The Gates Of Hell Shall Not Prevail Against It
Recently I have been profitably engaged in reading a book called “Life, Letters, and Sermons of T.B. Larimore, by Mrs. T.B. Larimore”. Theophilus Brown Larimore (1843-1929) was a Gospel preacher and founder of Mars Hill School near Florence, Alabama which operated for 17 years. There were many men who graduated as faithful Gospel preachers from the school.
It is fascinating to read of his life as well as a few of the sermons he preached. It is amazing the Bible a person can learn from the writings of faithful Gospel preachers even though they have long gone on to their reward (“he being dead yet speaketh”).
In “Life, Letters and Sermons” there are a series of four sermons based on Matthew 16:13-20 entitled “The Rock.” In the fourth lesson, he has this to say about the church:
“No human institution has had to endure a thousandth part as much opposition as this divine spiritual institution has had to endure; no human institution could have endured a thousandth part of what the church of God has endured…Kingdoms may be founded, may flourish and may fall; but the church of Christ can never fall, can never fail. Atheism may assail, infidelity may sneer, skepticism may smile, and anxious hearts may fear for the safety of Zion; but Zion stands secure, backed by the promise of the great I AM that it shall never be destroyed, the literal, living, abiding fulfillment of the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The sun may be blotted out, the moon cease to reflect light, the stars may fall from the withering vault of night, and the heavens be rolled up like a scroll, the wreck of matter and the crash of worlds may come and the judgment day be set; but, when the angel of the Lord shall descend on pinions dipped in the lovelight enveloping the throne of God, and, planting one foot upon the land and one upon the sea, shall declare by Him who plants his footsteps upon the sea and rides upon the storm, that time was, time is, but time shall be no more – even then the church of Christ shall stand, secure as the throne of God itself: for our Saviour promised long ago, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it;” and Jehovah hath declared “it shall never be destroyed;” and the Holy Spirit, by the pen of Isaiah, the prophet, says: “The word of our God shall stand forever.” pp. 130-131.
How true and oh, how much does the world need to be taught and the people of God reminded of this fact. In a world where we wonder is anything certain, is anything sure, is there anything we can rely on? We need to remember and proclaim to the world that God is certain (Malachi 3:6), Christ is certain (Hebrews 13:8), the Word of God is certain (Matthew 24:35) and the church of Christ is certain.
-Jerry D. Sturgill
Lesson Audio – Few Days and Full of Trouble
Lesson Audio – Joseph, A Foreshadow of the Christ
Can We Be Sure About the Past?
What separates Christianity from most other religions is the fact that it is bound up in historical facts. Christianity is not merely a moral code, nor merely a philosophy. While it contains those elements, it is based on revelation through historical events. The historical facts concerning Jesus of Nazareth form a basis of the Christian religion. This is why the New Testament begins with the Gospel accounts of His life, death, and resurrection.
However, some doubt whether we can know anything for sure about the past since we cannot directly observe the past. Events in the past have ceased. All we have are the remains and memories that have been recorded for us. We have plenty of recorded memories and enduring remains of the people and events that form the belief basis of Christianity.
Is it impossible for us to be certain of the historical events surrounding the earthly life of Jesus Christ because we were not eyewitnesses of these proceedings? No. A detective on the basis of evidence from eyewitnesses can reconstruct a crime and present the facts that an eyewitness himself knows to be correct. The detective knows what really happened since he believes exactly what the eyewitness believes based on evidence.
How are we certain that the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln is a fact? No one living witnessed the event, but there were witnesses. None of the witnesses are physically alive to tell us what they saw, but that makes no difference. The records they made of the event and the memories they passed on to others are just as viable as they would be if they were alive to tell us themselves. We do not doubt that Lincoln’s assassination is historically factual because we have overwhelming evidence from eyewitnesses showing it to be true.
The opening paragraph of Luke’s gospel account (Lk. 1:1-4) reads:
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
Unlike Matthew and John, Luke was not an eyewitness to the happenings of the life of Jesus Christ; however, he “most surely believed” because eyewitness testimony had been delivered to him. Many had attempted to gather and arrange all the memories regarding Jesus. Luke, by inspiration, gives us an arrangement of the eyewitness accounts of Jesus. Inspiration did not preclude Luke compiling evidence from many sources in writing his gospel account. Luke knew the same facts that eyewitnesses did and believed because he appreciated the evidence. Further, Luke writes to “Theophilus” in order that he may “know the certainty of those things” that he had only previously received through oral reports. Thus, Theophilus, and all generations since who have access to Luke’s account, can know just as certainly as Luke and even as the eyewitnesses of what Jesus did.
Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again to give you hope of eternal life; many witnesses attest to these facts (1 Cor. 15:1-8). Do you appreciate the evidence?
-Mark Day
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