Foundation for Living with Jesus

Building on the Foundation

As I come to the final blog in this series “Foundation for Living with Jesus” the whole purpose for having a foundation is that we build and continue to build on it. I cannot overstate the only foundation to build on is being born again which means to become a new person in Jesus, unfortunately, many people attend church and enjoy being with Christians and try to copy their behaviour but are not born again. Jesus is very clear in Matthew 7:21-23 where He says on judgement day many will claim to have done many things for the Lord but He will tell them to depart from Him because He never knew them, you must be born again to know Him. We are challenged in 2 Peter3:18 “But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever”.The way we grow is by understanding the truth of God’s word and applying it to our daily living. Psalm 119:130a says: “The entrance of your word gives light”, Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” and Psalm 119:111 says Your word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against you”. Also, it is important to be filled with the Holy Spirit because John 16:13a says: “However when He the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth”. I have found this to be so true in all aspects of living, at work, at home and play, as I have allowed the Holy Spirit to be a vital part of my life and as I look back over my life I am amazed at what the Holy Spirit has taught me.  In building your life in the Lord there is one vital aspect and that is regularly using your heavenly language because it declares God’s plan in every situation.  2 Peter 1:5-10 gives good advice on how to grow “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble”. We will never stumble when we grow in the Lord, however, we must be very careful not to allow the circumstances of life to affect us. The last two years with this pandemic has highlighted how things can change and change quickly and emphasise the need of having the right foundation. Paul warned the church at Galatia in Galatians 3:1&3 which says: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit are you now being made perfect in the flesh?” One thing I have noticed over my journey of Living with Jesus I have to be on guard to stop other things which are normal for living to come between me and the Lord. When this happens we lose our first love and we start just going through the motions of being a true Christian not having a daily life-giving precious relationship with the Lord. May we all join with Paul who said in 2Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing”.