How Firm is Your Foundation?

Word of Life Korea SYME Discipleship Topics

Week 1: ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

In 1174 an Italian architect, Bonnano Pisano, began to work on what became his most famous project: a bell tower in the city of Pisa. It was shaped like a circle, had eight stories and was 185 feet (?? meters) tall. There was just one problem: the builders discovered that the soil around the tower was very soft and the foundation (which Pisano had designed) was not deep enough to hold the building. Before long, the entire bell tower began to tilt and little by little it kept tilting. For the next 176 years many things were done to try and stop the Leaning Tower of Pisa from tilting. They made the foundation under the building more firm so it would not tilt any more. They rebuilt the top of the tower at an angle to make it look straight. The Tower of Pisa has continued to stand for over 800 years; it now leans more than 18 feet (?? meters) away from the center. And still it stands. Much has been done to preserve the building. But it can never be made perfectly straight, without tearing it down and starting all over again. And eventually the building will have to come down because of it's unstable foundation.

"HOW FIRM IS YOUR FOUNDATION?" Jesus asked that question to His listeners at the conclusion of what we call His "Sermon on the Mount." In that speech Jesus talked about many things; about anger, adultery, divorce, swearing, retaliation, loving one's enemies, tithes and offerings, prayer, fasting, worrying, judging others, and more; and then, at the very end of that, in Matthew 7:24-27 He says,

Matthew 7:24-27 "Everyone who hears these words" (referring to all He has just said), and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."

And then He makes a comparison: He also says, "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand."

What is the difference between the wise person and the foolish person, between the person with a solid foundation and the one who would fall? Was it because one of them "heard" Jesus words, and the other didn't? No! Jesus said that both the wise person and the foolish one have "heard" His words. Rather, the difference between the two is this: One of them has "acted" on those words, or has "done" those words; and the other has not.

"How Firm is Your Foundation?" It would be simple if the building materials for the "house that lasts" could all be found right up here (in our heads), just facts, beliefs and knowledge. But it's not so! The building of a "firm foundation" as a Christian is no different from the process of building a "firm foundation" for any building. The blueprints must be made and the materials must be gathered before the work can be done.

1. THE BLUEPRINTS: GOD'S WORD
Our architect, Jesus Christ, has given us perfect blueprints. Human architects can make mistakes; Bonnano Pisano didn't do enough research on the soil near the Tower of Pisa, and that resulted in serious mistakes in his blueprints. But God has given us, in His word, a perfect blueprint. Problems come, not because we have bad blueprints, but because we don't believe these blueprints, we don't follow them, we ignore our building instructions.

If you only believe these blueprints you can have the assurance of knowing that you are God's child and that you have eternal life. Look at the blueprints. God promises eternal, everlasting, never-ending life to those who believe and receive Him.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."(John 3:16). "He that believes on the Son has everlasting life"(John 3:36). "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears My word and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and will not be condemned; but is passed from death unto life"(John 5:24). "And this is the will of Him that sent Me that everyone who sees the Son and believes on Him, has everlasting life"(John 6:40). "Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believes on Me has everlasting life."(John 6:47). "My sheep hear My voice, and i know them, and they follow Me. And I give to them eternal life and they shall never perish"(John 10:27-28).

You may be wondering: Why is it so important to have a "firm "foundation"? You may say, "I know lots of people who couldn't care less about following God's blueprints and they're doing just fine.?

2. THE BUILDING MATERIALS: JESUS CHRIST
Remember the story of The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. There the three little pigs decide to build houses of their own using different building materials. The first little pig builds a house out of straw; and things are fine for a while, until the big bad wolf comes along and,"huffs, puffs and blows the house down." The same is true for the second pig, who builds a house out of wood. Only the pig who builds a house out of brick turns out truly to be safe and secure from the big bad wolf.

You see, when everything is bright and sunny, and there are no clouds in the sky, it doesn't matter what your house is made of. But there will be a time in your life when the rain, the floods and the winds will come. Will your foundation be firm enough to stand against these storms? The only way to be sure, is to depend only on what Jesus did and on what God says in His word.

How Firm is Your Foundation? HOW SURE IS YOUR SALVATION? What are you trusting in for your salvation? In your good works, in your parents faith, in your feelings? That is like straw and sticks. To be solid and sure our salvation needs to be based on the blueprint, on God's word and on the building materials, on what Jesus did on the cross. The Bible says that Jesus is the Rock of our salvation.

INVITATION: If you are not sure of your salvation you can be sure today. Let's bow our heads and close our eyes. At this time if you have any doubts about your salvation. If you are not sure if you are a real Christian or not I want to invite you to talk with God quietly in your heart right now. You can pray, "Dear God, I want to know for sure that I'm a real Christian. I want to have a firm foundation. Please help me to trust not my feelings, not my parents faith, not my good works but trust only You and Your word. In Jesus name, Amen." If you would like to talk more about this, perhaps privately, Just come and say, "I'd like to have an appointment with you."

by Steve Nicholes

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