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The Foundation of Faith

A devotional by InTouch Ministries for reading on June 27th

1 Corinthians 3:9-20 9 For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire. 16 Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and `that' the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye. 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness: 20 and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.

At salvation, everything we’ve built our life upon comes crashing down and is removed like rubble from a vacant lot. Then a new foundation is laid in Christ, and we begin building upon it day by day with our deeds and motives. As with any building project, we have a choice about which materials to use. They may all look good on the surface, but the real test of their quality will be revealed when we stand before Christ to be “recompensed for [our] deeds in the body, according to what [we have] done, whether good or bad” ( 2 Corinthians 5:10 10 For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things `done' in the body, according to what he hath done, whether `it be' good or bad. ).

Therefore, we should carefully consider what we are using as building materials. The world offers us many philosophies from which to choose. We are told that we can mix a little worldly wisdom with a bit of Scripture and create a suitable Christian life. But Paul warns that if anyone thinks he is wise in this age, he is a fool. God will destroy everything we use that is derived from the world rather than from the truth of His Word. 

Building a solid house of faith on the foundation of Christ is a lifelong process. Through prayer and meditation on Scripture, we learn to know and love our heavenly Father and understand what pleases Him. As He transforms our life through His Spirit, our actions and attitudes become increasingly obedient and godly. 

With so much at stake, our goal should be to establish our life on the foundation of Christ, with righteous actions and attitudes empowered by the Holy Spirit. Such a faith house will stand firm in this life and be worthy of reward in the next. 

Bible in One Year: Psalms 90-94 Chapter 90 1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place In all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 3 Thou turnest man to destruction, And sayest, Return, ye children of men. 4 For a thousand years in thy sight Are but as yesterday when it is past, And as a watch in the night. 5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: In the morning they are like grass which groweth up. 6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; In the evening it is cut down, and withereth. 7 For we are consumed in thine anger, And in thy wrath are we troubled. 8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: We bring our years to an end as a sigh. 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger, And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee? 12 So teach us to number our days, That we may get us a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Jehovah; how long? And let it repent thee concerning thy servants. 14 Oh satisfy us in the morning with thy lovingkindness, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, And the years wherein we have seen evil. 16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, And thy glory upon their children. 17 And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And establish thou the work of our hands upon us; Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. Chapter 91 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust. 3 For he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; `But' it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked. 9 For thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. 11 For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under foot. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, And show him my salvation. Psalm 92 A Psalm, a Song for the sabbath day. Chapter 92 1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto Jehovah, And to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High; 2 To show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, And thy faithfulness every night, 3 With an instrument of ten strings, and with the psaltery; With a solemn sound upon the harp. 4 For thou, Jehovah, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. 5 How great are thy works, O Jehovah! Thy thoughts are very deep. 6 A brutish man knoweth not; Neither doth a fool understand this: 7 When the wicked spring as the grass, And when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; It is that they shall be destroyed for ever. 8 But thou, O Jehovah, art on high for evermore. 9 For, lo, thine enemies, O Jehovah, For, lo, thine enemies shall perish; All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 10 But my horn hast thou exalted like `the horn of' the wild-ox: I am anointed with fresh oil. 11 Mine eye also hath seen `my desire' on mine enemies, Mine ears have heard `my desire' of the evil-doers that rise up against me. 12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree: He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They are planted in the house of Jehovah; They shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and green: 15 To show that Jehovah is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Chapter 93 1 Jehovah reigneth; he is clothed with majesty; Jehovah is clothed with strength; he hath girded himself therewith: The world also is established, that it cannot be moved. 2 Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O Jehovah, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. 4 Above the voices of many waters, The mighty breakers of the sea, Jehovah on high is mighty. 5 Thy testimonies are very sure: Holiness becometh thy house, O Jehovah, for evermore. Chapter 94 1 O Jehovah, thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth. 2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: Render to the proud `their' desert. 3 Jehovah, how long shall the wicked, How long shall the wicked triumph? 4 They prate, they speak arrogantly: All the workers of iniquity boast themselves. 5 They break in pieces thy people, O Jehovah, And afflict thy heritage. 6 They slay the widow and the sojourner, And murder the fatherless. 7 And they say, Jehovah will not see, Neither will the God of Jacob consider. 8 Consider, ye brutish among the people; And ye fools, when will ye be wise? 9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? 10 He that chastiseth the nations, shall not he correct, `Even' he that teacheth man knowledge? 11 Jehovah knoweth the thoughts of man, That they are vanity. 12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Jehovah, And teachest out of thy law; 13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit be digged for the wicked. 14 For Jehovah will not cast off his people, Neither will he forsake his inheritance. 15 For judgment shall return unto righteousness; And all the upright in heart shall follow it. 16 Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? 17 Unless Jehovah had been my help, My soul had soon dwelt in silence. 18 When I said, My foot slippeth; Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, held me up. 19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul. 20 Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with thee, Which frameth mischief by statute? 21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, And condemn the innocent blood. 22 But Jehovah hath been my high tower, And my God the rock of my refuge. 23 And he hath brought upon them their own iniquity, And will cut them off in their own wickedness; Jehovah our God will cut them off.




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