Each day as I come onto the Eaglemont Church property I have been observing the foundation work on the construction of our facility expansion. As much as I’d love to see the structure above ground taking shape, I recognize the importance of what those skilled workers are doing currently. Without a solid foundation a building will crumble.
You can read the full illustration about foundations that Jesus shared in Matthew 7, but in verses 24 & 25 He said this: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”
Did you catch it? Building our lives upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ, the ‘Rock’, involves and requires obeying Jesus – i.e. v. 24a – “…whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them…”
These words that Jesus shared so many centuries ago still apply to us as Christ-followers today. This picture Jesus gave reminds us of the foundational importance of having a very high view of the written word of God. If we are serious about growing as an apprentice of Jesus, we must embrace the bible as God’s inerrant and perfect word to us. Along with this must come a strong commitment to obey what God says within it. In John 8:31 Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”
So, where am I going by sharing these thoughts? I want to stress that we cannot change the written word of God to fit our ever-changing culture. Some are attempting to do so these days. You may have heard the term ‘progressive Christianity’. The word ‘progressive’ can have various connotations in people’s minds, but in this particular phrase it’s a term that refers to people who are ‘deconstructing’ the foundational elements and teaching of the word of God, and redefining these teachings to fit their perceptions, feelings and human ideas.
In this article by Alisa Childers (author of the excellent book, ‘Another Gospel’, that I strongly recommend to you), the very first point has to do with the priority of the written word of God, and the ‘attack’ upon it. This is an interesting and very important read. I encourage you to invest the time to read this.
You’ll also find some other great conversations about theological and culture issues of our day here.
May you experience the encouragement and inner strength that comes from a deepening love and respect for God’s word. Open your heart and mind to it today.
Pastor Marlo