The workers knew something wasn’t right. A crack in the exterior wall of an 8-story building in Bangladesh was a tell-tale sign that the edifice, still under construction, was pretty sketchy. Sadly, the structure tumbled down the next day, resulting in the death of more than 150 people and injuring more than a thousand others. Eventually, it was determined that a faulty foundation contributed to the big collapse.
Paul once penned a warning to the church at Corinth, warning them of the dangers of a faulty faith foundation. The church had some cracks in their spiritual state, including a problem with playing favorites. Some went ga-ga over Paul’s teaching, while others were really into Apollos’ instruction (1 Corinthians 3:4). So the apostle brought down the hammer on their false foundations, making it clear that teachers (including himself!) were just men with faults and deficiencies of their own (1 Corinthians 3:5).
His point? The mouthpiece isn’t important—the message is. And the message has to be all about Jesus. Paul wrote, “No one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). If we build our life on anyone or anything other than Christ, we’re headed for disaster and a future “structural review” from God that will identify us as people “barely escaping through a wall of flames” (1 Corinthians 3:15). Judgment day will not be pretty for poor “builders” (1 Corinthians 3:13).
Paul revealed to the Corinthians and to us the importance of a rock-solid faith. We’re God’s temple, filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Let’s make sure the teaching we take in and deliver accurately captures the truths and wisdom found in Christ—our sure foundation.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Acts 9:20-31
More:
Read Isaiah 28:6 and 1 Peter 2:4-8 and consider whom our faith should be built on.
Next:
What in your faith foundation needs to be shored up? What does it mean to build our lives on Christ?
BearPair on October 21, 2015 at 2:36 am
Superb, powerful message… in so few words! Thanks, Tom, for the reminder that, while men (& women) offer us so many things to supposedly base our “religion” or faith upon, there really is only one Way, only one basis for building a genuine faith, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Tom Felten on October 21, 2015 at 8:44 am
BearPair, you’re right, their are so many things tempting us to turn from Jesus and embrace something that can never satisfy. Only Jesus is the Way, Truth, Life (John 14:6).
Gary Shultz on October 21, 2015 at 6:44 am
It would seem that every day is a good day for “structural review”. I need to be the best block I can be, laid on the foundation of Christ Himself. Often I find little cracks starting and must refer to the Builder. Beside the shaking and storms sometimes I just allow poor materials to be present in my make up and weakness is soon detected. Thankfully Jesus has His eye on each block and uses the best building methods. Thanks for a little mortar.
Tom Felten on October 21, 2015 at 8:48 am
Great use of the building metaphor, Gary! I, too, am so grateful that the Master Builder continues to refine, mold, and make us who we’re supposed to be. As Peter wrote, Jesus is the “living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple” (1 Peter 2:4-5).
jim spillane on October 21, 2015 at 11:35 am
Tom and Gary, I’d like to add this short account also. A man was walking through his neighborhood and noticed that the construction of a rather large home was nearly complete. One of the workers was meticulously working on one of the final pieces, and the man asked him what he was doing. The worker replied that he was shaping this particular piece down here so that it would fit in up there. The man turned away and continued on with tears in his eyes because he felt that God had spoken directly to him about what was going on in his life.
gary1schelvan on October 22, 2015 at 1:24 am
Hey Jim,
That is a beautiful short account you added in for all of us, thanks. We are being shaped “down here” for an eternity with Jesus, so awesome to contemplate for even a short time…eternity..Wow! He changes us, shapes us, with me ever so slowly it seems, but all in His good time. I read a devotional by Oswald Chambers yesterday, it was based on 2 Cor 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new crteation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” I think that we are like the Winchester House in San Jose, Calif. A never ending or completed building project until the time we go home to be with our Lord. Bless you all.
Winn Collier on October 28, 2015 at 5:39 pm
staying centered on Jesus, on his love and provision, his grace and mercy, his truth. yup.