Solid Foundations in Christ

The author, the late Phil R. Parise, was pastor and Bible teacher at an independent fellowship in Sydney, Australia. Originally published in 1982. 

The Need For Solid Foundations

In many parts of the Bible the life of a believer is compared to the construction of a building, or a house. For example, in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verses 9 and 10, Paul says: 

...you are God's building ...as a wise master builder, I laid a foundation. 

In Hebrews chapter 3, verse 6, believers are said to be the house of the lord Jesus Christ. In Colossians chapter 2, verse 7, Paul says that we are 

...now being built up in Him, and established in the faith.  

In Acts chapter 20, verse 32, he says in his farewell address to the elders of the assembly at Ephesus : 

...I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up.... 

Similarly, in Jude verse 20 we read: 

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith…

The apostle Peter uses the same figure of speech when he says in his first letter, chapter 2, verse 5,  

…you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house…

In all of these passages, as well as many other similar references throughout the Bible the lives of God's people, both individually and corporately, are compared to a building or a house. God has chosen this analogy in order to demonstrate clearly to us the parallels between the principles involved in the construction of a natural building and those involved in our walk with God.

In the natural order of things, the first and most important part of any building which is intended to be permanent is the foundation. The building which is finally erected can never be any larger than that which the foundation will allow. There is direct relationship between the foundation and the type of building which may be erected upon it. A relatively small building, such as a typical family home, needs only a small foundation. However, a large building, say a construction project involving a city skyscraper, would collapse almost immediately if its builders attempted to construct it upon an inadequate foundation.

Most of us would have had some opportunity to witness this principle in the natural realm. When, for example, a building project such as a city office block is first commenced it seems that the builders are expending all their energy in doing little more than to dig a great hole in the ground. Usually, a high fence is placed around the site and for weeks or months there may be no visible progress beyond the sound of bulldozers and jackhammers. Why? Because the builders know that without a solid foundation the rest of  their labours would be in vain, and so they are most careful in digging deep into the ground, often right through to the rock under many layers of soil in order to be certain that the foundation is solid. After this has been done, the building itself is usually completed in less time than was actually taken to lay the foundations.

Not all builders, however, have the good sense to realize the need for strong foundations. Newspaper reports have shown photographs of homes and other buildings constructed by unscrupulous builders who have skimped on the quality of the foundations, with the result that the building was not able to withstand the stresses of climate and everyday use. Such buildings were severely damaged and in some cases collapsed altogether. Why? Because that part of the building which was unseen and yet so important, the foundation, was not strong enough to support the building erected upon it.

Even so, in the spiritual realm, the same thing happens in the lives of many professing Christians. They begin with all good intentions of going on and succeeding in the Christian life. They desire to be built up and to be that spiritual house described in the scriptures. And yet, in so many instances, cracks begin to appear in the walls of their Christian lives. In some instances, the building may collapse altogether and the person who was once so keen to walk with God gives up, disillusioned and confused, leaving nothing but the wreckage of unfulfilled hopes and prayers.

Beneath the ruins the reason for the failure lies buried. The foundation was never properly laid and was thus unable to support the weight of the building which was to be built upon it. There was little or no understanding or study of the great scriptural truths required to ensure a firm foundation for the Christian  life.

Much of the blame for problems of this nature must lie at the sugar-coated glamour and glitter 'gospel' of today's religious world. Far removed from the gospel of the kingdom announced by Jesus and the apostles, this modern-day counterfeit invites people to come forward and 'accept Jesus' or 'give your heart to the Lord'. Mention is seldom if ever made of the need for repentance and obedience to the specific truths revealed in scripture, rather the emphasis is on what God will do for you and Jesus is seen as an answer to human need, an alternative to the 'highs' that the world has to offer. This sort of preaching results in a subjective, emotional religious experience and ultimately leads to a vague, mystical, metaphysical type of relationship to God where content is unimportant... the only thing that matters is how you 'feel'.

In contrast to the man made winds of doctrine which permeate the religious world, God has spoken in clear and precise terms through a book, the Bible. Christianity is not an ethereal, mystical religion. Rather, it is a clearly defined system of truth, presented in the scriptures in precise, even legal, terminology.

In our ministry, we have met people who had been led to 'make a decision for Christ' and yet had no true concept of true discipleship. The kingdom of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ meant nothing to them, for they had no real foundations. In reality, their supposed conversion was just another trip; they were moved by stirring speech and moving music to make a decision, yet without knowing what  they were supposed to be making a decision about. This is in marked contrast to the teachings of Jesus, who presented the claims of the kingdom of God to men in precise, clear-cut terms and advised them, not to make ill-considered, emotional decisions, but to calculate the cost of being a disciple. (Luke 14:25-35). The things of which we have been speaking may be found described in one of the parables of Jesus. In Luke chapter 6, verses 46 to 49 we read:

And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me, and hears my words, and acts upon them, 1 will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock, and when a flood arose, the river burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the river burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.

