How Firm a Foundation

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. – 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 ESV

For Paul, the issue was first, always, and only Christ. Ever since his personal and life-changing encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, he had made it his life’s mission to carry the message of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone to the world. Here, he refers to Jesus Christ as the foundation, the solid rock on which believers are to build the rest of their lives. It is belief in the gospel message of salvation through Jesus that provides the bedrock upon which a truly worthy life can be built. Paul likely had in mind the parable that Jesus told His disciples.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” – Matthew 7:24-27 NLT

Our faith in Jesus has a starting and ending point. It begins when we place our faith in Him, but it does not stop there. We are to build our lives with Jesus as the foundation. Paul boldly claimed to have helped lay the proper foundation by preaching Christ and Him crucified. He had given the believers in Corinth the truth regarding salvation through Christ and Him alone, and they had received it. Now it was time for them to do something with their faith; they were to build on it.

Their faith was to produce fruit, tangible, visible, and measurable fruit. Whatever they built on the foundation of their faith would be discernible to all those around them. The value of the construction materials they used would be apparent to all. Speaking metaphorically, Paul says that some would use gold, silver, and precious stones — objects of worth and beauty. But others would choose to use wood, hay, and straw — materials with little value or staying power. The second group illustrates those who cut corners and refuse to invest adequately, either out of laziness or a lack of concern. Their faith means so little to them that they refuse to invest the time and resources it deserves. James describes these two groups well.

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” – James 2:17-18 NLT

Christ crucified is the fundamental basis of our faith, but our actions are to rest on that firm foundation. The actions and attitudes that mark our lives should be built on the reality of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and be visible to all those around us. James refers to these salvation-based behaviors as “good deeds.” They are meant to impact all those around us. They can be seen and experienced by others. And, one day, they will be judged by God.

Paul reminds us, “each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done” (1 Corinthians 3:13 ESV). In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV). The Greek word Paul uses is βῆμα (bēma). It refers to “the official seat of a judge” (“G968 - bēma - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). The “day” to which Paul refers is that day when all believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ - the Bema Seat. On that day, we will have our work judged. This is a reference to all those things we have done since coming to faith in Christ. This is not a judgment to determine righteousness. We will stand before God fully forgiven and completely righteous because of Christ’s death for us on the cross. But each person’s works will be judged as to their value and worth, and they will “receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 

What we do with our faith in Christ is essential and has long-term implications. That is why Paul was concerned about the role that teachers played in the spiritual growth of the body of Christ. That is why he warns, “whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful” (1 Corinthians 3:10 NLT). His whole focus in the section of his letter is on the tendency of the Corinthians to put too much stock in their preferred spiritual teacher or mentor. But Paul is trying to get them to realize that good teachers will build on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. When we elevate the role of men in our spiritual growth, we risk constructing a life that looks good but fails to reflect the life-transforming power of the gospel. That is what led Paul to say, “no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11 NLT). Paul boldly declared, “I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it” ( 1 Corinthians 3:10 ESV). But then he warns, Let each one take care how he builds upon it” (1 Corinthians 3:10 ESV). 

That is the whole point of this section. Paul wants his readers to understand that the foundation of their faith is non-negotiable. Christ crucified and resurrected is the key to their salvation, sanctification, and future glorification. And what we or anyone else attempts to build upon our faith in Christ must have lasting value. If we use our faith in Christ to build a life marked by selfishness, greed, materialism, hate, bigotry, pride, and hypocrisy, others will see it, and one day Christ will expose and judge us for it. Those worthless works will be burned up. They will be proven to be of no eternal value because they were done in the flesh, and not in the power of the Spirit of God.

But if we build a life that is marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control, others will see it and Christ will one day reward us for it. Those deeds are the fruit of the Spirit. They will last and survive the fire of God’s judgment because, like gold, silver, and precious stones, they are priceless and eternal.

What we build upon our faith in Christ is extremely important and reveals a lot about us. It shows the condition of our hearts and the priorities of our lives. Our salvation provides us with a solid and secure foundation. We have the assurance of our eternal security and no longer have to worry about future condemnation or fear of death. But that should motivate us to live lives that are worthy of our calling. We should desire that our behavior reflects our status as God’s children and the presence of God’s Spirit within us. That is why, in the very next verse, Paul asks, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT).

