A Strong Foundation

It amazes me that so many people who subscribe to Christianity cast away the foundations of their faith. This is why the church is in such disrepair. Christianity is, in and of itself, absolute goodness and peace. However, those that reject the foundations of Christianity distort the very faith that we are called to draw people to. Yet they refuse to call themselves something else, making us all look like hypocrites. 2 Timothy 3:16 says- “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. Yet the Bible is the first thing people cast aside. Acts 17:11 says, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Some want to make up all sorts of excuses why not to follow the scriptures. In reality, they are teaching a distorted view of the gospel that tries to cover up their own sin. You know what though? We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We need to reconcile with this fact before we can move into any of the greater truths of Christianity. It’s a hard and painful process to hold up a mirror to our soul and examine it so closely. We uncover a lot of things that we wish we could have gotten rid of a long time ago. Fortunately, once we really give our burdens to Jesus, he nails them to the cross. They are crucified, and we don’t ever have to suffer through them again. The Bible is the mirror we must look into. To allow God to transform us to Christ’s image, we have to know what that image is. Each time we read we should be learning new things, and uncovering new truths. We need to objectively look at what scripture says in order to see where our lives need improvement. If what we’re looking for is to be restored to God’s image and to practice pure Christianity we must submit to godly teaching, and the scriptures are the beginning and end of all true teaching. Galatians 5:19-21 says, “19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,[c] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” If these things are evident in us, we are not transformed into God’s image. God’s image is found in verses 22-26, “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” The church has its share of adultery, fornication, contentions, jealousies, selfish ambitions, heresies, envy, drunkenness, and other actions like it. We need to get into the Word every day, so that we can learn how to act in and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. It is the only way to a true and victorious Christian life. So in all things, search the scriptures, search your heart in light of the scriptures and move toward that which gives life.