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Building God’s way (Part II)
Why is Jesus the Solid Foundation?
1. The Bible says so. Jesus is the sure foundation which God has already laid "Behold I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation. A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure a sure foundation” (ISA 28:16)
2. Paul said “…as a master builder I have laid the foundation and another built on it." For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1cor 10:-11nkjv)
3. Peter declared to Jesus "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied "you are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matt16:13 nkjv)." Jesus here was saying
my Father has given you this revelation, that I am the Rock (Petra) upon which my Church will be built out of "living" stones, (partakers of the nature of Himself by their faith and dependence on Him). The gates of hell shall not prevail. These gates of hell constitute powers and strategies, craftiness of the devil's kingdom. "The cords of the wicked"(Psalm129:2-4) and other enemies of the church and the Christian faithful’s. These are some of the 'floods', 'winds' and ‘Rain'. Building on Jesus guarantees survival.
4. Paul declared "you are . . . fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Having been built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In whom you are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph 2:19-22). Apostles are God's builders; prophets have insight and can tap into the mind of God to bring out blue print for any work. Jesus is the Chief Apostle, Chief Prophet and has the full measure of all the 5-fold ministries. He is the wisest builder, the custodian of the building pattern and blueprint. Therefore building on Him has no workable alternative.
5. Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He knows our end from our beginning. He is the “... Almighty." (Rev 1:13nkjv) He declared “…He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing.” (John15:NKJV) We cannot build our lives or anything except on Jesus - The Bedrock. He, in building parlance, represents the area of highest load bearing capacity. When we set the pillars of our lives on Him there can be no cracks.
Principles Governing this Solid Foundation
Jesus as the Rock Foundation has certain principles which we must imbibe before we can establish a relationship with Him to build upon unto maturity.
We must be well grounded in the doctrine of God that he seek to dwell in His
People "Christ in you the hope of glory” (Col 1:27nkjv) meaning; the expectation of the divine manifestation of Christ in us and through us will make us conform to His image. Carried of His presence and partaker of who God is and what He has. Then, we can earnestly say "Thy kingdom come." “Thy will be done”. This is total surrender to and dependence on God in every facet of building our lives.
In addition to the above, six principles are a must:
(a) We need to repent from dead works. The Adamic nature in us must give way (Gal 5:19-21nkjv) for us to become new creation of God(2cor 5:17nkjv)
(b) Our faith towards God must be firm. We must allow godly repentance to enhance our faith in God and His word. Like our father Abraham we must be fully convinced that what God promised He is able to perform (Rom. 4:21 nkjv)
(c) Besides, we must undergo the initiatory seal of the covenant of grace through baptism into the body of Christ which locates us in a specific position for stewardship.
The ability to serve God is made possible by this baptism of the Holy Spirit. Thus we become the temple of the Holy Spirit. Beside we also make a declaration by water baptism that we are on the Lord's side and out of the domain of the devil. We publicly declare our belief in and association with the death burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(d) We further get grounded in the significance of laying on of hands for assignment, impartation or healing, blessing and anointing.
(e) We also become established in the principle of the resurrection of the dead and
(f) Become conscious that the day of eternal judgment will come to bless and punish according to our earthly stewardship. We also a come to conviction that we have a choice for eternal life with God or eternal damnation in hell.
Christians must be well established through instruction and activities in these elementary foundation principles of Christ. We must be proficient in them, not lose, despise, forget or rest in them. We must lay them up in our hearts and lay them as the foundation of all our professions.
However, important as they are we must not always be laying them but build upon them and press on to finish, cease to be spiritual babies in Christ and qualify for solid food (Heb. 5:11-14)