God has provided the foundation. The Spirit provides the fruit. And all we are required to bring to the equation is our faith. But our faith must become tangible and discernible, testifying to the change that has taken place within us. That is what James meant when he wrote, “faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless” (James 2:17 NLT). Fruitless faith is baseless faith; it is a dead and lifeless faith. But Paul insists that when one has true, saving faith and builds their life upon it, they will end up displaying behavior that stands out and survives the test of God’s judgment. 

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?  

Father, You care just as much about our sanctification as You do our salvation. You saved us so that You might transform us into the likeness of Your Son. You redeemed us so that You might continually reform and renew us. It is a process and it takes time. It also requires our participation. We must build on our faith. There is no place for complacency in the life of a believer. You expect ongoing transformation and so should we. But we must be careful how we build on the foundation that Christ provided. What we fill our minds with will have a direct impact on the quality and spirituality of our lives. We can start with a firm foundation of faith, but if we build on it with shoddy materials, we will end up with a “house” of cards that fails to reflect that transformative power of the gospel. Keep us firmly committed to and dependent upon the the reality of Christ crucified for our sins and resurrected for our sanctification. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Power of God

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV

As followers of Christ, we can be easily impressed and fall prey to persuasive words and convincing arguments. We find ourselves becoming fans of various teachers, preachers, and religious leaders. Style and charisma can become the primary criteria by which we judge a speaker. If we’re not careful, we can allow entertainment value to become the primary factor by which we critique a sermon, trumping biblical accuracy and spiritual efficacy. We can become fans of men rather than followers of Christ and elevate our desire for comfort over our need for conviction. Paul had warned his protegé Timothy that the day was coming when this mindset would be de rigueur.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. – 2 Timothy 4:3 NLT

The situation in Corinth had probably not reached this point, but Paul saw a disturbing trend taking place. The believers there had allowed their personal preferences to become a point of division within the church. Some were claiming to be followers of Paul, while others sided with Cephas or Apollos. Evidently, the primary criteria behind their particular preferences had more to do with the messenger’s style than the content of their message. So Paul attempts to remind his readers that his initial ministry among them had been anything but impressive. He reflected back on that occasion, recalling that “my message and my preaching were very plain” (1 Corinthians 2:4a NLT).

Rather than delivering cleverly crafted sermons and powerfully persuasive arguments, Paul exhibited weakness, fear, and trembling. His oratory skills had been anything but impressive, but he had left an impression. His less-than-memorable delivery had made an impact because he kept the main thing the main thing. He states, “I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2 NLT). Paul wasn’t interested in fame or recognition, and he wasn’t out to build a personal following or win a popularity contest. He had gone to Corinth to share the testimony of God concerning His Son, Jesus Christ. And the message he shared had powerfully impacted the lives of the people of Corinth, but it had nothing to do with his powers of persuasion or way with words. 

What happened in Corinth had been the work of the Spirit of God. In fact, Paul admits that he “relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:4b NLT) when delivering the message Jesus had given him. Paul refused to take any credit for their salvation, but chose instead to promote the life-transforming power of the cross and the regenerating work of the Spirit of God. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul declared, “We are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority” (2 Corinthians 2:17 NLT). Paul’s primary goal was to preach Christ and the message of His crucifixion and resurrection. Later on in this same letter, Paul outlines exactly what he preached to them:

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. – 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 NLT

It was this message and their acceptance of it that had changed their lives. Their radical transformation had nothing to do with lofty speech or human wisdom because the message of the gospel was not man-made, but God-ordained. The power of the gospel lies not in the oratory skills of the messenger, but in the simple, life-altering truth of the message about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The gospel doesn’t need to be tricked out, spiced up, or improved upon. It doesn’t require bright lights, an impressive band, the latest technology, or an entertaining delivery to make it effective. 

Of course, there is nothing wrong with presenting the gospel with excellence. A well-prepared sermon delivered engagingly can be an effective tool in delivering the good news about Jesus. It was Jim Rayburn, the founder of Young Life, who once said, “We believe it is sinful to bore kids with the gospel. Christ is the strongest, grandest, most attractive personality to ever grace the earth. But a careless messenger with the wrong method can reduce all this magnificence to the level of boredom …. It is a crime to bore anyone with the gospel."

