“Jesus Christ The Foundation”

I Corinthians 3:9-13

9) For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

10) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

11) For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

Preface

T

here can be no change in us unless we cease from living after the flesh. We must change, for this is why Jesus sacrificed His life. If we were to be no “different,” we would not have needed a Savior.

Knowing that one needs to change and knowing how to change are different things. We were sent the gift of Jesus precisely so that the “transformation” might be easy for us.

If there is any “secret” to serving the Lord, it lies in recognizing and accepting Who, He is that we might have no misconceptions about that we are to be transformed to.

Main Thought

Anything that is “built,” must be built upon that which is substantial—if it is to stand. Our text, today is telling us that the foundation of the Church is Jesus Christ. Since He is the Foundation and He is spiritual, then the Foundation is spiritual, as well.

Therefore, no one at any time should even consider building what is fleshly upon the Foundation. You see, there is not one thing about Jesus Christ that is fleshly. Everything about His birth, life and death is all spiritual.

This poses somewhat of a problem, because while Jesus is spiritual, human beings are not and it is they who internalize, implement and distribute His program.

So, how is this disparity remedied? By Man being transformed from being “human” to one “in the likeness of God.” Under “normal” circumstances, this would seem an impossible feat to perform because whereas natural is not “spiritual” at all, God is nothing but all spiritual.

A beautiful illustration of exactly what God has done for us is found in the recounting of the story of Esau and Jacob.

After Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob (in effect, Jacob had “stolen” it), the Lord gave Jacob a vision of angels ascending and descending a ladder. This place came to be called “Beth-el” and the vision, “Jacob’s Ladder.” What Jacob saw for us was an illustration dramatizing our relationship with and to the Lord.

There is a grief; breech; a division between our God and us and it is caused by the fact that Man cannot understand that which is spiritual and God will not condescend to be fleshly.

So, our Solution? Our God came to us, taking upon Himself the form of a Man and manifesting Himself in a body of flesh. He did this, while remaining no less God that we might know that one can remain holy at all times. It is through the coming of Jesus that we are taught that it is possible to be in a body of flesh, yet remain sin free. This is why the teaching of the Holy Spirit is so necessary.

The Bible speaks to us of a woman’s “desire” being to her husband. If we really think about this, we will realize that the passage is speaking of neither Adam and Eve nor husbands and wives of today. What is really being spoken of is the “husband” of the flesh. For as long as one’s “husband” is the flesh, whether one is male or female, this is whom you will serve.

Salvation is non-existent without a commitment from the one claiming to have it. Without this, every challenge that presents itself to the flesh will be successful. Salvation does have its battles, but those battles are spiritual and therefore, the weapons used to fight them must be spiritual.

Nothing is to interfere with us glorifying God. God is our Source, our Sustenance, our Healer, our Deliverer and our Liberator. How could Anyone responsible for all this also be responsible for our “suffering?” Since it is truth that sets us free, this is what we must deal with. You see, all unhappiness we feel that we “suffer” is not due to anything being “wrong.” It is a function of how we choose to deal with what God allows. Even if we do not agree with what He allows, it is up to us whether we are happy or unhappy.

We need never wonder why God is allowing anything for all things are to build our faith. After all, God has much more foresight than we could ever have. We are privileged to be prepared for the Master for things to come. The battle of good and evil is “heating up” so much that whatever can be “shaken,” will be!

In verse 10, we come to know that whatever is built upon what is spiritual must itself be spiritual or it will not stand. Therefore, all that we do must be done spiritually hence, it must be done by faith. In this way, we can ensure that God “has our back”—and has already “handled” it!

We cannot build what is financial upon what is spiritual for these things are natural. God’s

point is not that we gain what is natural through Him but that we learn that these things are a “by-product” of obedience.

The life that pleases God will be the life built upon what is indestructible—that which is rooted and grounded in “Jesus Christ—the Foundation.” Nothing built this way has ever even swayed, much less, fallen. n