My father was a builder. He used to build houses and when I was a teenager, he would often ask me to help him as he laid out the foundations.
On one job I recall he had to dig the foundations down about twenty feet to reach the bedrock. I recall asking why it had to be so deep and he replied, “This area used to be the bed of a river and it still floods from time to time. If we don’t make the foundations solid, then the next time it floods the house may be severely damaged.”
A good lesson
This was a great lesson that has stayed with me for over fifty-some years. It’s a principle that affects every aspect of our lives.
If the foundation is not strong and solid, then the building, whatever it is, will collapse. It might as well be a house of cards.
This principle applies to more than just building houses. If an economy is not built on a strong foundation of fiscal restraint and proper oversight, it will fail. If a business is not founded on good business principles and practises, it will fail. If a marriage is not built on a solid foundation of trust, respect, and love, it will fail. Hopefully, you get the idea.
Christian foundations
It’s the same with the walk we take as Christians. If our Christian walk is not built on the right foundations, then we will fall and fail.
Jesus made a point of emphasising the importance of a solid foundation in one of His parables, which my example above pretty much mirrors.
“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep, and laid the foundation upon rock; and when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But he who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke chapter 6, verses 47-49)
And from this we see that the foundation of Christianity is to listen to Jesus Christ and apply His teachings.
Are foundation teachings enough?
But what teachings specifically form the foundations of Christianity? There are so many teachings that the Lord gave, and surely not all of them are foundations?
When you consider a foundation for a house, it is the underpinning that every other part of the building sits upon. But you can’t live in just a foundation.
Without a foundation the house will be weak and susceptible to collapse. But you need both the foundation and the house.
The foundation teachings of Christ are the same. You need the foundation teachings to build the house of the Lord in you, so that you don’t fall or fail. In fact, the foundations are so important that if you have the foundations right, even if the house is destroyed, you will still survive.
“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-- each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1 Corinthians chapter 3, verses 11-15)
What are the foundation teachings?
So, from this we see that there is only one foundation: Jesus Christ. But to build properly upon the Rock of Jesus we should learn and understand the foundation teachings of Christianity.
What are they? The writer of Hebrews tells us:
“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, with instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement.” (Hebrews chapter 6, verses 1-2)
There are six foundation teachings identified here. They are:
· Repentance
· Faith towards God
· Baptism
· Laying on of hands
· Resurrection
· Eternal judgement
These are the six foundations that all Christians need to learn, understand, and apply in their life if they are to stand strong against the floods that are coming against us. And never in history has this been more important than right now.
If you want to know more, there is a free eBook titled “The Six Foundation Teachings of Jesus Christ,” available on my website at this web address https://freegiftfromgod.com/my-ebooks/
Since retiring from work, John Lemmon now spends his time teaching, preaching and writing about the word of God, online and offline, answering God's call on him to “Speak to my people.” You can connect with John on Twitter (@JohnBLemmon) or on his website: freegiftfromgod.com/ or listen to his podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/the-free-gift-from-god-podcast/id1440682375
