Building a Spiritual House (1 Cor. 3:10-15)

According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
(1 Corinthians 3:10-15, NASB)

When my husband and I bought our current home, we had the privilege of watching it be built from the ground up. Every weekend or so, we’d drive out from Anaheim to Corona to see what was new and different.

And of course, the first thing the builders did was to lay the foundation. They poured the slab, and then it took a while before they began to frame the house. They had to make certain the foundation was sound in order to make certain the house would be sound.

Once the foundation was as solid as a rock, they framed the house, using the right materials and making careful measurements. Bit by bit, a house was built. And it stands, solid and strong, almost ten years later. And it will likely continue to stand long after I’ve left this earth.

It’s the same with our Christian lives. First, we have to make certain our foundation is sound, and for believers, our foundation is our faith in Jesus Christ. But even with a sound foundation, our “houses” may not be as solidly built as they might be.

If we’re building our faith with regular time in God’s word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers, then our faith grows strong and vibrant. If, however, we’re just live our lives, never opening the Bible, never spending time in prayer, never learning more about, then we don't really build our faith, and it stagnates. And while we can never lose a sincerely-sought salvation, we may miss out on what God truly desires to do in and through us.

So first, what’s your foundation? Have you sincerely committed your life to Christ?

Second, how are you “building” your spiritual “house”? Serving God? Serving others? Meditating on His word?

Lay the right foundation, and build a solid house. One that will live on and will leave a legacy.

So Many Deceived (2 Peter 2:12-16)

But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.
(2 Peter 2:12-16, NASB)

My goodness … I think Peter had some pretty strong opinions about false prophets and willful sinners!

It would be easy to say, “Well, they’ll get what they deserve.” But really? Verses like these should break our hearts. Generation after generation of sin and corruption have so infiltrated the hearts of men and women, they don’t know how far they have fallen from God’s ideal. And like “unreasoning animals,” they follow their baser instincts and “revel” in their sin.

They don’t know truth.

This should make those of us who know truth want to share it wherever and with whomever we can. We should boldly and lovingly proclaim God’s grace and mercy. We should joyfully tell how God has blessed us. We should shine the love of Jesus—not judging, not criticizing, not thinking we’re any better than anyone else.

Does your heart break for the lost? For those who seek something, and try to fill the empty spaces of their hearts with drugs or alcohol or sensuality? Oh, pray for God to break your heart and to give you boldness and love to share Him and the amazing grace He offers.