There is no doubt that a poorly prepared sermon can obscure the message of the gospel. But at the same time, an overly produced, entertainment-driven worship service can also overwhelm the simplicity of the life-altering message of salvation in Christ alone. It seems that Paul would have preferred the power of the Spirit of God over his own powers of persuasion. He had seen the life-impacting nature of the good news of Jesus Christ firsthand. For him, the faith of believers needed to rest “not in human wisdom but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5 NLT). The power of the gospel resides in the simple message of Christ crucified, not in the wisdom and eloquence of men.

Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24 ESV). There will always be those who balk at the message of the cross; they will see it as foolish and nonsensical. But there will also be those who find its message impactful and life-altering, and their transformed lives will give ample evidence that its power comes from God, not men.

Father, it is difficult to admit this, but You don’t really need our help. The power of the gospel lies not in our ability to deliver it persuasively and impactfully. We can’t argue anyone into the Kingdom of God. It is not our oratory skills that make the gospel attractive and acceptable; it is the life-transforming power of the Spirit of God. He alone can open blind eyes and soften hardened hearts. The power to transform lives comes from the message of Christ, not the messenger. Yet, You use our faltering speech and unimpressive delivery to carry the good news concerning Jesus to a lost and dying world. You allow us to present the gospel in all its simplicity, then the Spirit takes our inadequate words and uses them to turn sinners into saints. Salvation isn’t the result of human wisdom, clever arguments, or a persuasive presentation; it is Your work from beginning to end. Yet, You allow us to play a role in Your divine redemptive process. Help us remain faithful to play our part without feeling the need to take credit for the results. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God Doesn’t Need Our Help

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. – 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 ESV

The concept of death by crucifixion, while not invented by the Romans, was certainly perfected by them. It was a horrific means of death, intended as much for crime prevention as it was for punishment. To those living under Roman jurisdiction, crucifixion was viewed as a hideous way to die, reserved for the vilest of criminals and the scum of the earth. Yet, Paul reminds his readers, it was the God-ordained means of death for Jesus Christ. The death of Christ on the cross was at the heart of the gospel message preached by Paul, Apollos, and Cephas. Paul insisted, “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23a ESV). What made that message even more “foolish” to the ears of those who heard it was the fact that Christ’s death was followed by His resurrection. It was His death, followed by His miraculous Spirit-empowered resurrection, that made the message “a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23b ESV).

And yet, the message of the cross revealed the very wisdom of God. It was His chosen means of providing justification for sinful men and women. It was through the “foolishness” of the cross that sinners could be restored to a right relationship with a holy God. But as Paul points out, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV). There is nothing about the message of the cross that makes sense to sinful men; it sounds ludicrous, far-fetched, and unbelievable. Many write it off as a fable or myth. Others laugh it off as nothing more than the wishful thinking of the uneducated. But Paul insists that it is the very “power of God.” As Paul wrote in his letter to the believers in Rome, “It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16 ESV). And God was using this message to “destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent” (1 Corinthians 1:19 NLT).

By arguing over who was a follower of Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, and which leader was more impressive than the other, the Corinthian believers were diminishing the true message of the gospel. They were making the wisdom of man more important than the wisdom of God. They were elevating eloquent speech and impressive oratory skills over the simple yet profound message of Christ crucified. The ability to debate theology or impress others with your knowledge of the Scriptures means nothing without the cross. Which is what led Paul to ask, “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?” (1 Corinthians 1:20 ESV). The wise and religious didn’t come up with the idea of the cross; God did. The Jewish scholars didn’t recognize the prophecies concerning the suffering Savior. In fact, Jesus told the religious leaders of His day, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40 ESV).

They were unable to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, because He didn’t appear as the kind of Messiah they were expecting. They had been looking for a conquering king, not a suffering servant. The crown they envisioned Him wearing was made of gold, not thorns. They expected Him to free them from bondage to Roman rule, not sin.

