Foundational Truths
According to God's grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation that what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.
Risking a pun, it could be said that this truth is "foundational" for the life of each Christian and each local expression of the Body of Christ. After all, Paul is writing to a church, not an individual like he did with Timothy, and the foundation that he laid was that of the local church in Corinth.
Now, we know from the preceding verses that God is the one who is really giving growth to his church. However, it is equally clear that even though God is the source of the growth, in his sovereign wisdom, God has chosen to involve humans in the process of calling and claiming a people for himself- for his own possession. That's why Paul would remind the Corinthian Christians in verse 6, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth." Now he says, "Christ is the foundation, but God has called me - in his grace - to pour that foundation." So, here is foundational truth #1 from this passage:
Jesus Christ is the only true foundation.
Remember, God is building and God is causing growth, and since the foundation is ultimately found in him there is no chance that it will fail or be moved. Jesus says as much in the closing illustration for the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 7:24-27 he tells us about the two men who were building houses. One built on the rock and his house survived the tempest that came. This is the person who "hears these words of mine and acts on them." The other builds on the sand and his house was destroyed in the storm. This represents the person who, "hears these words of mine and doesn't act on them."
Despite the cacophony of voices claiming otherwise, Jesus Christ is the only true foundation for our hope of an eternity spent with God. A foundation of "good works," sincere belief in something else, obeying the law (man's or God's), hedging your bets in a smorgasbord of religions, and so forth, is fruitless and hopeless. Jesus himself, and the Bible in general, are both clear that faith in Christ is the only means that God has provided for our salvation. Indeed, he is the only foundation for eternal life.
Likewise, Christ is the only true and solid foundation for the local church. On August 14, 1173 construction began on one of the most beautiful and iconic structures in the world - the bell tower of the cathedral in Pisa, Italy. It wasn't until five years later when construction began on the second floor that the tower started to lean. Why did it begin to lean? Because the foundation was not solid enough on one side of the tower.
There are churches that have laid foundations other than Jesus Christ and over time, they will begin to lean. Many churches have a foundation of history or heritage that they put their trust in. Others have lots of prestige in the community. Some are built on the dynamic personality and leadership of the pastor. Others still are built on financial stability, activities, style, marketing, etc., etc. While these other foundations will certainly serve a purpose for a period, and may even garner much worldly success, in the end they will not stand the test of eternity.
If a church is founded on the solid rock of God's truth revealed through Jesus Christ, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the person of Christ then it won't matter who the pastor is. It won't matter what leaders come and go because the church will be secure in its foundation and its identity in the Lord Jesus.
(Note: Please don't misunderstand me, leadership is important but if the church's foundation is Christ then its life and health will not be connected to any one leader.)
The building is subject to judgment
Here is the good news. If our lives and churches are founded firmly on Jesus Christ we do not have to worry about condemnation. Remember what Jesus said in the illustration about the guys who built their houses on rock and sand? Well, he was picking up on a theme from the book of Isaiah when God said, "Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable (Isaiah 28:16)." In other words, if we have surrendered to Jesus Christ and repented of our sins then we do not have to worry about being sent to Hell, which is what our sins have earned us. However, everything that we do in response to our salvation is like a structure built on the foundation of Christ.
As we continue in 1 Corinthians 3 Paul says,
If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one's works will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one's work. If anyone's work that he built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved - but only as through fire.
Let me see if I can boil this down. If we are genuinely saved then our salvation IS NOT subject to judgment because that is something that God built in us. Everything we do in our lives in response to our salvation IS subject to judgment and we will be rewarded based on what survives. I realize this truth is not appealing in our everyone-gets-a-trophy culture, but it is true nonetheless.
The question then is, what are you building upon the foundation of your salvation? Are you building a life that seeks to honor God? Are you building a marriage that more and more reflects God's love for his people? Are you parenting in such a way that your children will have eternity stamped on their hearts by the heavenly Father and their earthly parents?
What about our churches? Are we honestly seeking to grow God's kingdom, or are we more concerned about growing the kingdom (read "brand") of Such-and-Such Church? If you are a part of a local church I want you to take a moment and think about it. Visualize the worship service, the building, the small group or Sunday School classes. Think about all the good activities and audio/visual equipment that you have. Think about the preaching and the singing and the service to the community. All of those things are good and have a legitimate place in our churches. Think about this though - there will come a day when your church will be irrelevant. I'm not talking about culturally irrelevant. I mean it will cease to have a purpose and will no longer exist. Try this: _________________________________ (insert your church's name) will not exist. It will pass away and be no more. What were all of those good things you thought about pointing people to? Was it a thinly disguised marketing strategy to get more people to come to your church, or were you pointing people to Jesus, making much of him, and seeking to grow his kingdom?
Only what we build for eternity on the foundation of Jesus Christ will last.
Comments