Hebrews 3:4
He that built all things is God
For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
Throughout the epistle to the Hebrews, the Holy Spirit keeps before us the Sovereignty and creatorial power of the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 4 of Chapter 3, once again, the Spirit of God reminds us that the Lord Jesus Christ is God, and the Builder of all things. God’s Sovereignty has always been in question by man, for it was the denial of God’ Sovereignty that brought sin into the world. On the day of the transgression of Adam, both Adam and Eve and the devil denied the Sovereignty of God; however, they felt the results of His Sovereignty when God said, thou shalt surely die. All spiritual life was taken from both Adam and Eve. They were no longer in the divine realm of God, but sinners outside the veil of God’s glory. From that denial and onward to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and throughout the ages man has denied the Sovereignty of God. Whether it be under the law of Moses, or the refusal of God for a kingdom of man under Saul, man continued and continues today to deny the Sovereignty of God in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
At the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ heaven was opened and the angels declared His birth. Through His life He proved His Sovereignty over creation, over disease and sickness, over demons, and over death and hell; yet, man today refuses His Sovereignty.
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? (Romans 9:20)
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? (Romans 9:21)
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: (Romans 9:22)
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, (Romans 9:23)
Man refuses to accept the sovereignty of creation, for man was created by a sovereign act of God. Because of sin, man refuses the Sovereignty of God, and questions God’s creatorial power. Paul in Romans simplifies this sovereignty by displaying man as a lump of clay. Why should this lump of clay tell the potter the fashion or image that it desires to be made into? It is foolish in the natural sense, for clay to speak to the potter; and yet, man in their ignorance of sin tries to dictate to God what he wants to be, and where he wants to be, the very temptation, ‘thou shalt be as gods.’ When man, therefore, changes the image of God into the image of man, he is perverting all creation. Man has, through sin, ruined his own image; therefore, man is under the Sovereign judgment of God. By denying the Sovereignty of God man also denies His Deity; therefore, without Sovereignty there is no Deity, and without Deity there is no Sovereignty. The simple statement, he that built all things is God, the Holy Spirit simplifies both the Sovereignty and the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ in this one statement. There are many scriptures that prove the very Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit through repetition wants to break the ungodly heart of man to see both the Sovereignty and Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 4 of Chapter 3 draws these two elements, both Sovereignty and Deity into the building of the heavenly house of God. This is clarified for us in verse 6, that it is the Son of God and the Oneness of God in Jesus Christ (both Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are working and creating this wonderful house in heaven. God is the Builder of all things both in the physical world and the in the spiritual world. In the physical world we have Genesis, Chapter 1, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. From Genesis 1:1, the Spirit of God draws a line all the way to Colossians, Chapter 1, verses 14-19.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14)
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (Colossians 1:15)
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16)
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:17)
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19)
The Holy Spirit relates to us the assurance that Christ is the creator of all things. For all things were created by Him, and for Him, by Him shows His Sovereignty, and for Him shows His Deity. And to prove that He is the only creator we have verse 17, and verse 17 also tells us that He was before all things. This relates to the Gospel of John, Chapter 1, that by Him all things were created, All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3) Once again, Scripture proves His Deity as God (that He was before all things), and His Sovereignty in creation (that by Him all things consist). These verses are all attributed to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was rejected of man and now, in our age, is disallowed by man. In John 1 it is the Person of God the Son who is the self-existent one and the creator of all things. John also declared Him as being from the beginning. This is before anything was made. The Spirit of God in the first Chapter of the Gospel of John is silencing the skeptics when he proclaimed that without Christ there was not anything made that was made. Do you think that the Holy Spirit of God knew the heart and mind of man when He stated that Christ was the creator of all things? In our study of Chapter 3 of Hebrews the Holy Spirit places a sign post in verse 4 so that man can see that Christ is the creator of all things, and also, that He is from the beginning.
