripture He says that if a man is not born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, while in the second, He says that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. But in the third, He combines the thoughts of the first and second by saying, I am the door, by me if any man enter in he shall be saved.’ A man that enters in it is certain that he shall be saved; and no man shall be saved unless he enters in

“The birth of the Spirit in the days of the Apostles.”

Cornelius’ Household “We take to record of the household of

Cornelius as proof that the birth of the Spirit, or full salvation, in the days of the Apostles, was the baptism of water and the Holy Ghost. Cornelius was not saved! (Acts 11:14). He was a devout man and feared God with all his house, but he was not born again, and as Peter began to tell him words whereby he should be saved, the Holy Ghost fell upon them and they spake with tongues and magnified God. Peter later declared that the Spirit fell upon them as it did upon the Jews ‘at the beginning.’ (Acts 10:44-46; 11:15). Then answered Peter, ‘Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized whom have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.’

The Sure Foundation

Isaiah Chapter 28: (NKJV) 16.”Therefore thus says the

Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: Whosoever believes shall not act hastily.”

The Sure Foundation

o John Chapter 17: 20.”Neither pray I for these

alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;”

24.”Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world.”

The Sure Foundation 1 Corinthians Chapter 3: 9.”For we are laborers together with

God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

10.”According to the grace of God which is given unto m, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.”

11.”For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

12.”Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;”

13.”Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”

The Sure Foundation Ephesians Chapter 2: 19.”Now therefore ye are no more

strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”

20.”And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone:”

21.”In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord:”

22.”In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”

The Birth Of The Spirit The Gift vs Gifts of the Spirit What we must do! Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born of

water and the Spirit. When the multitude cried, ’What shall we do? Peter’s answer was to ‘repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ (in water)… and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ Saul cried out to Jesus, ‘what wilt thou have me to do?’ Jesus told him to go on to Damascus and it would be told him what he ‘must’ do. Ananias told him that he must be baptized and be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 9:6-18; Acts 22:16). At Philippi, when the keeper of the prison said, ’Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ The apostles’ answer was, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,’ which implied baptism as in all other cases before it, (Acts 16: 14, 15,

and 30th to 34th verses).

The Birth Of The Spirit The Gift vs Gifts of the Spirit “Commentary of Adam Clark” ‘When John came baptizing with

water, he gave Jews the plainest intimations that this would not suffice; that it was only typical of the baptism of the Holy Ghost under the similitude of fire, which they ‘must’ all receive from Jesus Christ, (Matthew 3:11). He who receives not this baptism has neither right, nor title to the Kingdom of God, nor can he with any propriety be termed a Christian, because that which essentially distinguished the Christian dispensation from that of the Jews was that its author baptized all His followers with the Holy Ghost.’

The Birth Of The Spirit The Gift vs Gifts of the Spirit ‘Many people today, although they

acknowledge that the birth of the Spirit and the baptism of the Spirit are synonymous, yet they disagree on the point as to whether speaking in tongues accompanies the birth of the Spirit.’

The Controversy! Do all speak with tongues? There is but one thing upon which we

can rely to judge in this matter, and that is the infallible Word of God, ‘Which liveth and abideth forever.’

The Birth Of The Spirit The Gift vs Gifts of the Spirit There is a difference ‘The Bible teaches that there is a difference

between the GIFT of the Holy Spirit and the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit. The 2nd chapter of Acts records the reception of the gift (singular) of the Holy Ghost, while the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians deals with the cooperation of the gifts (plural) of the Holy Ghost. The speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance accompanied the ‘GIFT’ of the Holy Ghost, but the ‘divers kind of tongues’ is one of the ‘GIFTS’ of the Holy Spirit which He divides severally as He wills.

At Caesarea the apostle knew that the Gentiles had received the ‘Gift of the Holy Ghost,’ (not one of the Gifts), ‘For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God,’ (acts 10: 45 and 46). When Peter rehearsed the incident that transpired at the house of Cornelius, he declared that God gave them the ‘Like Gift’ as He did unto them at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.’

The Birth Of The Spirit The Gift vs Gifts of the Spirit The GIFT of God a sacrifice: In the New Testament there are fourteen places

where the word GIFT is used in reference to the Holy Spirit, directly or indirectly, (John 4:10; Acts 2:38, 8:20, 10:45, 11:17; Romans 5:15 – 18; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Ephesians 2:8, 3: 7; Hebrews 6:4); and the word in each instance is taken from the Greek word ‘DORON’, which means, a sacrifice, while the word used for GIFTS is taken from the Greek word ‘CHARISMA’, which means a spiritual endowment. That is, a religious qualification, or miraculous faculty.

