THE RIGHT FOUNDATION GUIDE - PART 3

FRIDAY 03 JANUARY 2025

THE RIGHT FOUNDATION GUIDE - PART 3

Reference: 1st Corinthians 3:10-11 New International Version (NIV)

"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Here in our referenced Scripture, Paul addressed 3 categories of builders, namely:

1. Himself

2. Someone else building on it

3. Each one of us

As for Paul himself, he said, "By the grace God has given him, he laid a foundation as a wise builder," meaning that he made a significant contribution to the righteous foundation, like a skilled master builder. This equally means that it is important to have a strong knowledge of the foundation because this knowledge is essential for navigating the Christian faith and for understanding the spiritual needs of the saints being built up, who are regarded as the vineyard, the garden, the temple, the house where God dwells.

As for someone else building on it, this can imply a diverse tapestry of follow-on work being built on the same foundation, plus the perception and impression that even if a builder serves in a different way, the quality of their work is worth checking with the concrete foundation already laid - Jesus Christ, so as to ensure a lasting or eternal impact.

To that effect, 1st Corinthians 12:5 reads, "There are different kinds of service/varieties of services/differences of administrations/different ministries/distinctive varieties of ministries and service/various forms of official service, but the same Lord" (NIV/ESV/KJV/BSB/AMP/WNT).

As for each one of us, Paul urged "us" to build with care, which implies an engrossing reminder to construct in a manner conforming with the only solid foundation, Christ, so as to avoid a building that will come apart at the seams, denoting a very bad condition and near to failure or collapse. Got it? Building with care also involves making sure you are not hindered by unclear divine direction, as well as sustaining the ability to discern and reject any ungodly foundation.

Question: Why must each one of us build with care? Eventually there is going to be an inspection by God Himself, and God's inspection is always thorough and rigorous. If you use cheap and inferior materials, the wrong sort of materials will not endure the test of time. So you must take particular care in picking out your building materials, even when faced with problem-characterized intimation or unpleasant situations, like apostle Paul experienced.

Now watch this: 1st Corinthians 3:16-17 reads, "All of you surely know you are God's temple and His Spirit lives in you. Together you are God's holy temple, and God will destroy anyone who destroys His temple" (CEV). This is Pauline vivid utterance which is accompanied by a powerfully evocative consciousness of what the saints are made of. As the body of Christ [the Church], we are all God's holy temple, because the Spirit of God dwells permanently in us - both collectively and individually.

How did we receive the indwelling of the Spirit of God permanently? Christ came to make His home in our hearts because we trust in Him with the "God kind of faith." To that effect, Paul uttered, "Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong" (Ephesians 3:17 NLT). Did you notice the two dissimilar segments apparent in this versified statement?

The first segment "Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him" is what instantly happens when you receive Him as Lord and Saviour - which is indicative of "residence." In other words, "Christ lives in your heart by faith" and that implies His location in you {His address}. However the second segment, "Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong" is a progressive laying of solid foundation, which is expressive of building and establishing Christ in you, and furnishing you with His peculiar attributes. To that effect, Paul stated in Galatians 4:19 - Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I'm going through labour pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives" (NLT). Got it? Below, I give a brief summary of this verity with an incisive or concise notion:

"Christ lives in your heart by faith" - Residence.

"Until Christ is formed in you" - Foundation.

So they are two different concepts, but the "latter" has a lasting impact on the building - which is the idea of establishing the solid foundation (Christ) in you. Beloved, Christ can be resident in a man by virtue of new birth, and yet, He is not fully established in the life of that man, just like someone who is resident in a country, and yet, he or she is not fully established in that country in so many ways. But, God wants your roots to grow down into Christ, the foundation that will keep you strong and grounded. Stay tuned for part 4. Shalom!

Scripture Reading  - Job 4:19; Proverbs 10:25; Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians 2:20.

Guided Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the unfolding nature of Christ in me, a revelation that inspires my lifelong quest and desire for supernatural experiences. The more I embrace and explore the realities of the living Christ in the journey of my Christian faith, the more I behold your glory in my life. For this reason, I bow and prostrate before your Majesty today and always, in Jesus' Name, Amen!