From this passage of scripture, several very significant principles may be found. Firstly, from verse 46, we see that it is not sufficient merely to call Jesus Lord. If He really is Lord to us then there will be a change in our lives, evidenced by the fact that we will begin to obey Him through His word. Verse 47 shows that before we can begin to build our foundations we must come to Jesus, that is, we must experience a direct, personal revelation of Jesus Christ.

While we have been careful to point out that in the Christian faith we have definite content, that is, a clearly defined system of truth, we must at the same time stress that this is a system of truth built upon a person, the person of Jesus Christ, and thus it is far more than a merely academic or intellectual appreciation of certain facts.

It is interesting to note that Jesus Christ is mentioned 16 times as Saviour in the New Testament, but He is called Lord more than 470 times. The lordship of Jesus Christ is not an option after salvation, but a condition for salvation. (John 3-36) Thus the person who would call Jesus ‘Saviour’ must do so in the understanding that He is first of all ‘Lord’, and that recognizing the lordship of Jesus in practical terms calls for submission to His will, that is, obedience to His word.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.  ( 2 Tim 3:16 )

Everything Non-Kingdom Will Be Removed

In Matthew's gospel, chapter 7, verses 24 to 27, a parallel account to the one we have studied from Luke chapter 6, these three steps,

1.  coming to Jesus,

2.  hearing His word, and

3.  doing His word,

are compared by Jesus to the actions of a wise builder who laid the foundations for his house in a proper manner, in such a way that the house was able to with- stand the storms of life. The wise man is contrasted in this account to a foolish man who also built a house, but not on a sure foundation. What was the essential difference between the two builders? Simply this, that the wise builder beard the teachings of Jesus and put them into practice, while the foolish builder beard but did not apply the words of Jesus.

The importance of building on a sure foundation may be further emphasized by considering this simple fact: both men built a house. There is no indication that the foolish builder expended any less time, energy, materials or expense than did the wise builder, except for the foundations. He was able to complete his house and, externally at least, his work would have appeared to be just as valid as that of the wise builder. It was not until the storms came that the true nature of each man's work became apparent.

There is a profound lesson in this parable. A believer may build the house of his spiritual life upon the shifting sands of emotionalism, subjective experience, the teachings of a particular religious group or denomination, or any other thing but the solid foundation of the word of God and outwardly at least, may appear to be building in a very zealous and satisfactory manner. However, the storms which inevitably will come will eventually reveal the lack of a true foundation and show such a person to he a foolish builder.

Everything built on any other foundation than that which God has established, that is, Jesus Christ and His kingdom, will eventually be destroyed. Such destruction may become evident in this present life, or it may not become apparent until eternity, when it will be tried by the fire of God. In either case, eventually, the true nature of each person's spiritual 'house' will be revealed. If that house has not been built upon a sure foundation it will be destroyed, with the builder suffering loss due to the time he has wasted. See for example, 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verses 8 to 15; Hebrews chapter 12, verses 25 to 29.

Avoiding Deception in Difficult Times  

Our appreciation of both the need and nature of solid foundations will be strengthened by a better understanding of the storms that are sure to come against our spiritual houses. One thing that is clearly apparent from the parable of the wise and foolish builders is that the storms will inevitably come. Jesus did not say 'if' but WHEN the storm comes. Our spiritual foundations will surely be tested. In his first letter, chapter 4, verse 1 2, Peter says:

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you ... .. (N. K. J. V.)

So, when pressures come upon us in our spiritual lives, we are not to be taken by surprise, rather, we should have already prepared for the inevitable by ensuring that we have laid strong spiritual foundations.

One of the most violent storms that will come upon us in the Christian life is that of deception. Paul writes in 1 Timothy c chapter 4, verse 1:

But the Spirit explicitly says that some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.

The means by which these people will fall away from the true faith is clearly seen to be by listening to teachings of deceiving spirits, that is, by receiving teachings other than those which God has given in His word. Deception is, and always has been the devil's chief weapon against the people of God. Right at the beginning, in the garden of Eden, he planned to achieve his evil purposes by means of deceit. As Paul says in 1 Timothy chapter 2, verse 14: the woman (Eve), being quite deceived, fell into transgression.

Repeatedly, throughout the Bible, we are warned of the dangers of deception and instructed to avoid it. See for example the following scripture references. Matthew chapter 24, verse 4; Mark chapter 13, verse 5; Ephesians chapter 5, verse 6; and 2 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 3. Note that we are commanded by God to avoid deception. In other words there is no need to be deceived and there is no excuse for being deceived- God has given us the means to avoid deception and instructed us to do so by putting His word into practice. The scripture shows that the means to avoid deception is (i) to bear the word of God, and (ii) to put that word into practice. This is made clear by James, in chapter 1, verses 21 to 25 of his letter:

Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;

For once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

But the one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.

