Testing Our Spiritual Foundation

Plants and buildings are both biblical metaphors for discipleship.  Consequently, roots and foundations are the corresponding metaphors for solid grounding and endurance.  The best way to understand the power of being rooted in love, in faith, or in the Word of God is to think about other kinds of “rootedness.” People who have a root of bitterness, lust, greed, or fear find that their perceptions, attitudes, and action are constantly controlled by what has been growing in their lives for years.  Anger and revenge fueled by a root of bitterness is very difficult to stop.  In other words, it is hard to backslide from living out what is rooted in you.

Mike Bickle, referring to the testing of the house’s foundation, says there are three types of storms.  Two we will all face; some will face all three.  The first storm is the defining trial of your life.  It’s not just a bad day or a bad month.  It is the ultimate test of your life.  The second trial is at the end of the age, a tribulation so bad that if not cut short, the human race would not survive.  The third storm is when we stand before Christ as He judges every event, action, word, thought, and intention of the heart.  Whether our house stands or falls depends on how deeply the roots of God’s Word and God’s Spirit have grown down into out lives.  Foundations or “rootedness” is not 13-week class but a life-long pursuit.

Here’s what Jesus said about the importance of spiritual foundations:

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a
wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the
streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it
did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  (MATT 7:24,25)

LOVE

Love is a very important foundation of a strong spiritual life.  The greatest commandment for us to follow is to love God with all our heart and to love others as we love ourselves.  Our hearts must be filled with divine love for God and people.  If we lack this love all our spiritual activities will be in vain.  This love will produce godly qualities in our life such as patience, kindness, humility, etc.  We must understand the fullness of God’s love for us.  This will fill us with great inner strength especially when we deal with unloving people.  The Apostle Paul was deeply rooted in the love of Christ and he was certain that nothing could separate him from the love of Christ. 

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:  Matthew 22 : 35-40 ; Romans 13 : 8-10 ; Ephesians 3:14-19; Romans 8:35-39; I Corinthians 13 : 1-13.

FAITH

Faith is a very important foundation of a strong spiritual life.  We can accomplish great things through our faith in God.  We can get answers to our prayers when we pray in faith.  We live by faith and we would lose great blessings if we lose our faith.  We cannot please God without faith.  We must be strong in faith even before we see the manifestation of the promises of God because we walk by faith and not by sight. Faith is the shield which protects us from the fiery attacks of the devil.  We must be strong in faith to overcome the attacks of the enemy and inherit the promises of God in our life .

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:  Mark 9:23 ; Mark 11 : 23-24 ; Hebrews 10 : 35 , 38; Hebrews 11:1, 6 ; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 6 : 12 ; Hebrews 6 : 12 ;James 1: 6-7 ; Ephesians 6 : 16.

WISDOM

Wisdom is a very important foundation of a strong spiritual life.  Wisdom helps us to make the right choices in our life.  Wisdom helps us to escape the snares and dangers of this evil world.  Wisdom helps us to enjoy the blessings of God and avoid needless suffering we can bring upon ourselves by our own foolishness.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  When we obey the words of Jesus we are like the wise man who built his house upon the rock which withstood all the storms that came upon it. The divine wisdom that comes from God is very different from the cunning and deceitful wisdom of Satan.  We need spiritual enlightenment to know the riches of the inheritance that we have in Christ and the great power that is available for us.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:  Proverbs 4:7; Proverbs 9 : 10 ; Proverbs 24 : 3 ; Matthew 7 : 24-27; James 3 : 13-18; Ephesians 1:15-23; Colossians 1:9-12.

GRACE

Grace is a very important foundation of a strong spiritual life.  The Grace of God brings us blessings that we do not even deserve .  We receive Salvation by Grace.  The Grace of God brings us favor in sight of God and man.  It enables us to accomplish great things for God which we cannot do in our own strength.  It can lift us from a low state to great heights.  Joseph, Daniel , Esther, David, Paul are examples of what the Grace of God can do in the life of a person.  Jesus was constantly increasing in favor with God and man.  The grace of God is a great protection and a shield in our lives to protect us from the dangers of this world.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:  Genesis 39 : 21 ; Esther 2 : 15 , 17 ; Luke 2 : 40 , 52 ; Daniel 1: 9; Daniel 6 : 3; I Corinthians 15 : 10; Psalm 5:12.

HOLINESS

Holiness is a very important foundation of a strong spiritual life.  Without holiness no man can see God. God wants us to be holy even as He is holy.  Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and must be kept holy.  Our body has been bought by Christ and does not belong to us.  Therefore we must glorify God in our bodies.  All our great works for God will not help us on the day of Judgement if we have lived a sinful life.  The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all our sins when we repent sincerely and ask the Lord to forgive us.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:  Hebrews 12 : 14 ; I Peter 1 : 15-16; I Corinthians 6:9-10 ,19-20; Matthew 7:22-23; Matthew 7 : 21.

WILL OF GOD

The will of God is a very important foundation of a strong spiritual life.  We are called to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for our life .  We cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven if we do not fulfill the will of God in our lives.  We must strive to fulfill the purpose for which God has chosen us.  Our thoughts and ways are much different from the thoughts and ways of God.  We must submit our ways to God and allow Him to form us as a potter forms the clay into the vessel of his choice.  Each one of us has a unique role to play in the body of Christ and we need not compare ourselves with others.  We need not feel inferior or jealous if anybody is given a different responsibility.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:  I Corinthians 12 : 12 - 26; Jeremiah 18:1-6; Isaiah 55: 8-9; Philippians 3:12-14; John 15:16; Matthew 26:39; Matthew 7 : 21.

HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is a very important foundation of a strong spiritual life.  Without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit we cannot be witnesses for Christ.  The Holy Spirit develops our Christian character to help us produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  He imparts spiritual gifts to us to serve God powerfully.  He reveals truths to us and guides into divine revelations.  He is our comforter and a constant source of encouragement in our Christian walk especially when we face trials and tribulations.  We enjoy great blessings when we have a close fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:  Acts 1: 8; Acts 2:17-18; I Corinthians 12 :7-11; Galatians 5 : 22-23; Romans 5:5; John 16 : 7-14.

~Bits and Pieces of sermon by Dr. Stanley Vasu