By this we clearly see that the gift of the Holy Ghost refers to the life which was sacrificed and given to us. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ Himself. The gift (DORON) which God has given us is eternal life. But the Gifts (CHARISMA) are spiritual endowments, religious qualifications, or miraculous faculties given for the edifying of the church, (1 Corinthians 12: 1-11). In Ephesians 4:8, the original word for GIFTS is DOMA, which means PRESENTS.

The Birth Of The Spirit The Gift vs Gifts of the Spirit The GIFT of Tongues: “It was this GIFT of Tongues that was most

particularly dealt with in the 14th chapter of 1st Corinthians. Those having the Gift of Tongues and not knowing how to control it, were causing much trouble in the church at that time and his instruction to those was to, ‘Keep silence in the church and speak to himself and to God, if there were no interpreter present.’

If they were all speaking as the Spirit gave utterance, would there be any confusion there? The Spirit of God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). If they were ‘speaking as the Spirit gives utterance,’ would the apostle give orders for the Spirit not to speak, or for the people not to let the Spirit speak through them?

There must be a distinction between GIFTS, or divers kinds of tongues and speaking as the Spirit gives utterance.

The Birth Of The Spirit The Gift vs Gifts of the Spirit The GIFT of Tongues: “There must be a distinction between GIFTS,

or divers kinds of tongues and speaking as the Spirit gives utterance.

Concerning the GIFTS of tongues, the apostle says, ’if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit (not the Holy Spirit) prayeth” (1st Corinthians 14:14). If it is his spirit praying in an unknown tongue, then there must be a difference between his spirit operating the gift of tongues and the Holy Spirit giving utterance. Therefore, when he says, ‘do all speak with tongues?’ he has NO reference to the Spirit’s utterance when one receives the Holy Ghost, but to the GIFT of Tongues which is among the GIFTS that are given to the members of the church as HE wills.

The Birth Of The Spirit The Gift vs Gifts of the Spirit Tongues are for a SIGN: “Tongues were for a sign on the day of

Pentecost that the Comforter had come. They were a sign at Damascus that Paul was one of them. They were a sign to Peter and the six Jews that God had accepted the Gentiles and that they had received the Holy Ghost. They were a sign to Paul at Ephesus that the disciples had the real thing and were sealed to the day of their redemption. They were a sign that Isaiah’s prophesy (Isaiah 28:11 & 12),was true. They were signs to Apostolic fathers that a person had received the Holy Ghost. They are a sign that modern Christendom has NOT received the Holy Ghost. We cannot believe that a man has received the Holy Ghost until we see the signs as were manifested in Apostolic times; therefore tongues are for a sign.

The Birth Of The Spirit Baptism: The Apostolic Point of View Baptism in water is a command of God. “Jesus says, ‘ He that believeth and is

baptized shall be saved.’ (Mark 16:16). And again, ‘Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:5). The apostle Peter said, ’repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.’ (Acts 2:38). Ananias said to Saul at the direction of Jesus Christ, ‘Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord,’ (Acts 22:16).

It is commonly stated that baptism does not save us, but the word of God says, ‘Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins.’ Many years later Peter confirmed his instructions given on the day of Pentecost when he wrote, ‘ In the days of Noah eight souls were saved by water. The like figure unto even baptism doth now also save us.’ (1 Peter 3: 20 & 21). The strength of baptism as a saving medium comes by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 3:22).

The Birth Of The Spirit The Blood and the Name “Water alone does not save us. ‘Not by water

only, but by water and blood.’ (1 John 5:6). The blood and the name of an individual are inseparable. John Smith’s son is ‘smith’ no matter what other name you may give him, because he has Smith’s blood in him. You cannot honestly bear the name of Smith unless you have Smith’s blood in you, neither can you deny that you are a Smith as long as you have Smith’s blood in your veins. The Blood and Name of Jesus are inseparable. To be saved by water baptism, it must be administered in the name of Jesus for there is ‘No other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:12). The life of the blood of Christ is connected with baptism when it is administered in His name.

All these scriptures relate to the same thing: Acts 2:38; Acts 8:12; Acts 10:36, 43, 47 and 48; Acts 16:30 to 33; Acts 19:4 &5.

“

The Birth Of The Spirit The Blood and the Name “The truth is being confirmed wherever it is

being preached. The Gospel of old is just the same today. The church is hearing the cry, ‘Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garment, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee, the uncircumcised and the unclean… Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion… Therefore My people shall know my NAME; therefore, they shall know in that day that I am He that doth speak; behold, it is I…. The Lord has made His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.’ (Isaiah 52:1 to10).

The Birth Of The Spirit One way to God “