Being a new creature in Christ I am brought in to a new sanctuary which is the house of God created by Jesus Christ. Again for the skeptic, Can God throw me out of His house once I have been created in Christ Jesus, will God the Father deny the Deity and Sovereignty of His own Son? God forbid, that would be impossible. Once a member of the Body of Christ we are settled in heaven with Christ. To assure us of our salvation in Christ, God the Holy Spirit gave us the following verses
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (Ephesians 3:9)
But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8:6)
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:2)
And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: ; (Hebrews 1:10)
In these verses do you see the building blocks of God? These building blocks are given so that you may have assurance in your very creation and salvation, and to dwell in the house of God which is in heaven. He has prepared this house. (John 14) And because we are in that house, God prepares us for the unbelief of the world. God will NEVER give one of His children a moment of doubt in regard to Himself. It is only the world that continually and profusely lie about the Almighty God, whether it be world powers, or false religions, or the false and empty gods of this world (which are many), God has an answer in His holy word for every one of their claims. And they will stand before God at the great white throne judgment and listen to their lies being read out against them out of the book of God’s judgment. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth for these perverted liars in the lake of fire. Against these false prophets of the world Jude tells us to earnestly content for the faith once delivered to the saints. Isn’t it wonderful how many weapons we have in the word of God against an ungodly world. Even the Apostles fought against this wickedness in their day. Unbelief in the spiritual sense is that great wall of darkness that separates the unregenerate from the Person of God, and by this separation they want nothing to do with the true God of heaven and earth. The Apostles not only faced men of unbelief, but they also had to deal with deception that had crept in unaware by those who were only there among the sheep to deceive. These men wanted law and grace which is impossible. (Galatians 2:4)
And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: (Galatians 2:4)
To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. (Galatians 2:5)
But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: (Galatians 2:6)
These were false brethren and they added nothing to the glories of Christ. Paul was not concerned about their feelings. He always faced them with the truth of God, and put them in a position that he knew that they were false brethren and unbelievers
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth. (2 Corinthians 11:11)
But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. (2 Corinthians 11:12)
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:13)
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:15)
The Apostle is very direct, the Holy Spirit is contending against the character of these men of unbelief. The Holy Spirit brings out their deceptiveness and condemns them by the Apostle Paul, and he refers to them as false apostles, deceitful workers because they were presenting themselves as the ministers and apostles of Christ, which of course, they were not. The Holy Spirit of God compares these false workers with their father, the devil. This, of course, takes us back to the first deception of man in Adam and Eve. The devil approached them as an angel of light, and as he is the angel of light today, he employs a great number of false ministers and apostles. And this great deceiver pays them wages to try to overthrow the faith once delivered to the saints. (Jude 3) How close are these ministers? They are ministers of righteousness, a false righteousness, a righteousness of man and not God. It is a righteousness that glorifies man. This was Satan’s original desire to be above the throne of God. This was his desire when he tempted man, that man would believe that he could be as gods. He deceived man then, as a angel of light, and continues to deceive man over and over again throughout the ages. Satan’ ministers of righteousness have become deeply entrenched in the professing church and in all spheres of religiosity.
