Unstable Ground v23n26

Unstable ground?

V23 n26

Galatians 1:15-16, 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: KJV

“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” What people often forget, is that Paul the Apostle had all of the rights of the freeborn Roman citizen, as well as the birthright of a Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin. Yet, it was these things, that Paul by the grace of God, separated himself from. It was this earthly heritage that he counted but as dung, (Phil 3:1-14), that he might obtain eternal life by and through Christ Jesus. It was only as Paul was able to set aside the ties to the flesh, that God was able to reveal His Son in him.

Most often when people are saved, converted, or born again, many try to base the foundation of their relationship with God by what they see or hear other people say or do. They begin to seek man’s approval, whether they realize this or not. They are quick to turn to man’s traditions and doctrines to find their insights, and ignore the teaching and counsel of God. (Ever learning, but never able to come to or arrive at the truth of God’s Word.) Thus we can see, why Paul said that from the start, he conferred not with flesh and blood. (After all, it was man’s traditions and doctrines, that placed him in direct opposition to God’s plan in the first place.)

It would have been much easier on Paul’s flesh, to run to those that had been called to be apostles before him, and try to glean from them all that they thought that they knew. Then, how long would it have been, before Paul would have been back under the bondage of the law, that he had been delivered from?

People have all kinds of ideas and insinuations of who they think Jesus Christ of Nazareth is. The majority of what people think or assume, is often based off of what other people have told them, or related to them by means of traditions and doctrines, rather then by first-hand knowledge revealed by God’s Spirit. It is when one seeks God whole-heartedly, that God is able to reveal His Son to them. (Matt 16:16-18)

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. KJV

There is no other foundation! The cornerstone which the builders rejected, this is the cornerstone of His church. It is this Church that He will build. One often forgets that it is one Lord, one faith; just as there was only one ark that was able to save the people from the flood.

He sent His Word and healed them from the spiritual sickness mankind had. He showed them the way to be delivered from their destructive nature of the flesh. His Word is Spirit and it is life, the flesh profits nothing. Yet, how often is it that one leans to their own understanding? (Ps 107:20, John 6:63, 1Cor 2:9-14)

Luke 6:46-49, 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. KJV

Let’s look at Adam Clarke’s comments concerning these verses.

[I will liken him unto a wise man] To a prudent man--a man of sense and understanding, who, foreseeing the evil hideth himself, who proposes to himself the best end, and makes use of the proper means to accomplish it. True wisdom consists in getting the building of our salvation completed: to this end we must build on the Rock, CHRIST JESUS, and make the building firm, by keeping close to the maxims of his Gospel, and having our tempers and lives conformed to its word and spirit; and when, in order to this, we lean on nothing but the grace of Christ, we then build upon a solid rock.

[And every one that heareth and doeth them not] Was there ever a stricter system of morality delivered by God to man, than in this sermon. He who reads or hears it, and does not look to God to conform his soul and life to it, and notwithstanding is hoping to enter into the kingdom of heaven, is like the fool who built his house on the sand. When the rain, the rivers, and the winds come, his building must fall, and his soul be crushed into the nethermost pit by its ruins. Talking about Christ, his righteousness, merits, and atonement, while the person is not conformed to his word and spirit, is no other than solemn self-deception.

Let it be observed, that it is not the man who hears or believes these sayings of Christ, whose building shall stand, when the earth and its works are burnt up; but the man who DOES them.

Many suppose that the law of Moses is abolished, merely because it is too strict, and impossible to be observed; and that the Gospel was brought in to liberate us from its obligations; but let all such know, that in the whole of the old covenant nothing can be found so exceedingly strict and holy as this sermon, which Christ lays down as the rule by which we are to walk. "Then, the fulfilling of these precepts is the purchase of glory." No, it is the way only to that glory which has already been purchased by the blood of the Lamb. To him that believes, all things are possible. (from Adam Clarke Commentary)

Let’s look at a few of William Burkitt’s comment’s concerning the same verse.

Our Saviour here concludes his sermon with an elegant similtude: he compares the faithful doer of the word to a wise builder, which grounded his house upon a rock. Others he resembles to a foolish builder, that built his house upon the sand.

The house is the hope of heaven and eternal life; the rock is Christ; the building upon the sand, is resting upon the bare performance of outward duties; the rain, the winds, and the floods, are all kinds of afflicting evils, sufferings, and persecutions, that may befall us.

The sum is: men's hopes of salvation built upon any other besides Christ, or built upon Christ without a sincere and uniform obedience to him, are vain hopes, deceitful hopes; for when the storm arises, when affliction or persecution comes, their confidence will fail them, their foundation will be shaken.

Learn, 1. That the obedient believer is the only wise man, that builds his hopes of heaven upon a sure and abiding foundation; Christ is the rock that he builds upon, and one Christ is before a thousand creatures, one rock better than millions of sands to build upon.

2. That such professors as rest in the bare performance of outward duties, are foolish builders; their foundation is weak and sandy, and all their hopes of salvation vain and deceitful. Lord! How does the carnal world build all their hopes upon the sand, on the wisdom of the flesh, on their policies, councils, friends and riches! They bottom their very soul upon fancies, presumptions, delusions, and vain hopes. They expect to be happy without being holy, which is to expect to be easy without being healthy.

Woe to that man whose portion lies in the creature's hands, who builds all his hopes upon this earth; for when the earth is shaken, his hopes are shaken, his heart is shaken, and he is at his wits' end: whereas the Christian that builds upon the rock, stands firm and sure; for if ever the Christian falls, Christ must fall with him: he shall never be disappointed of his hopes, unless faithfulness can disappoint; he shall never be deceived, unless truth itself can deceive. If it be impossible for the obedient, holy, and circumspect Christian finally to miscarry. (Wm. Burkitt’s notes)

Because the hills in Palestine had little vegetation on them, the winter rains produced violent floods that swept away any building in their path. Sand would wash away quickly; the buildings founded on rock would remain. Christ taught that the only secure foundation for enduring life could be found in his teachings and truth. By this exclusive claim he made himself the arbiter of human destiny and the object of all true faith. (from Wycliffe Commentary)

Which foundation are you building upon?

That you may know Him,

In the service of Jesus Christ.

Larry Gazelka