How important is a solid foundation? In Iowa the frost goes fairly deep. Without a
solid foundation the house will shift when the frost comes out of the ground
each spring. Over a period of years that
can cause a lot of shifting leaving everything out of shape and the roof in
near condition of collapse. In Iowa we
need a sure foundation.
In Scripture Christ is frequently referred to in terms of
being a foundation or corner stone of our faith and life. In I Cor. 3:11 Paul said, “For no other
foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Isaiah 28:16 gives this prophecy about the
coming foundation stone of God, “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I
lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a
sure foundation.” The psalmist in Psalm
118:22 prophesied that “The stone which the builders rejected has become the
chief cornerstone.” Peter quotes both
Isaiah and Psalm 118 in I Peter 2.
An ancient hymn of the church, dating possibly as far back
as the 600’s, extols Jesus Christ our sure foundation. This hymn, “Christ Is Made the Sure
Foundation” was translated in the 19th century by John Neale. The first stanza of this hymn reads, “Christ
is made the sure foundation, Christ the head and cornerstone; Chosen of the
Lord, and precious, binding all the Church in one, Holy Zion’s help forever,
and her confidence alone.” Samuel Stone
wrote another hymn about Christ being the foundation, “The Church’s One
Foundation.” His first stanza reads,
“The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord, she is His new creation
by water and the Word. From Heav’n He came and sought her to be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her and for her life He died.”
These are just two of the great hymns of the faith that
recognize Jesus by His gracious Name: the Foundation or the Cornerstone. This Name means much to the believer. It
tells us of our security in Him. He is a
foundation that cannot be moved, and all those who live in Him cannot be moved
by the forces of the world either. We
have an eternal house built that cannot fall down. When we go to sleep in Jesus we know that the
house is still built and we are still secure in it. The forces of Satan may try to shake this
house, but the foundation will keep it erect in every tremor of life. Praise God for this Foundation of Jesus
Christ our Lord.
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