All power is given unto me

Well might we ask how Christ could be so confident in His assertion that “upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The answer no doubt lies in divine sovereignty. Immediately before the Great Commission at the end of Matthew‘s gospel, Jesus said to His disciples, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18). The authority given to Christ is the basis for the command to go: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations …” (Matthew 28:19)

This divine sovereignty is exercised by the Triune God. (The commission includes the exhortation to baptise them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.) He who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit holds absolute power. Let us consider:

1. The Electing love of the Father. He has set His heart on those who are chosen. 2 Thessalonians 2:13: But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. What is meant by from the beginning is made more explicit in Ephesians 1:4: he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. How amazing to think that before we were born, or thought of by our parents, and before the life of Christ, or even the world had begun, God the Father loved us and chose us. In Acts 13 Paul preached the gospel and explained it, and when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48). It is so encouraging to realise that those who God has chosen and ordained to eternal life will believe. No wonder the Lord Jesus was sure of the success of the project of building the church.

2. The Efficient blood of the Son. In a general sense Christ died for all, but in a more specific sense He died for the elect. His blood was sufficient for all who might believe, but efficient only for the believing church. In John 10:11, Christ says, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” He laid down His life specifically for His flock. Again, in Acts 20:28, Paul encouraged the elders with this: Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. It is astonishing to read of the shedding of the blood of God. It was for the sake of the church of God. In case we doubt that this is a correct interpretation, in Ephesians 5:25, Paul says, Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. We are talking about the precious blood of Christ. It was not some cheap cleansing agent to be tried out and poured indiscriminately. The precious blood was shed deliberately and efficiently for the elect.

3. The Effectual call of the Holy Spirit. Many are called by the preacher who is heard with the outward ear, but some are subject to the irresistible inward work of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 we read: we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. To Jews and Gentiles the gospel may make no sense, but to those who hear the inward call of God it is powerful to save. John says: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. And in Acts 16:14 we read of Lydia whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

The electing love of the Father is in the heart of God, the efficient blood of the Son was shed in history, but the effectual call of the Spirit is in the hearing of men and women today. It may be felt and known. Have you heard the voice of the Lord?

Building the Church is a work of God. In Acts 18 Paul was preaching to the men of Corinth. He was apparently anxious about the work. We read in Acts 18:9-10: Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. Do not be fearful concerning the work of the gospel and building the Church. Even in the very locality where you labour, God has His people to be built in and added to the Kingdom. Success is certain because it is a sovereign work of God.