A Sustainable Foundation

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. 

 Matthew 5:48

Some people, yes even the children of God, believers, followers of Jesus Christ, think that it is an impossibility to live a Christ-like life free of sin.  In one sense, they are absolutely right - on our own, even with the very best of intentions, we can't do it.  However, that thought is erroneous.  God would never have called us to holiness if it could not be done.  He would not given us an impossible commandment:

If ye love me, keep my commandments.  John 14:15

This is the reason He sent His Holy Spirit, the comforter, to help us.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;  John 14:16

God sent His Holy Spirit and He gave us His word to teach, lead and guide us.  Through the word of God and the prompting of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we lay a spiritual foundation of holiness and sanctification unto God.   Just as a good foundation is important to a building in the natural world, a good spiritual foundation is important for the believer in developing a right relationship with God. Through the parable of the two builders, we learn that our spiritual foundation must be built on the Word of God.  


And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.   Luke 6:46-49

The man who built on a wrong foundation heard the Word of God but did not take personal action on what he heard. He is called a foolish man and compared to a man who built without a foundation.

But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.   His house was built on the sand instead of the rock.   Matthew 7:27 

We build on the sand spiritually when we base our life on the standards of this world and the traditions or religious beliefs of man. It is faulty thinking that we can make our self spiritual by good works, church attendance, or religious ceremonies.

Apostle Paul gives an additional step which is necessary in building our relationship with God:  

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.  Hebrews 6:1-3 

Repentance from dead works, faith toward God, baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment are all principles of the doctrine of Christ.   

Two extremes are common among believers. One is that they have a knowledge of the Word of God but do not apply that knowledge to daily living. The other extreme is that believers emphasize experience and ignore doctrine. Both doctrine and experience are important. A proper understanding of doctrine results in experience. But experience that is not based on biblical doctrine is not trustworthy.  We must not only understand the basic doctrines of our foundation, but we must also experience them. Once we have built our life on these doctrines through experience, we are now ready to "go on unto perfection” or spiritual maturity in God.

Apostle Paul encourages us:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.  1 Corinthians 15:58

A "perfect" Christian is one who has achieved spiritual maturity. This means his body, soul, and spirit are under the control of the Holy Spirit.  That person is anchored in God; no longer moved by the cares and worries of this world because that person knows that God is in complete control.

There are two dangers if spiritual foundations are emphasized without attention to perfection or spiritual maturity:

®    One danger is to lay a good spiritual foundation and not go on to spiritual maturity.

®    The other danger is to attempt to build a "superstructure" of perfection on a faulty spiritual foundation.

A foundation is not a completed building.   The foundation is what will sustain that which is built upon it.  A superstructure is to be built on the foundation. Our spiritual foundation is the word of God.  That which is built on the foundation is that part of a building which is visible above the foundation. 

A good spiritual foundation is not the final goal for a believer; 

it is only the beginning.

Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him. Saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish.   Luke 14:29-30

Many people begin with God. They hear the Gospel, repent from dead works, and have faith toward God, but they never progress beyond this point. They never complete their spiritual foundation and go on to perfection.  A partial foundation in the natural world is not functional. You cannot construct a building on a partial foundation or it will collapse under stress. You must complete the foundation and then construct the building.  Believers who have not completed their spiritual foundations will have difficulty under stress. They will live "up and down" lives spiritually. Their spiritual building will not weather the storms of life. They cannot go on to perfection [spiritual maturity] in God because their foundation is incomplete.

In the natural world, a foundation alone is not very functional. It is the building constructed on that foundation that serves as a home, store, office, or school. The reason some people are spiritually immature is because they only lay a spiritual foundation and never finish the building by going on to perfection.  Apostle Paul spoke of these spiritually immature believers:

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: For he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  Hebrews 5:12-14

Faulty foundations lead to instability causing believers to sway with every shifting wind, i.e. doctrine brought by those purporting to be of God, unbuilt faith, and the cares and pleasures of this world  as demonstrated in the parable of the seed.  

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.  Luke 8:11-14

One can conclude that those at Galatia fell into this state because they had not built up a sustainable foundation:

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?  Galatians 3:1

Apostle Paul told the Corinthian believers that it was time they should be teaching others the Gospel. Instead, they were having to be taught the first [foundational] principles of God.  He compared them to babies who only could drink milk.  By "milk" he meant the first principles of God.  Milk is very healthy and brings growth, but there comes a time when a baby goes on to solid foods:

Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.   Isaiah 28:9

Just as weaning from milk is necessary in the natural world if a child is to develop properly, it is also necessary in the spiritual world. Believers must go beyond the first principles on to spiritual maturity [perfection].  

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  1 Corinthians 13:11

Spiritually mature believers are able to feast on the meat, not just the milk, of the Word of God.

Biblical Studies

07/30/14
10/06/15
04/14/17
03/26/19

08/26/20

05/09/21