Laying the Foundation!

Laying the Foundation!

“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 3:10-11.

We cannot build on behalf of other people; they have to do that themselves. But what we can do is lay a foundation for them on which they can build. Paul had laid a foundation as a wise master builder. The foundation he laid was Jesus Christ. We must all build on Him. But now almost everyone reckons that the foundation has already been laid—and that Jesus has laid it Himself, so that we don’t need to trouble ourselves with it any more, or that no man can lay it. Yet Paul says that he had laid it, and that he had done it with wisdom.

It is not sufficient for Jesus to be the foundation; people need someone to lay this foundation for them so that they have something on which to build.

Those who are burdened by their sin cannot possibly believe that their sins have been forgiven unless they receive a foundation on which they can build that faith. They need a wise master builder to explain to them that Jesus was the sin offering, and that He died for them. Then they have received something on which they can build. But it is up to them whether they use this foundation or how they make use of it.

Many people have had their sins forgiven, but they still succumb to the same sins. They hear something about victory, but they don’t know how to get it. They hear many glowing words about surrendering everything to Jesus and about entering more deeply into Jesus’ love; then victory will happen automatically. They try to get this to work. They dream and expect something like a miracle to happen so that they can automatically be good, but it all falls apart; it just doesn’t work. What they lack is someone to lay Jesus as a foundation for them so they can have something to build on. They need to hear that Jesus not only bore our sins but also that our old man was crucified together with Him. Rom. 6:6. Or how could I possibly put off the old man if he wasn’t crucified together with Him? I need to hear that Jesus partook of flesh and blood as I, so that He through death could destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. Heb. 2:14. For how could I possibly put my flesh to death if He hadn’t done it before me? Now Jesus has come with redemption by partaking of flesh and blood Himself! Now I have a foundation on which to build. I can be redeemed from the devil’s power by that same death working in my flesh with its passions and desires. But let each one take heed how he builds on it, how he makes use of the redemption with which Jesus came.

We also read about partaking of divine nature. 2 Pet. 1:4. This is generally viewed as a nice expression or as something of which we shall partake in heaven. But we read that we shall partake of it by fleeing the corruption that is in the world through lust. Of course that has to occur now. So we can see that again Jesus has to be laid as the foundation.

We need to hear about Jesus who did not consider it robbery to be equal with God and that in appearance He was found as a man. Phil. 2:6-14. Therefore He called Himself the Son of Man. We also read that the fullness of the Godhead came to dwell in Him bodily. Col. 1:19; 2:9. In other words, He has gone the way before us; therefore we can follow Him. How else could we possibly partake of divine nature if Jesus had not become the Son of Man first and as such partaken of the fullness of the Godhead? This transpired because He said throughout His entire life, “Not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luke 22:42. This is where we need Jesus laid as a foundation. It is what Paul had done for the Philippians, and after he had explained this to them he could tell them: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Phil. 2:12. They had received something on which they could build.

We must cease from sin. Peter wrote, “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” 1 Pet. 4:1. Here we can see that Peter also laid Christ as a foundation on which they could build. If Jesus had not suffered by being tempted thus standing in the test, how could we ever be able to do it?

People build and build, but it doesn’t take much of a storm before the building collapses. After they have suffered a few defeats, most of them give up building; they are confused and powerless. What they need is wise master builders who can lay Jesus Christ as a foundation in their lives so that they don’t have to be confused and hopeless. Nevertheless, let each man take heed how he builds on it, so that the quality of the building will be the same as the foundation. It must be divine nature. If you are satisfied with anything less, your building will go up in flames!