Only One Foundation

True faith is known only by God, for all its fruits can be faked.

It it is indeed true and from God, then God who alone sees the heart, 

has justified the sinner and all his sins are covered by the blood of Christ.

That being said, faith is witnessed to men ONLY by works, 

and can be revealed ONLY by works, beginning with a confession 

with the mouth that Jesus is Lord [not friend, good pal, easy on the mind] 

which has the idea of an oath and covenant, that He is my king and master. 

"Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?" 

Good question for the modern rebellious saint.

Ministers are to "reprove, rebuke, exhort..." what?? John the Baptist said 

"Bring forth the fruits of repentance." Pr 17:10 

"A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool."

Of course, no man can keep the law of God, for this Christ died. 

But He didn't die so I could continue to wallow in my sins. 

He provided a way for me to escape just as He did Israel. 1Cor. 10:6-13 and context. 

Those who despised Moses died without mercy, for God is master of His own mercy 

and dispenses it as it pleases Him. If we despise the way God has given for us to escape, 

we shall not escape a more severe penalty [Hebrews 2:1-3]

A duck is a duck and bears witness to its duckness in everything it does. 

It doesn't slander and despise other ducks when it is doing its duck thing. 

And neither does a Christian despise the visible church which is the 

pillar and ground of the truth [1Tim 3:15], no matter how much of a tickle 

he gets in his belly that he thinks is the Holy Spirit. Reformation is not rebellion 

and both Luther and Calvin and the other Reformers had a high view of the 

church and ecclesiology.

I suppose there are dozens of churches, both small and large, in Colorado Springs 

where people can be nurtured in the faith and grow in Christ for there are a lot of 

fine Christian people in this town. The churches are doing something good. 

There is a lot of foolishness, I suppose, too, for there is no church that does 

not need to heed the command to grow in the faith and to be conformed to Christ. 

Perfection is found only in Christ, and the faults of the churches are no excuses for 

those who profess the Name of Christ to submit to the rebukes and exhortations 

of the Word of God, even though spoken by earthen vessels. God would humble that in us.

1Co 14:36 and context; "What? came the word of God out from you? or came it 

unto you only?" This was written to correct the Corinthian error that the Holy Spirit 

was just jabbering away to everybody all the time--even in languages nobody understood--

so that in the church [what?] every body should sit down, shut up [especially the women], 

and listen to each other, doing things decently and in order.

The Ephesians had it right, for they examined those who claimed to speak for God 

and found them liars. [Rev. 2:2]. No one should publicly teach in the church that is not 

approved of the elders, ordained by the laying on of hands, for the most precious gift 

of Christ to the church is faithful teachers and preachers. If you despise them you will 

soon find a famine in your heart and in your life.

There were only 12 apostles and when they were finished with their work the foundation 

of the church was finished and everyone else was to build on their foundation. No other 

foundation can be laid than that which is already laid. [I Cor 3 and context, which was 

also written to those who were pretending new revelations.] Away with your new 

revelations and dreams! There is only one foundation for the church [Eph 2:19-22].

Acts 10: 41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, 

who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to 

preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the 

Judge of quick and dead.

If you didn't get it from the Apostles, then you ain't got it.

1John 1:3-10 and context. The only way to have fellowship with the light of God is to walk 

in the light of the words of the Apostles. [verse 3] Salvation comes through the fellowship 

of the Gospel which was preached by the apostles. When we walk in that light, we have 

fellowship one with another, and the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sins. vs. 6,7.

1Peter 5:5,6 and context: Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with 

humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves 

therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time...

Thus saith the Lord: not Bud Powell, not John Calvin, not Martin Luther, not Gashmu nor 

Geshem the Arabian.