Let’s go to 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. The temptation in the Garden worked, after all, it brought sin into the world and death by sin. Adam and Eve were overthrown by their own desires and disobedience through the temptation of the devil. Why should the devil change his method of attack? When the devil is communing with his deceptive ministers he declares, Let’s state ‘hath god said?’ and bring doubt, and then let’s give the world another gospel, another spirit, and preach another Jesus. Have we not seen this in our day. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. (2 Corinthians 11:4)
The Apostle fires a cannon shot across their bow, if you will not consider Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the only Savior, if you have set in your heart to follow another Jesus, well go ahead for I am done with you. This is the attitude that Paul showed many times. He was not afraid to speak to the Galatians and say to them who hath bewitched you? He was not afraid to tell them that they had turned from the truth. I ask this question, If all the masses of religion burned all biblical truth and held doctrines of their own, would that change the truth? Of course not. Satan loves to get unregenerate theologians around his camp fire. Once he has them there he convinces them that the Word of God that they have is not accurate, and is not true. He tells them that the true truth can only be found back at the original sun dial of Ahaz on the very first day and in the very first second of it’s casting, and should only be validated by the original sun dial builder, and that anything else cannot be accepted as authoritative truth. (This, of course, is my way of being crusty for I have always contended for the truth and against the modern doctrines of men). If one would take all the books that have been written by the apostates of this world, you could fill a major library; however, to refute all these false doctrines the Spirit of God only needs one book, that is God’s Word breathed by the Spirit of God without error for it has been tried seven times in the fire of God. If you complicate the gospel so that it becomes Jesus Christ plus man’s religion, than it is another gospel. If it becomes a gospel of works or of the law, or the subtlety of man’s tradition it takes the heart away from Christ. We must always remember that we, as Christians, are not only supernatural beings, but we are separated unto Christ in every possible way. We are in a world of unregenerate men led by the prince of evil, Satan himself. We have foes in the world, in the flesh, and of course in our adversary the devil. They all want to turn us from what is truth. Here is one truth that the world cannot stand; as an individual Christian, Christ owns you and no one else. I mean this truly in the love of Christ. For ye are bought with a price, with the precious blood of Jesus Christ; therefore, glorify Christ in your body.
Let us now consider contending for the faith. Turn to Jude verse 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Notice that Jude referred to his own diligence in the exhortation that we should contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. This was to reaffirm that there was one and only one faith. It was also given to them (and to us) because they were beloved brethren. It was given to those who knew the ministry of the Holy Spirit of God. And Jude wanted to stir up their diligence in contending for the faith that was delivered by Jesus Christ. Even in the days of Jude men of reprobate minds were trying to deceive the masses with another gospel and another faith. In the Book of Jude we have the voice of the Spirit of God exposing the wickedness of man and Satan in a deception that there was a unified earthly church which accepted men of carnal minds walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit of God. These men usurped God’s authority over His Church, and began a long process through the centuries of driving those who held Christ in their hearts out of the professing Church. Verse 4 of Jude deals with these ungodly men, For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. We see the seed of unbelief in the first century of Church history. I have heard men criticize Israel for turning away from Jehovah in their wanderings in the wilderness; yet, they deny any pollution or unbelief in their brand of the professing church. I am sure, at first, that these ungodly men came in slowly. They made friends and built their authority so that through deception they could turn hearts away from Christ.
The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was according to Jude delivered to the saints. To the saints — that is all believers or holy brethren, and they, of course, had the heavenly calling. In Scripture, ‘saints’ always and only refers to all believers, not a selected few. Jude exposes the ungodly men beginning in verse 5. He tells us their character, he describes their deceptiveness and even some of the diabolical schemes comparing them with deceivers in the Old Testament, such as Balaam. This continues on until verse 19, These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. Verse 19 ends with men walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit. Just for reference, consider Romans 8 where the man that walks in the flesh has not the Spirit of Christ. Jude, like Paul, leaves no doubt about the character and motives of these deceivers. Then after all this, Jude begins to comfort and encourage the children of God in verses 20 and 21.
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (Jude 1:20)
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (Jude 1:21)
Jude encourages the children of God, led by the Spirit of God in Jesus Christ, in the fundamentals of their faith. They were to build themselves up in their most holy faith, in contrast to those who had not faith. In their warfare against evil they were to pray in the Holy Ghost. They were to keep themselves in the love of God. They were to confirm their hope in Jesus Christ, and the result would be eternal life. Verses 20 and 21 also exposes the darkness of Jude’s day. These verses should be read with verse 3. As the children of God, we have the power of the Spirit of God; in fact, God witnesses with my Spirit that I am a child of God. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2) These verses written in Jude and in John’s epistle are not only to encourage us, but to show us that we have a birth certificate in Christ Jesus. We have the power of the Spirit of God on our side to do His will in contending for the faith. We have now come over 2000 years in Church history. And we have world religions of all kinds, and they have done the evil work of Satan. Should we throw up our hands in the air and turn away from the world, and wait for the Lord to take us home? Should we hide in our closets? No. As the sons of God, we are called to be warriors; although we wrestle not against flesh and blood our warfare against the evil spirits of this world is quite real. Jude wants us to examine all these things and then he states in verse 22 that we should have compassion, that we should make a difference, that we should reach out with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garments spotted by their flesh.
