Foundations to Christian Living

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph on February 21, 2010 at NLF Vashi. Here’s hoping I haven’t missed much. Happy reading!)

Let me read for you from Luke 6:48,49: “He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well-built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

This is a story by Jesus to his disciples; about two builders – one wise and the other foolish. Both of them set out to build, the wise laying a foundation while the foolish without a foundation. Now imagine that I build a house on the empty plot here; without a foundation - it may look quite good from outside; it may even stand there quite stably. But the point is, during the torrential rains, or during a storm that house is bound to collapse.

Remember, this is Jesus speaking to believers! That includes you and me. We cannot afford to just get on, and get by in life, without having a rock solid foundation to Christian living! We cannot afford to be carried away by the compliments of people who see our ‘outside’ living! And this is the message I want to share with you today. What are the foundations to a Christian life?

There are four vital foundations to Christian living…and if these foundations are found in our life, it will bring about an unshakable testimony with eternal consequences. As I share, and if you find any of these lacking in your life, it is, even now, not too late to build on these foundations…

1. Jesus Christ, the firm foundation

1 Corinthians 3: 10, 11: By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Paul, by profession is a tent maker – a builder in today’s sense. And he writes to the Church at Corinth about how he laid a foundation as an expert builder…as a wise master builder, on the Rock-Jesus Christ. In those times, the Corinthian church was going into troubled times; there were divisions among them; some believers said they followed Apollos and others said they followed Paul. But Paul writes to them and contends, there is really only One to follow and that is Jesus Christ.

We thank God for all the great preachers in this world. We thank God for their teaching. But the point is we are not followers of any person-any man other than Jesus Christ. If there is any person in this world who himself is exalted and magnified because of ‘his’ powers or his prowess, then there is every possibility of the movement degenerating into a religious cult. And it is NOT the Christian way!

In every moment of our life, in any situation, this truth must be deeply ingrained in our hearts-in the core of our being, that we are ‘fixing’ our eyes only on Jesus Christ – the rock solid and firm foundation. Haven’t we heard of the failings of ‘cult’ leaders? Or the backslidden leader who hangs on to his own history as his hope? Would you be fooled into building your house-your life on these people? Because, if it is any other person that you depend on, in your crisis situations, you will find your house will surely fall.

1 Timothy 2:5 says this: For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…In the Old Testament, the people begged Moses that they rather hear Moses hear from God and speak to them than to hear from God directly. But in the New Testament, the veil is torn and every individual who believes can have access to God, through one Mediator – the man Christ Jesus. There is no Mother Mary or the past Saints hearing our prayers; there is no other ‘holy’ men-dead or alive, who will save us. There are no dead saints praying for us...

In the book of Hebrews we read, “…they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest…” (Heb. 8:11). Yes, it is our privilege in the New Covenant for each one of us to have a personal relationship with God. If you base your foundation on Jesus Christ plus some other person, this too is a delusion that in times of flood and torrent, your house would still stand! But if your house is built on Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus alone, I assure you, your house will stand the test of time-come what may!

2. Holy Scriptures, the foundational truth

Ephesians 2:20: …built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief Cornerstone. In Him, the whole building is joined together and rises…

In a civil structure, the most important stone is the cornerstone! If this verse from Ephesians sounds like a contradiction from our earlier conclusions, you will find it is really not as we look into a verse from 2 Peter 3:2 that says, “I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles”

The foundation here is the foundational truths – the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, the command of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teachings of the apostles – all these found in the pages between Genesis and Revelation! The Law and the prophets of the Old Testament; the gospel and letters written by the Apostles in the New Testament-the Holy Bible!

God’s word is supreme. There is no other book that comes even close to the Bible! In fact, all other books are so less in comparison. It is the Bible to read and meditate if you want to have the foundational truths revealed as God’s will and God’s ways; about God’s love and God’s plan for our lives! Beloved, this is THE BOOK!

There are many Christian authors writing so many other books about knowing God’s will, about their experiences in miraculous living, about visions of heaven or hell, and so on…but the point is we cannot base our foundation on others’ experiences…Colossians 2:18 says, “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions”

As a child of God, we can lay our foundation in the word of God and hold on to God’s every word spoken to us; we can claim every wonderful promise God has revealed to us in His word. We can genuinely yearn for experiences that are found in the word of God about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and of the gifts of the Spirit. We can learn and know of the hope of eternal life, the resurrection of the dead and the life to come!

3. Doers of the word

In the story of the wise and the foolish builder, the illustration of the ‘foolish’ is this: that these are hearers of the word only and not doers. (Luke 6:49). But the wise are those that hear and OBEY. Obedience to God’s word is fundamental to the Christian living. If we are only hearers of God’s word, we are ‘foolish’. We will find that someday our house will fall, because the foundation of obedience has not been laid.

Hebrews 6:1 talks about the ‘foundation of repentance from dead works’; Repentance is our response to God’s conviction of our sins. It is a foundation that each believer must lay – it is an elementary principle that we no longer walk to do the ‘dead works’. It is an about-turn in the way of the walk of self; a turn to walk towards God.

Water-baptism is a fundamental expression of obedience to God’s word after our repentance from sins. Keeping a good conscience too is a foundation of Christian living; those who rejected this ‘suffered shipwreck’. (1 Tim 1:19)

4. Faith

Our Christian living is a walk of faith. 2 Timothy 2:19 says this: Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

You see, we started the Christian walk by faith in God and His word…this is the saving faith that happens once in a believer’s life. Now we must go on with a living faith day-after, that the Lord knows us…each one of us, individually. We must be fully assured of God’s love towards us as that of our heavenly Father; and assured of Christ’s great and vast love for us.

Eph. 3:17, 18 says this: that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ that passes knowledge…In our everyday walk, as we exhibit a living faith that pleases God, we are building a solid foundation that cannot be shaken. We are fully convinced that no one can snatch us away from the Father’s hand…and that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ…

Even in the midst of situations that seem contrary to our belief, our anchor of faith will still hold if we know that God will not allow us to be tested beyond our capacity, that His grace is always all-sufficient for us; that God cares for us and we can cast our burdens on to Him…to know that His rod and His staff will comfort us even in the dark deep valleys… Yes, it is faith in God and His word that carries us through. And if faith is found in our foundation, our house is bound to stand the test of time and trials.

Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ (2 Thes. 3:5). In your patience possess your souls; be patient until the Lord’s coming. Faithfully endure till the end. If we have these foundations of Christian Living in our own lives, then ours is a firm foundation that cannot be shaken.

O God, build a foundation in our lives as we walk and obey so that not one of us be lost at Your coming, and that every one be found with a firm foundation in this life. May Your word bear fruit in its season. Amen.