The Church Jesus Builds | Matthew 6:18

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matt 6:18

As we look forward to a new year, we reflect together as a church on essential resolutions found in our Lord’s words to Peter in the gospel of Matthew.

Surrender to Christ. We don’t need to search far and deep to find areas in our lives that have not yet been given up to Jesus. When Jesus refers to Himself as “I” in verse 18, there is an infinite supreme power behind His name. He is Lord, King, and Creator of all. (Is 9:6, Jn 1:13, 18:6) We must know Jesus, for as we know him more, our hearts will be satisfied with Christ alone. We must love Jesus, by being fully occupied with His Word and the gospel. True love for Christ that is ready to abandon all else is genuine salvation, and it is the only acceptable way to worship. (Matt 19:21) As we truly understand who Christ is, our love for Him will surely grow. Let us therefore use every means of grace to love Jesus more.

Prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming. A mark of a genuine believer is to have a mind set on the things above. (Col 3:1-2) Just like the early church, we must fix our hope on Jesus’ return. We can prepare by seeking to be obedient to God in every sense. As we increase in our faith in God, obedience will be manifested in every part of our lives. (1 Thess 1:5) We must wait patiently and prayerfully through this life of spiritual warfare, waiting for our Lord’s promised appearing. (Acts 1:14)

Our church to be sanctified. The church is built by Jesus to be holy. They are chosen by God, converted to Christ, and justified to become sanctified. (Matt 16:15-18, Jn 1:12-13) As we devote ourselves to the Word of God, fellowship, the Lord’s supper, and prayer, we will be built up by Christ and grow in sanctification. (Acts 2:42, Jn 17:17, Prov 27:17)

Identifying with Christ. This church belongs to Christ. We can identify with Christ by following Him and imitating His character. The church must be humble, putting God and others before ourselves. (Phil 2:3-6) We must love, giving sacrificially to others. We must be courageous, being straightforward with sin and loving others with truth. Finally, the church must be joyful. The Christian’s walk in this world is bound to get narrower, and through persecution, we must maintain joy because of the peace of God we have within.

Our church to be assured. Jesus has called us to be a part of his church in spite of our individual weaknesses, our low social status, and our countless shortcomings. Christ has loved you more than you love yourself, and He is always behind you, having proved His steadfast love on the cross. (1 Pet 1:1-2, Eph 5:25) The church must be assured of who is behind them, and who is within them. We are the temple of the living God, and He dwells in us. (1 Tim 3:15)

These resolutions mark the church Jesus has promised to build. As we renew our devotion to the Lord by surrendering to Him, preparing for His coming, and by growing in holiness and assurance in Christ, let us go into this fallen world to share the blessed truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.