Our Spiritual Foundation
To focus on the spiritual life, is to find life. It is to grow and develop with an endeavor of reaching our full potential. This is our true purpose.
In proper perspective, it is necessary to recognize a need for a “Foundation” in which to build and grow from, and upon. Just as in building a house, the foundation is the first key element, to ensure the stability and quality of the home. You don’t want your Foundation to be insufficient in any way, no cracks, or unleveled, or inadequate. The more solid and right the Foundation, the more able the house will be to stand and withstand the storms and conditions of the environment. Our lives are even more important than a house built with wood and nails upon concrete.
It is available to build a life that is so solid, secure and unmovable, in the midst of an uncertain and dark negative world, that peace and joy and confidence prevail through any and all conditions and circumstances. That is God’s Will for His people. This perspective might seem unrealistic, but it’s not, it is something that we must build toward. There are fundamental principles to understand and apply in life that will engender growth and strength and abundance. We must learn what God’s Will is for our lives. God provides everything we need. It is essential that we understand what is available to us, and this knowledge is given to us in God’s Word. And by the spirit of God working in us, we can learn to understand it, and believe it, and how to put it on, and grow in it and adeptly develop it as our reality, being transformed into it, that we may prove its goodness.
So where does one start in building a Foundation for a house? A Corner. The term “Cornerstone” was used in the old days in the constructing of a building. Here is a quote from wikipedia, “The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.” This Stone laid is the most critical aspect of the Foundation.
And since we are not talking about just any building, we are talking about the purpose of our lives….a spiritual life, which has been ordained of God and therefore we must consider with earnestness.
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: Isaiah 28:16
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22
Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone in which sets our Foundation right. We are to build upon him…for he is the Rock! And everything he represents and all that he accomplished for us. We must learn of it…and Claim it!
The significance of Jesus Christ as the Foundation of our lives is the axiom of all creation. This is our Eternal Purpose!
Without Jesus Christ man is separated from God, in the dark, with no hope. But God set forth His plan of redemption…and now we have been given access and have been fully reconciled to God!
The Word declares that Jesus Christ is the Way, and the Truth and the Life…(John 14:6)
He accomplished a spiritual life for us….even a Victorious Life! He came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly! Life to the Full! And this is where it starts…”the new birth”….To be “born again” in the spirit…and to have access to the Kingdom of God.
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9, 10
To “be saved” is where we receive from God the gift of holy spirit…nothing lacking! This condition brings with it a whole new life, new perspective, new purpose…an eternal life, eternal perspective, and an eternal purpose.
The Key is…Accepting and believing what Jesus Christ did… In that he gave and sacrificed his own life…allowing himself to be humiliated, beyond our comprehension…he shed his blood, and his body…bruised, beaten, broken, even mutilated… and he died for you, and for me, even the horrific and cruel death by crucifixion on the cross…that we might win in life…all for our Victory! And together with what God did… by His love in that He gave His Son to die for us, and God did as He promised, in raising His Son from the dead, with an eternal spiritual body… conquering death forever by him, and then ascending him to His right hand, in the heavenly realm to take his position in majesty and glory… that we may enter this realm also, this new and eternal life, and thereby we are given Right Standing with God the Father, forever!
This is our purpose, and should be our aim in life…to answer the invitation from God, to accept His Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to stay focused on him and all that he accomplished for us. This is something we can grow in for a lifetime.
Keep on coming to Him, as to a living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious in His sight, and keep on building yourselves up, as living stones, into a spiritual house for a consecrated priesthood, to offer up, through Jesus Christ, spiritual sacrifices that will be acceptable to God. It must be so, because the Scriptures say: “Here now I lay in Zion a chosen stone, a costly cornerstone, And not a single one who puts his trust in Him will ever be put to shame.” I Peter 2:4-6
And upon that God brings our Foundation to us…
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Romans 10:4
Jesus Christ fulfilled the law, delivering us from its bondage and from sin consciousness ….and setting us free in every regard. We are free from judgment and condemnation! And because we Believe on Jesus Christ, we are made Righteous in His Righteousness! Wow! This is a free gift from God!
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested…
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Romans 3:21-24
God’s Righteousness has come to earth…and it is with the heart we believe unto it.
For if by one man’s (Adam’s) offense death reigned through that one, to a much greater degree will those who continue to receive the overflow of His unmerited favor and His gift of right standing with Himself, reign in real life through One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. II Corinthians 5:21
By God’s Grace we are made Righteous! God wrought a mighty work in His Son, for our benefit! Being that we were born into sin and death, but now we are forgiven, we are fully justified and redeemed, even cleansed of ALL our sins and our old ways… We have been given “right standing” before God…this is not something we can earn by being good. This is a direct result of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us… in that we may Reign in Life, unto Eternal Life!
In perspective, how Righteousness came to us…(the reality of how God sees us)….when Jesus died, we died with him, our sins and old man nature were nailed to the cross with him, and when he was buried, we were buried too, and then when he was raised from the dead, we were raised too….and when he was ascended to the right hand of God, we were too! Yes indeed… spiritually we are seated at the right hand of God in Christ. We have our place in the Heavenly realm! This means we have already overcome this world. Thanks be to God which gives us the Victory in our Lord Christ Jesus! And this perspective has to become our foundation for our lives. Without this understanding we cannot prevail in life.
What is Righteousness? It is Right Standing with God. It is the absence of everything evil, dark, negative, sinful. It is the removal of sin consciousness and condemnation…no more guilt, resentment, or sense of failure or shortcomings. It is absolute spiritual freedom. It is light, and virtue, and integrity. It is the goodness of God.
Righteousness is a condition…in that we have gone from being “sinners” and “separated from God” with no hope, no light….To being legally justified and redeemed and reconciled and made acceptable to God. It is our position “in Christ”. Everything God has given Jesus Christ, He has given to us! We are now “joint-heirs” with Jesus Christ! We are “Sons of God” with him! That’s Love, Mercy and Grace!
Righteousness is our new standard of Eternal Freedom! By this accomplished spiritual reality that has been granted unto us, we now have the privilege and the responsibility to live according to it…Living sanctified and consecrated, not conforming to the world’s ways, but becoming spiritual in Christ, whereby we may grow and shine bright in this dark and perverse world, giving God all praise and glory!
Righteousness is our spiritual Foundation! What a Tremendous Reality!
This Righteous Standard is now our present day reality. This is our sure Foundation…that we can trust. And although the storms of life will still hit us, and the temptations will come, and we may trip and fall down, but we will land on our solid Foundation of being Righteous! Which is still a high position above this world! Rejoice in that alone! Now the knowledge of this must be developed into understanding, for it to become an energized reality. This is a very necessary and vital aspect of our spiritual lives that must be in place in our hearts, with understanding and believing…that we can stand upon it a lifetime. Study and Prayer Required!
Now that we are made Righteous, and we recognize that its our mere Foundation, how much more has God given us?! The answer is Lots! Just knowing that your salvation is already accomplished by Him and secure and set in the Heavens, should provoke much joy, peace and confidence in your life…
And may I add, that the essence of the more abundant life is found in Living Righteously. Knowledge is power, and precise spiritual knowledge is life-changing. And this tremendous reality should move us, and inspire us to strive to pursue Righteous Living…and this is where we build upon our Foundation.
But God, who is so rich in mercy on account of the great love He has for us,
has made us, though dead because of our shortcomings, live again in fellowship with Christ—it is by His unmerited favor that you have been saved.
And He raised us with Him and through union with Christ Jesus He made us sit down with Him in the heavenly realm. Ephesians 2:4-6
Stand upon your Foundation, you are Righteous!
That’s enough to Praise God!