The “wisdom of the world” to which Paul refers has little to do with intellect or book knowledge. He is speaking of the philosophical insights men use to explain the world and our place in it. It is man’s attempt to understand and explain the presence of evil, suffering, and pain, as well as to present an acceptable, rational path to hope and happiness. But nothing man has come up with has worked. Materialism, religion, hedonism, pacifism, pleasure, wealth, love; mankind has tried it all. Yet, as Solomon so succinctly put it: “But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere” (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NLT).

As believers, we are to be followers of Christ, not men. We are to place our hope in the cross, not the clever arguments or convincing messages of this world. Like Paul, we are to believe that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25 ESV). Our salvation was the result of the cross, not the words of men. Our sanctification or ongoing transformation into the likeness of Christ is based on the message of the cross, not human wisdom. And it is the cross that will make possible our ultimate glorification, the resurrection of our bodies, and our final transformation into the image of Christ.

To some, it all sounds like foolishness. To others, it acts as a stumbling block, preventing them from embracing the good news of Jesus Christ and experiencing the power and wisdom of God found in His Son, Jesus Christ. For Paul, the message of the cross was more than enough. He didn’t feel compelled to trick it up, tone it down, make it more palatable, or gloss it over with clever-sounding words or sophisticated philosophical arguments. As he told the Corinthians later in his letter, “When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2 NLT). For Paul, the message of the cross of Christ was enough, because it revealed the wisdom and the power of God. If the simplicity of the cross was good enough for God, it was good enough for Paul.

After warning the Corinthians about the danger of division within the body of Christ, Paul reminded them that the work of salvation had nothing to do with man. Paul, Apollos, and Peter were nothing more than messengers of the Good News. Their role was to tell what God had done through Christ’s death on the cross. Paul made this point quite emphatically when he wrote, "Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!" (1 Corinthians 1:13 NLT).

Salvation was God’s idea, not man's. Mankind had not been able to come up with a way to restore its relationship with God. No amount of good works, sacrifices, worship, or religious rituals had ever fixed the problem created by the sin of mankind. So God came up with His own plan, and it appeared as nothing less than foolish from man's perspective. God chose to send His holy and righteous Son to die on a cross for the sins of mankind. But to those who are lost, "The message of the cross is foolish" (1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT). To the philosophers, scholars, and brilliant debaters of this world, the message of the cross sounds like superstitious nonsense; the creation of pathetically simpleminded people.

"But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24 NLT). To those who humbly accept the message of Christ's substitionary death on the cross as real and life-transforming, the power of God is self-evident and non-debatable. The work of salvation is the work of God from beginning to end. Man has nothing to do with it. God chooses, calls, and unites us with Christ, and it is Christ who makes sinful men right with a holy God. Through the atoning work of Christ, we are made pure and holy. It is He who frees us from sin, not Paul, Apollos, or Peter. So there is no reason for anyone to boast, either in themselves or any other human being.

Salvation is God's work, and He accomplished it through the death of His own Son. The only role we play is that of the foolish, powerless, helpless, despised, and sin-enslaved human being. We bring nothing of value to the table. We have no worth or merit in God's eyes. He doesn’t look down from heaven and select the best and the brightest. He doesn't choose the rich, famous, or successful ones. He isn't impressed with anyone's talents, efforts, resume, or attempts at self-righteousness. In God's eyes, all men are sinners and stand separated from Him. All men are deserving of His wrath and destined to spend eternity being punished for their rebellion against Him. But God had a plan and a solution to man's problem that didn't involve man at all. It was His work, and it required the death of His Son. It was His plan and "this foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human reason" (1 Corinthians 1:25 NLT).

So there is nothing for us to boast about, except in the fact that God has chosen us. We need to boast about God. We need to brag about Him. We need to constantly remind one another that, without His plan of salvation, as foolish as it may sound, none of us would have any hope.

Father, thank You for Your incredible plan of salvation. Without it, I would have no hope. I would have no future. But because You sent Your Son to die on a cross in my place, and You chose to open my eyes so that I could see the futility of my situation and the reality of salvation made available through His death, I now stand as holy and righteous before You. I have nothing to boast about, except You. Don't ever allow me to make it about me again. Don't let me to make more of anyone than I do of you. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.