These are two very short parables of our Lord.   The first is of a treasure hid in a field, which when a man found he hid, and went and sold all that he had in order to buy that field.   The second is of the man who found one pearl of great price and went and sold all that he had and bought that pearl.

     A common interpretation of these parables is that Jesus Christ is the treasure and the pearl of great price and that a man must be willing to give up everything for Jesus.

     It could not be wrong to call Jesus a treasure or pearl of great price.   No tribute or appellation ever applied to Christ is too great, since He far exceeds them all.   He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.   He is the One altogether lovely.   He is the Rock of Ages.   He is the light of the world.   He is the Great Physician.   He is the Righteous Judge.   I could go on and on and never reach the summit of His glory.   However no man by selling all that he has could ever gain Jesus.   Sinful man is lost and undone.   He owes a debt that is impossible for him to pay.   All his righteousnesses are as filthy rags.   He is poor, miserable, blind and naked.

     There is absolutely nothing that a man can do or say or give in order to obtain Christ and the eternal life that is in Him.   That eternal life is a free gift, and it is an insult to God to try to buy it, as if our worthless, rotting, and soon passing away possessions could buy something that is infinite in value and that lasts forever and ever.

     I believe that in reality these parables of the treasure hid in a field and the pearl of great price fit in with the previous parable of the sower, revealing different aspects of the work of Christ, The Incarnate Word, in saving the lost.   The treasure was hid in a field, and we find in verse 38 of this chapter that the "field is the world."   Who could the man be, then, other than the Son of man, Christ Jesus himself.

     Jesus found a treasure hid in a field.   For this I must look back to the Holy Trinity in eternity past, as the plan was made for the creation of the world and everything that was to be in it.   There the Son of God looked down through the years and saw how man would follow after Satan, how the multitudes would follow after him, and iniquity would abound.   But Jesus, as He looked, saw a treasure.   He found among the multitudes a few that He knew would be brought to repentance and who, when a Redeemer was provided, would choose Him rather than to continue as Satan's slaves.

     Jesus found this treasure with God's divine foreknowledge.   Foreknowledge is part of God's omniscience which is taught throughout the scriptures, in that God knows everything.   This is an intrinsic attribute of God.   He needs no one to teach Him, for He knows everything.

     When the man found the treasure he hid it.   Likewise, Jesus, when He found this treasure in the world that was yet to be, hid that treasure in God's divine election and choice.   In Romans 8:29 Paul says, "For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son."

     Some people are unable to believe that God knows everything simply because He is GOD.   One night I listened to a man preaching over the radio from the above text, Romans 8:29.   He asked, "Now how did God foreknow all those who would be saved?"   Then he answered his question with, "Because He had chosen them!"   This is purely a false assumption based upon twisting the scriptures to conform with a man's philosophy.   This preacher was adding to God's word what was not there.   "Predestinate" itself means to choose before hand for a particular purpose, and Paul declares this choosing was because He foreknew them.

     Another preacher that I read after declared that a man cannot possibly have a choice in his own salvation, "for if so, he would know more than God."   This is man's philosophy pure and simple and gross ignorance concerning the power and wisdom of God.   Paul warns, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of man." Colossians 2:8.

     Ignorant men in heathen lands have made them gods of various kinds, but always the attributes they gave to these gods were very much similar to the attributes of man.   Likewise many Christian preachers, even though they study God's Word, are unable to accept all the attributes of God revealed therein.   Instead they make themselves a little God pretty much like themselves, so they say, "If man were free to choose, God wouldn't know about it until afterward, therefore man would know more than God."   Who says that God wouldn't know about it?   Some man says it!   But God's Word from the beginning to end teaches man's responsibility, and freedom at least in matters of believing on Jesus Christ.   And it also teaches that God knew what that choice would be from before the foundation of the world.

     Jesus hid the treasure safe in the election of God.   "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. I Peter 1:2.   And those elect ones were written in a book away back there before the world was made.   The ones able to enter the New Jerusalem are only "They which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Revelation 21:27.   Again it says of those during the tribulation, "They that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. Revelation 17:8.   Jesus said, "Rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20.

