Christ the Foundation
By: Apostle Skhumbuzo Sangweni
Study Scripture: 1Corinthians 3:11, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
The word “foundation” that Paul used in this verse is the Greek word themelios, a compound of the words lithos and tithemi. The word lithos is Greek for stone, and tithemi means to lay something down. When these words are compounded, they form the word themelios, which describes a foundation set in stone that is strong, stable, and enduring.
In addition to describing a physical foundation, the word themelios was also used metaphorically to denote the laying of a moral, theological, or educational foundation in a person’s life.
The apostle Paul indirectly quotes the conversation the Lord Jesus had with Peter (Matt 16:18)“…Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church…” the believer is to be built on Christ the solid rock, Your foundation will determine the structure of your life. in (Ephesians 2:20) the apostle Paul calls the apostles the foundations of the church. However in sense the believer in not built on the apostle (man) however it is the apostles that are master builders, they are used by the Holy Spirit for the building of Christ in man, therefore they are stewards of revealed Christ (See 1Cor 4:1; Eph 3:5)
The apostolic ministry lays Christ the foundation through doctrine that produces obedient believers, our Lord Jesus taught of people whose houses (lives) are built on him, he said they are wise, their wisdom is demonstrate on both their hearing and obeying His word, when difficult seasons come, this wisdom of hearing and obeying will guarantee longevity, sustainability and establishment.
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (Matt 7:24-25)
When the apostle Paul first entered Corinth, the city was utterly consumed with idolatry and heathenism. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that Corinth was one of the most wicked, perverted cities on the face of the earth at that time. Therefore, for Paul to establish a church in that evil environment, he had to push like a spiritual bulldozer in the Spirit to shove those demonic powers out of the way. Once the spiritual rubbish had been cleared from his path, he then preached the Word in order to establish a firm foundation under the feet of these newly saved Corinthians. Paul’s enormous effort and intense focus produced a foundation under them that would withstand any attack of the enemy — including horrific persecution — and would last for generations!
Whenever Paul left a congregation to establish a church in a new region, a new pastor would follow in his stead to build on top of his work. However, every spiritual foundation that the apostle set beneath a church was rock-solid and needed no improvements. That is why he confidently stated to the Corinthians, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Because of Paul’s hard work, the church in Corinth was set on a firm spiritual foundation that enabled it to become one of the most influential congregations of the Early Church. Although other spiritual leaders followed Paul and contributed their part, a large part of the fruit produced in the Corinthian church can be directly attributed to the talents, energy, and gifts Paul used to establish the foundation for that congregation.
With this in mind, first take a moment to evaluate your own spiritual foundation with the help of the Holy Spirit. Are there any gaps that need to be filled in? Are there “swampy” areas in your mindsets and beliefs that need to be dug out and filled in with solid, Word-based soil? Ask the Lord for wisdom, and the Spirit of God will be faithful to give you all that you need to make sure your foundation is deep, wide, and bedrock-solid so you can build your life high and wide and strong in Him!
Then as you reflect on your life, see if you can think of a person or people who helped build a godly foundation in your life, such as a family member, a friend, a teacher, or a pastor. At the time these individuals were pouring themselves into your life, you might not have even realized the significance of their actions. However, as you look back on all they did, aren’t you grateful for the time and energy they invested in you in order to build a firm foundation in your life?
Have you taken time to thank people for the sacrifices they made to do this very thing for you? For those who invested themselves in you, I recommend that you take time to do something special to express your heartfelt thanksgiving for how they helped you in a pivotal moment of your life.
Prayer: Lord, I want to thank You for loving me so much that You placed people in my life to help build a solid foundation underneath me. Because of what they invested in me, my life is set on a firm foundation. I am so thankful for everything that was graciously done on my behalf! Please help me fortify my own foundation in every area that might need shoring up or strengthening. And I ask that You open my eyes to people around me who need the same kindness and care shown to them. Your Word says “freely ye have received, freely give,” so I know I have a responsibility to give of myself as others gave to me. I want to be a positive influence in someone else’s life, so I ask You, Holy Spirit, to show me how to be the same kind of blessing that others have been to me.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
Confession: I confess that I have a strong foundation in God, firmly based on the truth of His Word. And I allow Him to use me to positively influence other people’s lives. I have gifts, talents, abilities, and experience that will help put others on a firm foundation for life. Rather than keep those gifts, talents, abilities and life experiences to myself, I allow God to use these to help other people get started on a firm foundation. Because I allow the Holy Spirit to use me, I am a great blessing to people who are around me. God works through me, and other people’s lives are benefited because I am willing to invest myself in them and in their future I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
