Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 3:10-17.
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
Paul uses the illustration of how a building is constructed to teach us about the foundation of our faith, Jesus Christ. He warns that building our lives on any other foundation is foolish and will fail in the end. He tells us that what we make of our lives – what we build – will be examined and judged by God at the last day.
There are many other reminders of this building process. Jesus Himself teaches us “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). There are hymns such as “My Hope is Built On Nothing Less” and “How Firm a Foundation” that share this truth.
Only by carefully following the plan Jesus gave can we hope to build our lives into something pleasing to God. He wants to live in us but He can’t if our building is substandard. We must trust the foundation Christ laid for us and build our lives confidently in Him.
Patient God, we are thankful for the model of our faith, Jesus Christ and the example for building He gave us. Help us to be strong in a difficult world and share Your love with everyone. Amen.