For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. —1 Corinthians 3:11
In my former life as an environmental engineer, one of the classes I had to take was all about how to engineer structures, one of which being foundations. I can’t say whether or not I liked that class, or what my grade turned out to be. However, several things have stuck with me about that class and my subsequent life experience about foundations. First, foundations are the most important part of a building project. Without a good, solid, well-designed foundation, everything else you do is doomed to failure and collapse. Second, foundations must be the right kind for the conditions in order for the building to be strong for the life of the structure. And third, water and other factors can deteriorate the best foundation, weakening it and making it prone to collapse.
In our verse for today from the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, he draws a metaphor from engineering regarding the foundation we lay for our lives. Specifically, Paul is proclaiming that the structure that will hold up our lives can be none other than Jesus Christ, and him crucified and raised from the dead. In the paragraph where Paul wrote this, he also said that anything other than Jesus Christ used as a foundation will be exposed and will not survive. Only Jesus is the foundation that will endure. Paul was encouraging the church to keep building with the foundation he himself had laid. Each builder – each believer – must build on that same foundation as God directs. Don’t try to make your own foundation, says Paul, apart from that which is laid by the gospel truth in Jesus Christ.
Our lives are a complicated building project. Some of us are building simple structures that reflect the humble Jesus in the gospels. Others are building large towers that reflect the grand glory of God. Yet, if we’re not carefully building on the one solid foundation of Jesus Christ, then no matter what we build, it will topple in a storm from sin, pride, and self-focus, because we tried to build something on our own foundation. Jesus is calling us to build on Him and Him alone. Our relationship with Jesus is, firstly, the most important part of that building project and the reason why that foundation is critical. Second, the foundation in Jesus is the only kind of foundation that works to build a holy, righteous, and God-honoring life. Every other one will fail. And, lastly, we must not allow the sin in our lives to erode the foundation on which we build our faith and trust in God alone. The Holy Spirit is a great barrier for exposure to – and a guide for us to identify and remove – the sin that would erode the foundation. If we allow the Spirit to convict and offer grace, then the foundation in Jesus will last and last.
As you continue through the season of Lent, I pray that you will walk around the house of your life and check on the foundation. Look to see if sin is causing any cracks or weaknesses. Let the Spirit do any work to strengthen the foundation and the building of your faith in Jesus. And, be confident that your foundation is Jesus Christ and on it your life in Christ will not be shaken, no matter what storms come.
~Steve
