Building To Last Forever

Building to Last Forever
1 Corinthians 3:11-15

When a high-rise building goes up in my home city of Atlanta, Georgia, I think about the structure people cannot see. Underground is a grid of steel and concrete giving strength to all the floors stacked overhead. Just like a skyscraper, we need a firm foundation upon which to erect a life with enduring purpose. Jesus lays that groundwork for believers when they receive His salvation.

Christ's saving grace gives believers a new life as transformed persons. Sins are wiped away so that we have a clean "work site," so to speak. With the Lord's strength and wisdom empowering us, we can build on His foundation with good works. The decision that needs to be made is whether to shape our eternal legacy with God-serving activities and habits or selfish ones. The former are precious to the Lord while the latter will be burned away by His righteous judgment.

Paul separates spiritual construction material into two categories: that which is like durable metals and that which is like dry kindling (1 Cor. 3:12). No one wants to greet the Lord from a grass hut! At the judgment, we want to show Him brick upon gleaming brick of godly service and Scripture application.

The structure we create is useful to God only if it is consistent with Jesus Christ's foundation. You might say that He is the architect and the Bible is the blueprint for successful living. He promised to reward us for using that set of plans to install His principles in our lifestyle.

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