BUILD ON THE ROCK: CHRIST AS YOUR FOUNDATION | DEVOTIONAL

“But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”  —1 CORINTHIANS 3:10-11

If the foundation we build our lives upon is faulty, then our lives will be built on sand. As hard as we try to behave well and do what is right, when the going gets tough we won’t be able to because our thinking is not informed as it should be. Our thinking is what determines our beliefs and our beliefs determine our behaviour.

Many of Paul’s letters illustrate this. He divides them in two parts; the first part is usually his doctrinal teaching, and the second is the ethical application of it. In the middle, we’ll often find a ‘therefore’, which links the two together. “This is what you need to believe,” Paul says, “therefore, this is how you need to behave.” That’s why what we believe is so important for us to understand properly because it ultimately determines our actions.

To live superficially is to live on the basis of behaviour only, but if we’re going to build our lives on a solid foundation, our behaviour needs to be utterly consistent with what we believe and know to be true. Jesus tells this parable. “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:24-27).

Our actions and behaviour are a logical consequence of what we believe, and when our foundation is securely rooted in Christ, we live on the basis of what God has revealed in His word. Scripture tells us there will come a Day of Judgment, and it won’t be our beliefs under scrutiny, but our actions: “I was hungry, did you feed me? I was thirsty, did you give me a drink? In prison, did you visit me? Naked, did you clothe me?”

Our actions do not exist in isolation. They are a result of what lies under the surface; therefore, Christian doctrine needs to be the bread and butter of every Christian, and Jesus Christ the rock foundation upon which we build our lives.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that in You I have a flawless teacher, guide, counselor and friend. Thank You for being the foundation I build my life upon.

Is Jesus Christ the rock upon which I build my life?