     The man who found the treasure hid it, and then "for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field."   What wonderful words these are!   We find that Jesus bought the whole world in order to save those few souls who would trust in Him.   Christ died for all, that those who believe might be saved.   Paul teaches this as a fact.   "Because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead.   And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again." II Corinthians 5:14-15.   "But we see Jesus .... crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Hebrews 2:9.   "And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous:   and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world," says John the Disciple. I John 2:1-2.

     Jesus gave all that He had to purchase the world.   He left the glories of heaven, gave up the form of being equal with God. (Philippians 2:5-8)   He took the likeness of man and became a servant of men.   As a man He humbled Himself.   He gave up all opportunity of worldly wealth or power and humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even a much worse death than usual, that of the cross, as a common criminal being executed in ignominy and shame.   He paid His all to purchase a world of lost sinners.   He paid all of heaven, all of earth, and His own life also even to the last drop of His precious blood.

     But Jesus as He tells this story, says, "For JOY thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath." Hebrews 12:2 says, "Who for the JOY set before him endured the cross, despising the shame."   Did you ever think of the JOY that Jesus had in dying for sinners?   Only love, magnificent love, GOD'S LOVE could give one joy like that in death.   And no one ever loved sinners like Jesus loved them.

     He purchased the whole world for the treasure therein.   This makes Jesus the owner and rightful Lord of the whole world.   Today a usurper has control, but the rightful Lord is coming soon.   By believing in His resurrection power, accepting and confessing Him as Lord, you are saved according to Romans 10:9.   All others shall surely be judged by Him.   He said, "For the Father judgeth no man, but committed all judgment unto the Son." John 5:22.   The Son purchased that right by His death, in fact He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8.

     Again and again Jesus is called the Judge, and the one who shall judge the "quick and the dead."   The "quick" or living, the born-again ones, are judged at His coming.   He will have His rewards with Him, and it will be a judgment of joy and happiness, when all who look for Him will win a prize. II Timothy 4:8.   But all the dead, those who rejected Him and were never born again, shall be judged at the Great White Throne. Revelation 20:11-15.   This will be a judgment of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

     The parable of the Pearl of Great Price repeats the story of the One who gave His all, only this time He gave His all to purchase just one pearl.   It took no more than all of the Lord Jesus to redeem the world, and it takes no less than His all to redeem one soul.   No other book, no other religion, no other philosophy, or teaching has anything like this to show the value of the individual soul in the sight of God.

     I firmly believe, sinner friend, that you have a choice.   You may choose to receive Jesus by faith, or you may reject Him.   That choice is yours entirely through the grace of God and by the intercession of His Son, Jesus Christ. Luke 13:6-9.   It is probably the only really free choice you can ever make in this life, so turn from sin and Satan and grasp the Savior's hand as He reaches out to you.

     I am glad I chose Jesus many years ago when a boy of 17, and He has kept me in His love ever since.   Nothing can ever separate us. Romans 8:38-39.

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     We are all looking forward to the fellowship meeting at Cloverdale Baptist Church in Cloverdale, Oregon.   They hold this two day fellowship meeting every year in June.   The editor of this paper looks forward to this meeting every year.   For him it is like going home.   Pastor Randy Winesbourgh tells us this year the days are Thursday June 24th, and Friday June 25th.   The fellowship starts with lunch at noon on Thursday and ends with lunch at noon on Friday.   In between there will be preaching, special music, sleep Thursday night, breakfast Friday morning and even some testimonies.

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Elder Gordon Wiegold writes:

     The Lord has given me the opportunity to be able to preach at our home church's conference in Kentucky, which was a tremendous blessing, and to be able to 'catch up' on some unfinished deputation visits, including an incredibly uplifting visit to preach at Beverly Manor Baptist Church's 46th annual conference in Washington, Illinois, for Pastor Mike McCoskey.

     It was such a blessing to meet up with some familiar Brothers and sisters in Christ, and to meet, and establish new relationships with many faithful and Godly brethren.

     My stay with Pastor McCoskey and his dear wife Barbara was like an oasis in the desert, with such sweet and rich fellowship, even with the hectic schedule that any conference brings with it.   My heartfelt thanks to them and their church.

