Is Jesus your foundation... your beginning and your first principles. Meaning His lifestyle and ways are where your foundation starts. His principles are your principles?
Do you make your lifestyle conform to what the Word of God says? Or do you pick Scriptures to justify living your life however you want? Which is making the Word of God fit your lifestyle.
Jesus and His way of living, and His principles, and His lifestyle of obedience to God's Word should be the foundation where our lives and walk with Christ begins. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:1 be imitators of God as beloved Children ( or in other words like a child would imitate their parents...being we are God's children...Galatians 3:26). And Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1 you should imitate me as i imitate Christ.
According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid [the] foundation, and now another [man] is building upon it. But let each [man] be careful how he builds upon it, For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward. But if any person's work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire. [Job 23:10.]
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 AMPC
http://bible.com/8/1co.3.10-15.AMPC
Jesus is (or should be) our foundation. When we build on that foundation we must be very cautious to use things of great value. For if we use things that can be easily destroyed (or burned up) as the Bible says....we will suffer great loss on judgement day. Oh we will still get into heaven, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
Here are some things that can be easily destroyed and burned up on judgement day...meaning they won't even be considered as of any value to God.....
Idle words (non faith filled words)
Worldly ways (greed, selfishness, lying etc.)
Worthless traditions (ie..religious or fleshly rituals or practices)
Works or trying to earn your way into God's kingdom or heart (for salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ only)
God's best ways....
Walking in love
Walking by faith
Walking in forgiveness
Putting others and the church or kingdom first
Obedience to God's Word (being a doer and not just a hearer)
Tithing
Sowing
Reaping
Storing up our treasures (rewards) in heaven
Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
Take the time to do a spiritual inventory, do a self evaluation. Which ways or habits line up with God's Word? Which ways line up with the world? And then strive to get rid of those things or ways that when tried by fire are burned up. Get rid of those ways that can be shaken, those ways that when satan comes to test you (and he will check to see if your true to your word, and all you've been saying) crumble and leave you weak and wanting or lacking in any way... spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, or financially.
Weigh against the Word of God, those things that you place a value on. Is it something God would value? Is it something that would please Him?
Seek Him to find out what puts a smile on His face, and a warmth to His heart? What is it that makes Him say "ah yes that's my child that I have been training and raising up....
You see Jesus is our example. He walked this earth as a man who at the age of 30 was Anointed by God the Father (the Holy Spirit accending upon Him in the form of a dove...Matthew 3:16), and according to Hebrews 5:8-9 He too had to be obedient in every way to God's Word. Even when He was a youngster, if He had not obeyed His parents (Luke 2:51), then He could not have fulfilled that part of the ten commandments...which in Matthew He says He came to fulfil the law...Matthew 5:17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.
Jesus was tempted in every way that we are. Hebrews 4:15 says
"This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin." He didn't sin because He made the choice to be obedient to the Father's will and ways. Even as a young man (12 yrs old...Luke 2:40-52), He was very content, and desired to be in the Father's house and learning the Scriptures. He did what Romans 12:2 says to do, He renewed His mind with the Word of God, which was the old testament then, and i would imagine that His parents had Him in church or the synagogue every time there was service. And they probably taught Him about the things of God, like God had instructed Moses to relay to the Israelites.
Do you make your lifestyle conform to what the Word of God says? Or do you pick Scriptures to justify living your life however you want? Which is making the Word of God fit your lifestyle.
Jesus and His way of living, and His principles, and His lifestyle of obedience to God's Word should be the foundation where our lives and walk with Christ begins. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:1 be imitators of God as beloved Children ( or in other words like a child would imitate their parents...being we are God's children...Galatians 3:26). And Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1 you should imitate me as i imitate Christ.
According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid [the] foundation, and now another [man] is building upon it. But let each [man] be careful how he builds upon it, For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward. But if any person's work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire. [Job 23:10.]
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 AMPC
http://bible.com/8/1co.3.10-15.AMPC
Jesus is (or should be) our foundation. When we build on that foundation we must be very cautious to use things of great value. For if we use things that can be easily destroyed (or burned up) as the Bible says....we will suffer great loss on judgement day. Oh we will still get into heaven, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
Here are some things that can be easily destroyed and burned up on judgement day...meaning they won't even be considered as of any value to God.....
Idle words (non faith filled words)
Worldly ways (greed, selfishness, lying etc.)
Worthless traditions (ie..religious or fleshly rituals or practices)
Works or trying to earn your way into God's kingdom or heart (for salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ only)
God's best ways....
Walking in love
Walking by faith
Walking in forgiveness
Putting others and the church or kingdom first
Obedience to God's Word (being a doer and not just a hearer)
Tithing
Sowing
Reaping
Storing up our treasures (rewards) in heaven
Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
Take the time to do a spiritual inventory, do a self evaluation. Which ways or habits line up with God's Word? Which ways line up with the world? And then strive to get rid of those things or ways that when tried by fire are burned up. Get rid of those ways that can be shaken, those ways that when satan comes to test you (and he will check to see if your true to your word, and all you've been saying) crumble and leave you weak and wanting or lacking in any way... spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, or financially.
Weigh against the Word of God, those things that you place a value on. Is it something God would value? Is it something that would please Him?
Seek Him to find out what puts a smile on His face, and a warmth to His heart? What is it that makes Him say "ah yes that's my child that I have been training and raising up....
You see Jesus is our example. He walked this earth as a man who at the age of 30 was Anointed by God the Father (the Holy Spirit accending upon Him in the form of a dove...Matthew 3:16), and according to Hebrews 5:8-9 He too had to be obedient in every way to God's Word. Even when He was a youngster, if He had not obeyed His parents (Luke 2:51), then He could not have fulfilled that part of the ten commandments...which in Matthew He says He came to fulfil the law...Matthew 5:17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.
Jesus was tempted in every way that we are. Hebrews 4:15 says
"This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin." He didn't sin because He made the choice to be obedient to the Father's will and ways. Even as a young man (12 yrs old...Luke 2:40-52), He was very content, and desired to be in the Father's house and learning the Scriptures. He did what Romans 12:2 says to do, He renewed His mind with the Word of God, which was the old testament then, and i would imagine that His parents had Him in church or the synagogue every time there was service. And they probably taught Him about the things of God, like God had instructed Moses to relay to the Israelites.
