The Solid Foundation

Ephesians 2:20 ~ "...built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone."

The entire church is built upon a solid foundation established in the LORD Jesus and provided through His word. As we consider our text for today, it begs the question: what foundation do you stand on? There are many in this world that will tell you of various elemental so-called "truths" that exist: humanism, secularism, post-modernism, and a host of other "isms" that portray themselves as foundational philosophies for mankind. But all of them will fail in the trial of life for they have no true substance that is capable of holding the weight of living. 

Consider morality for an example. God has established a moral standard, a solid and certain foundation for mankind. Remove God's standard and all you have left is mankind trying to determine for themselves what true moral virtue should look like. So, rather than one solid rock where all can find footing, there are now seven billion independent pebbles trying to self-determine a moral code. The Bible would refer to that as "shifting sand" (see Matthew 7:24-27). And yet, is that not what we have seen happen throughout history and even today? 

And this condition of instability is found in all aspects of the disciplines of life. Ethics, morality, education, business, industry, family, and any other situation that humanity finds themselves faced with becomes unstable for the lack of a solid foundation. Concerning the nation of Israel, the Apostle Paul addresses their unwillingness to submit to the LORD. We read in Romans 10:3, "For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness." Though this text in Romans deals with the salvation of the Jewish nation, it conveys the same idea that they prefer their own standard rather than the standard of righteousness established by God. Jesus confronts this as well in John 3:19, "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil."

From our text today, we learn that God has established a foundation for His people, those who belong to Christ.

This foundation starts with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone. The cornerstone of a foundation was the primary stone upon which the rest of the foundation would be measured. The ancient architects would set the first cornerstone and make sure it was square, for the remaining foundation stones would be set against it. If the cornerstone was off, everything else would be useless. And Christ is the perfect and proven cornerstone. 1 Peter 2:6 states, "For it stands in Scripture: 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'" Jesus is, beloved, our absolute source for all things pertaining to life. All who believe on Him, who obey His word, will find Him to be a solid rock to stand on. 

Then, connected to Christ are the Apostles and Prophets. The words of the apostles and prophets would be of no use to anyone if they did not connect back to Christ. How thankful that they do! The LORD Jesus appointed the apostles for this very reason, to write down for us the foundational truths that all believers need to walk in faithful obedience to Christ. The LORD Jesus prays for those who would believe in Him. John 17:20 says, "“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word." Consider that statement: those who will believe... through their word. The foundational teaching of the Apostles is a necessity in every Christian life. Along with the Apostles are the Prophets, those Old Testament writers who conveyed God's work to His people. Jesus addresses this in John 5:39, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me." All the Old Testament points to Christ, and all the New Testament is concerning Christ. Thus, the Word of God is the foundation for the Christian.

Not unlike the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream where the feet were mixed with iron and clay (see Daniel 2:42), there are Christians who mix the foundation they stand upon with worldliness as well as the word of God. If this happens, it will be a weak and unstable place to stand. You will do well, my friends, to stand firmly on the Word of God in order to have a secure foundation for your life. The first thing to do is to believe on the LORD Jesus. Climb upon the Rock of your salvation and trust Him. Then stand firm by learning His word and putting it into practice. You will discover that if you do this, even if the world collapse into chaos, you will remain stable through it all.

In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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