For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, with Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11
Jesus as our foundation. This is one of my favorite analogies of who Christ is. Paul goes from planting and being God’s field to the foundation of God’s building(v.9).
I’ve never been a mason. One summer I in my late teens I helped a family friend put up a new chimney. (I was mainly the person who would carry the bricks and mortar up and down the ladder) When the opportunity arose for me to help with the bricks I often went too fast wanting to get done quicker and thinking about the way I was going to be using the money. The gentleman I worked with quickly put me in my place about taking my time and the importance of lining up of the bricks. The importance of the cornerstone.
This brings me to today, our verse about Jesus being our foundation. In order to capture more wisdom of this verse, I listened to the sermon called The Judgement of the Believers Work by John MacArthur which helped me to connect all the parts of this section that includes verses 1 Corinthians 3:10-17.
I’ve challenged myself this last week with the question if Jesus is my cornerstone, how am I building the rest of my building?
Back in 2017, BJ wrote specifically about Jesus being our Cornerstone.
Our life should be built only on Him. As the builder who gets to lay bricks every day I have to remember that one day I will be face to face with Jesus and he will look at my building and have a final judgment. Just looking one verse ahead tells me,
“According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth on it. But let every man take heed how he buildeth upon it.”
Do I just rush into the day without being in His Word? Do I find weak substitutes in my own desires? What are my motives behind my daily actions and words? We all believe that Jesus is our foundation. His Living Word, the Bible, provides us deep footings to align our life. What kind of building are you building today?
MacArthur said, ” Some people are trying to build their lives on morality, and ethics, and good deeds, and all of these things. But the only foundation for a life and the only foundation for corporate life, which is the church, is Jesus Christ. If that foundation goes, everything falls. ”
For many years of my life, I didn’t even know my foundation. Through other believers, friends, family, bible journal writers, and the people of the Church, you helped point me back to our foundation, Jesus. He is our foundation, the cornerstone of what each day of our life should be lived on. I have misplaced some bricks, I’ve placed bricks too fast, I replaced bricks with idols, I laid bricks just to try to impress others. Every brick I lay should be for Jesus. He is our foundation. When that final judgment comes God is going to judge our motives, conduct, and service. Did I use the gifts He provided me to build upon His foundation His glory or for my own?
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Dear Jesus,
You are our foundation. You have given us your Living Word and it all points to you. Father, help me to build my life around your foundation and while laying every brick I point it all back to you. Jesus please help guide and direct us to use the gifts you have provided to us in order to be the hands of feet of You. We love you! Thank you for being our foundation. Amen