     I am currently in Wausau, Wisconsin, staying with our Aussie friends, The Dack family, as I preached and presented the work yesterday at their church, Harvest Baptist Church, and we are praying that this church will vote to support the work in Fort Smith.

Letters To The Editor

     I am often asked “Does your Church hold to the London Baptist Confession of faith?”   My oft repeated answer is a resounding NO!   Those same individuals will then ask me “don’t you realize that it is the founding document of us Baptists?”   Some use this Confession of Faith as a historical marker for the start of the Baptist denomination, because it was at this time that the Baptist name came into common use.   My response to them is that the Baptist faith is not a denomination but a system of beliefs that can trace its heritage all the way back to the first Church and its founder, Jesus Christ.

     The first London Baptist Confession was drafted in 1644 and was signed by seven churches that were part of the Congregationalists and Baptists of Calvinistic persuasion that had emerged from the Church of England.   This new document had been drafted in order to distinguish the newly organized Calvinistic Baptists from the Armenian Baptists and the Anabaptists.   This document was not unanimously accepted and 37 Baptist congregations refused to sign it.

     In 1677, a circular letter was sent to particular Baptist churches in England and Wales asking each assembly to send representatives to a meeting in London.   At this meeting, a confession consciously modeled after the Westminster Confession of Faith was approved and published.   It has ever since borne the name of the Second London Confession.   This document was signed by 37 Pastors and Ministers of the Particular (better known as Calvinistic) Baptist Churches.

     The purpose for such a document was to ease the heavy persecution that they were under.   Presbyterians and Congregationalists suffered less than did Baptists in large part because of the united front of doctrinal agreement.   All Presbyterians stood by their Westminster Confession of 1646.   Congregationalists adopted virtually the same articles of faith in the Savoy Confession of 1658.

     A preface to the Second London Baptist Confession of 1677 says: “. . . It is now many years since diverse of us . . . did conceive ourselves under a necessity of publishing a Confession of our Faith, for the information and satisfaction of those that did not thoroughly understand what our principles were, or had entertained prejudices against our profession . . . This was first put forth about the year 1643, in the name of seven congregations then gathered in London . . .”

     One problem that I see with this history is that the Confessions were not the doctrinal stand of all “Baptist” churches but only those who held to the doctrine of sovereign grace.   To tie all Baptist together under these Confessions is to ignore the very history of this issue.   It was the stated purpose of the First Confession to distinguish this new group of Protestants from the Anabaptists.

     The second problem that I see is the London Baptist Confession is a Protestant document.   Baptist are not protestants.   The Protestant groups look to some human being as their founder, often even taking their name from a man.   The Lutherans date back to Luther, the Reformed look to John Calvin, the Presbyterians were founded by John Knox, and the Methodists openly acknowledge John Wesley as their founder.   Who founded the Baptist churches?   It is impossible to find any one man who gave rise to Baptist churches.   Rather, if we would name human founders, we must look back to Jesus Christ.

     Cardinal Hosius says, "Were it not that the Baptists have been grievously tormented and cut off with the knife during the past 1,200 years, they would swarm in greater number than all the Reformers".   Note that this knowledgeable Catholic scholar has spoken of the vicious persecution Baptists have endured, that he clearly distinguishes them from the Reformers, and that he dates them 1,200 years before the Protestant Reformation.

     You can read more on this and other subjects each month at:

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     Folks if you want to respond to something you have read in "Baptist Landmarks" please E-Mail your response to edit@BaptistLandmarks.org   Your response will be printed here.

the granny dominecker

     These are some of the most treasured birds in the flock.   They are rarely seen without a group of young chicks about them.   Flecks of gray adorn their plumage and their combs which may have been bright red in their younger days are turning a paler color as a precursor of the time when it shall become a crown of gold.   They sometimes annoy the juvenile birds of the flock because they are not hesitant in telling them to straighten up and fly right.   After a few years however most of the young birds say, "You know, Granny was right!"

     When most people think of a granny bird, they think of things like cookie jars and tears wiped away with the corner of her apron.   By far more important than these things are the hours she spends in prayer and the teaching she gives from the Word of God and her years of rich experience.

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