A Sure Foundation

Over the years I have ministered to countless numbers of people. I have seen some who have faced impossible opposition and odds in their walk of obedience and have persevered. I have seen many who floundered and turned back – some of whom turned back physically and others who turned back mentally and emotionally while giving the appearance of going on.

It all has to do with the foundations upon which one’s faith is built. The perseverance of a person is immediately and ultimately determined by the foundations of faith that are built into his life.

Paul admonished the Colossians: “As ye have, therefore, received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding with thanksgiving.; Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:6-8).

It is very important that converts be established in the faith. Classes on doctrine alone will not achieve this purpose. For one to be strong in the faith requires that he be nurtured by a Godly and knowledgeable person. Unfortunately, churches can get caught up in the numbers search trying to be the largest and the greatest. Our calling as Christian leaders is to build great people, not great churches. Great believers will form great churches.

Our Lord gave gifted men to the church – apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers – to equip the saints, to build believers up in the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God until they are mature in the faith. With maturity they will not be tossed around and carried about by every wind of doctrine that blows (Ephesians 4:11-16) but will be consistently powerful in their walk. Additionally, all believers should be maturing to the extent they can help others to do the same thing. As Paul taught Timothy: “The things that thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

Truth is imbibed in the new convert like knowledge is imbibed with the mother’s milk. Our primary should be how we model the Christian life before young believers. Paul devoted much of his writing in addressing the issue of Christian example. People learn as much or more through observation than they do in what they hear. What Paul said to the Philippians in Philippians 4:9 seems to be the height of egotism but actually our walk should be so committed and consistent that what Paul said could be our testimony: “Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do, and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Paul could make such a statement because he could also say with absolute certainty: “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12b). Because of Paul’s certainty he could confidently admonish the young converts to: “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13).

Solid foundations are not built out of humanistic philosophy, vain deceit, religious traditions, or the rudiments of the world. They are built out of sound living and sound words. The two go hand in hand. Jesus challenged the disciples in John 14:10, 11 to verify His Word by His Works. Sound words adhered to produce sound actions both of which flow out from and result in a solid foundation.

Paul instructed young Timothy: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). I recently read the following truism on the sign board of a church: “A man who has a Bible that is falling apart has a life that is not!”

There are so many wrong values that attract and tempt the weak in the faith. Each church should be a strong network of caring fellowship concerning itself with the weak, the floundering, and the distracted establishing them soundly on the Word of God. Those who do will help secure the foundations of many and strengthen that of the church.

Jeff