We are blessed being the children of God, and knowing the Creator of all things, the Lord Jesus Christ. We focus on His Sovereignty and Deity throughout the Book of Hebrews; it is as a résumé of the Son of God by God the Father delivered by the Holy Spirit. In verse 6 of Hebrews, Chapter 3, Christ is over His own house. This house is compiled of only spiritual beings, those who have been created by Jesus Christ. In our Christian walk there are many voices to detract us; even those who profess Christ and have no life in them and have no evidence of faith they also can often be a distraction. When you ask these professors, If they are going to heaven, they answer, Maybe, or I hope so, or I think so. The answer is not a matter of a multiple choice, nor is it based on wishfulness, nor on the power of positive thinking. One must have the complete assurance of heaven. I appeal to one and all to read 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? These are hard words for the worldly church today. Remember the 5 foolish virgins without oil, there was no light in their lamps. They had no evidence of faith, and they were not allowed to enter into God’s rest. Let’s consider Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:. If you are a mere professor of Christ then these verses should make you very nervous, for it is quite evident that if the Spirit of God dwells in you, then you would surely be aware of Him and His ministry to your heart and soul. Next we have Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Once again, the Spirit of God gives us a comparison between flesh and Spirit. There is no maybe here, for they who have the Spirit of God are of God. And they who have not the Spirit of God are not of God. All these words are sobering and bring us back to Hebrews 3, verse 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. The Spirit of God, once again, divides the sheep from the goats. If we do not keep the hope firm unto the end, or in the process to the end, we are none of His; for they, who have not the Spirit of Christ, are none of His. So week after week you have professed Christ and the Spirit of God has not witnessed to your spirit; the result of your profession is a empty and lifeless life without Christ. When Paul was writing to the Corinthians he was considering the whole Corinthian Church. He saw the amount of carnality in the Church and had great doubts about those who professed Christ and had no life. Paul always encouraged the true believers, and he was not afraid to expose those who had no life. In Paul’s own life he stated in Galatians 2:20
In Paul’s own life he stated in Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Paul identified himself as being crucified with Christ, this was not a man who had any doubts in his salvation. He not only walked by the Spirit of God, but he was indwelt by the Son of God, who loved him and gave Himself for him. This verse shows the power of his faith in Christ, and every child of God should be able to identify with this verse with their heart and soul and spirit. God’s Spirit is not powerless, the worlds were framed by the Word of God, and they were given of Christ and breathed by the Holy Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is all powerful and has been given to us by the Son of God to guide us through this evil world. If you cannot keep the faith, there is no faith in you. The ‘if’ of Hebrews 3:6 is not the conclusion of the verse, but the division between the Spirit and the flesh. If you have the Spirit of God through the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ then you will endure to the end. I use ‘if’ in that sentence to show you the value of the word ‘if.’ ‘If’ does not determine our faith; it is a divider, or prover of faith; and it convicts those who have no faith.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. You must go back to the throne of God, and verse 1 of Hebrews 3. It is the heavenly calling from God and God alone; therefore, they who are of Christ and have the indwelling Spirit of God will hold fast with confidence and rejoicing of hope firm unto the end. They who have no faith will perish in the way because of unbelief. In verse 4 all depends on God’s Sovereignty and His Deity. He that built all things is God, and He heralds the heavenly calling. (verse 1) Through this calling we receive faith, we respond to that faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. Amen,
© Copyright 2015, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)