Through hearing the Word we are able to examine our spiritual lives and foundations.

Hearing the word of God is thus likened to a natural man looking at himself in a mirror. Through bearing the word we are able to examine our spiritual lives and foundations, just as a person may become aware of his true physical state by looking into a mirror. However, unless we are in a humble state before God's word (v21) and subsequently put that word into practice (v22) it will be of no benefit to us. So real is the danger of spiritual deception in these last days that we must hold firmly to the truth of the word of God and steadfastly refuse to compromise with the teachings of men, if we are to avoid being deceived ourselves. Remember that Jesus said:

For false prophets and false christs will arise and show great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  
( Matthew 24:24, N.K.J.V. )

The age in which we live has been described as the age of knowledge and we need to understand that although there has been an explosion of knowledge and of the effectiveness with which that knowledge is able to be communicated, not all of that which is called knowledge is really knowledge. Paul, in 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 20, spoke of:  

empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge.

We need to understand that we are living in an age of very subtle social, political and religious manipulation, manipulation through communication, a communication which is often without any real content. Never has it been possible to say so little in so many words. This is certainly so in the area of religion, where men have substituted the deceptions of their empty creeds and dead traditions for the living word of God.

In order to stand against the storms of deception we must ensure that we have built a strong foundation of study and obedience of the word of God. We must steadfastly purge ourselves of, and then avoid, teachings and philosophies which are contrary to the word of God.

Our battle is to break down every deceptive argument and every imposing defence that men erect against the true knowledge of God.  
( 2 Corinthians 10:5, J.B. Phillips translation)

Every Believer a Minister

One of the most devastating and destructive teachings to attack the people of God has been the unscriptural idea that there is a distinction between clergy and laity, that is, that there is a select group of people called ‘clergy’ who are the ministers to everybody else, called ‘laity’.

Those considered to be laity or lay persons do not take their responsibility to study and become grounded in the things of God seriously because they are under the mistaken notion that this is the responsibility of the minister.

Contrary to this, the Bible shows that the work of the ministry belongs to every believer. There are no special classes- priests, bishops, vicars, reverends or any other such thing mentioned in the word of God. To be sure, God has given certain ministry gifts to His people, as outlined in Ephesians chapter 4, verses 11 and 12:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;…

The purpose of these ministries, however, is also given, that is to prepare the saints (every believer) for the work of the ministry. Thus a further reason to ensure we have laid strong, scriptural foundations in our lives is that God expects us to do so in order that we in turn will be able to teach others. The writer to the Hebrews recognized this and admonished the Hebrew Christians because they were ‘dull of hearing’.

Concerning Him (Jesus) we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for some one to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
(Hebrews 5:11-12)

Summary

In concluding this study, let us outline a   summary of the reasons we have    seen to build solid, scriptural foundations in our lives:

1. In order not to suffer loss- everything non-kingdom will be removed.

2. In order to avoid deception in difficult times.

3. In order to fulfil our responsibilities as servants (ministers) to others.

We have seen that the way in which we may begin to build could be outlined as follows:

1.  coming to Jesus

2.  hearing His words

3.  doing His words

I. Coming to Jesus

As this series of studies is designed to teach the elementary principles of the doctrine of Christ, it is assumed that those undertaking the course have already come to Jesus and have had a direct, personal, revelation of Him. If you are not sure of your standing as regards salvation and being born-again it is possible that the rest of this course will not be of maximum benefit to you. 

II. Hearing His Words

The aim of this study series is to present and explain in clear and concise terms the teachings of God's word in that area called by the writer to the Hebrews, ‘the elementary teachings about Christ.’

Our main text for the series is Hebrews chapter 5, verses 8 to 14, and Hebrews chapter 6, verses 1 to 3.

In the following 14 studies we will consider in detail the foundation principles listed below:

1.  Repentance from dead works

2.  Faith towards God

3.  Baptism in water

4.  Baptism in the Holy Spirit

5.  Laying on of hands

6.  Resurrection of the dead

7.  Eternal judgment

8.  Going on to maturity

III. Doing His Words

A teacher may explain and expound the Word of God to you, and through this you may be able to hear the words of Jesus. But whether or not you put these things into practice is a decision that you can only make for yourself. Our desire and prayer in making the study series available is that we hope to be able to help you build upon a sure foundation, and live a Christian life to the glory of God and the furtherance of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Special Note 

We do not have the full set of these studies. Due to the untimely death of the author, they were never completed. We do have some more (all on paper), and plan to scan them. Stay tuned.

Copyright 1982, Good News Ministries

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All publications of Good News Ministries are protected by copyright. Our intention in copyrighting our publications is not to gain financial advantage, but to protect our stewardship of the material. All our publications may be freely copied subject to the following conditions:

1. the copies must be for use by Christian fellowships or individual Christians,

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