"As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete” (Luke 6:47-48).
"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" (1 Cor. 3:10-11).
"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual housea]">[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:4-5).
The Eternal Purpose of God or Building God’s House
(A series of 20 short articles)
Introduction
Whether they realize it or not, all true Christians are involved in building the House of God - His eternal dwelling place amongst His own people. It therefore matters a great deal that each of us understands what it is we are building and how it must be built. Can we afford to be indifferent to this great purpose when we know that every work of man will one day be tested by the fire of God’s judgement?
I said all TRUE Christians are involved in this building work, because not all that goes by the name Christian is from God or for God. Instead of being a light in the darkness, Christianity in many places is seen as just another religion, one among many, where some people strive for power, prestige or wealth, and where others simply follow - the blind leading the blind.
Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “I will build My church”, and we know that His church, and only His church, is worthy of God and will glorify God forever. How does He build it? Having died as a sacrifice for sin, He calls men and women out of every nation and class to be reconciled to God, and being reconciled, to live fruitfully and meaningfully, impacting not just their own families, but even the society in which they live. Jesus Christ is the sure foundation for every person, every family, and every society.
Now since all who belong to Christ are called to build with Him, we need to ask two questions. What does this mean, and how does it impact our life?
Three passages of Scripture will direct our thoughts.
God’s work must be built on a strong foundation.
The Lord compares those who are obedient to His word to a wise man who digs deep to build is house on rock, enabling it to withstand the storm (Luke 6:46-49). In our life, this involves our seeking the Lord and searching the Scriptures with all our heart - a serious, time-consuming, and costly business. It is much easier to build according to our own thoughts and ideas than it is to build upon the Rock, that is, Christ Himself as revealed in the Scriptures. There are no short-cuts into spiritual reality.
God’s work must be built with the right materials.
From 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 we learn that we must build with God’s materials according to His plan. The apostle Paul, a wise master-builder, is quite clear about this. He knows that he must build with gold, silver and costly stones, not with wood, hay and stubble. Christ Himself is the only building material that is worthy of the foundation on which the House is being raised up.
God’s work must be built according to the right plan.
In 1 Peter 2:1-10 we learn that God is building a house for Himself amongst His own people where He can dwell and in which He can manifest His glory. We are all called to be God’s dwelling place, individually and together, and to share with Him in the building of it. But just as the Tabernacle raised by Moses was built strictly according to the pattern God had revealed, so we also must build according to God’s plan as revealed in the Scripture.