FAITH IN THE FOUNDATION
Terry R. Baughman
Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his …” (2 Timothy 2:19 NIV).
An enduring structure is dependent on a stable foundation. History is replete with grand designs and great construction, some where insufficient attention was given to the integrity of the bedrock upon which it was built. One of the most well known is the Torre di Pisa, known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a freestanding bell tower associated with the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa.
Construction of the tower began in August of 1173 and continued for almost 200 years. Due to unstable subsurface soils the building began to shift during its lengthy construction. A critical point in the shift was reached in 1990. Engineers desperately sought a remedy to stop the shift and restore the building to stability. Measured steps were taken within the decade in a restoration project that brought the tower from 5.5 degrees of incline to a stable 3.99 degrees. The leaning tower is a pictorial lesson on the importance of a solid foundation.
Spiritual construction is so much more important. There is no last minute fix or emergency measures that can compensate for an improper foundation and prevent a total collapse. The building must begin right. The foundation must be carefully chosen. Paul affirmed that, “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Therein is the success of our construction and the security of our spiritual development. All must be built on the sure foundation of faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote to another church that we have 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” (Ephesians 2:20–21). Jesus gives security to our foundation, definition of our design, and connects the structure bringing us together in the resultant holy temple of our Holy God.
In Paul’s letter to Timothy he stressed the rudimentary integrity of our faith, “God’s solid foundation stands firm,” and we find stability in our relationship with Him, “The Lord knows those who are his” (2 Timothy 2:19 NIV).
On Christ the Solid Rock, an ancient hymn by Edward Mote (1834) celebrates the foundation of Christ, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” This refrain has endured many years and enjoyed revival in every successive generation. Jesus is the foundation of our faith and the hope of our future. The final verse inspires our faith, “When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found, dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.”
The foundation of God stands sure! We can trust the foundation. We are secure in Jesus Christ and we can live our lives confident in Him.
Scripture:
“I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation” (Isaiah 28:16 NIV).
Terry R. Baughman
Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his …” (2 Timothy 2:19 NIV).
An enduring structure is dependent on a stable foundation. History is replete with grand designs and great construction, some where insufficient attention was given to the integrity of the bedrock upon which it was built. One of the most well known is the Torre di Pisa, known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a freestanding bell tower associated with the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa.
Construction of the tower began in August of 1173 and continued for almost 200 years. Due to unstable subsurface soils the building began to shift during its lengthy construction. A critical point in the shift was reached in 1990. Engineers desperately sought a remedy to stop the shift and restore the building to stability. Measured steps were taken within the decade in a restoration project that brought the tower from 5.5 degrees of incline to a stable 3.99 degrees. The leaning tower is a pictorial lesson on the importance of a solid foundation.
Spiritual construction is so much more important. There is no last minute fix or emergency measures that can compensate for an improper foundation and prevent a total collapse. The building must begin right. The foundation must be carefully chosen. Paul affirmed that, “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Therein is the success of our construction and the security of our spiritual development. All must be built on the sure foundation of faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote to another church that we have 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” (Ephesians 2:20–21). Jesus gives security to our foundation, definition of our design, and connects the structure bringing us together in the resultant holy temple of our Holy God.
In Paul’s letter to Timothy he stressed the rudimentary integrity of our faith, “God’s solid foundation stands firm,” and we find stability in our relationship with Him, “The Lord knows those who are his” (2 Timothy 2:19 NIV).
On Christ the Solid Rock, an ancient hymn by Edward Mote (1834) celebrates the foundation of Christ, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” This refrain has endured many years and enjoyed revival in every successive generation. Jesus is the foundation of our faith and the hope of our future. The final verse inspires our faith, “When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found, dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.”
The foundation of God stands sure! We can trust the foundation. We are secure in Jesus Christ and we can live our lives confident in Him.
Scripture:
“I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation” (Isaiah 28:16 NIV).
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