Jesus used a parable of building a house in His teaching. His point was to highlight the need for good foundations under a house in order to withstand the storms. Similarly a good foundation under our lives. An effective Christian life is always based on something. That something is a group of beliefs and truth about who God is, who we are, and how to relate to Him. I call that group of beliefs the foundations of Christian life and so do many others. Jesus Christ stated that we need good foundations which are strong enough to withstand any storm. The building that is being built on them is you, your life and the way you live and exist in the spiritual, which then impacts on the physical all around you, determining how you live in the physical world.
This building is made up of truth that is Spirit and Life. The source of it is always our Father and it only truly builds into us by revelation, quickening and inspiration. Just as a master builder is careful about the foundations of a building, we need to be careful about what our foundations are. A master builder knows that if the foundation is not strong, true, level and plumb, the building that sits on it will not be either, so some of the greatest care in building any structure goes into the foundations. Foundations placed incorrectly mean an unsound building. The walls floors and ceilings will start out TRUE, but will be warped by the faults in the foundation and where it is placed.
I have seen the difference it makes when some Christians who were struggling in their Kingdom walk sort the holes in their foundational beliefs out. It really helps.
So - where do we find The Bible identifying the foundations we need? I look at these two main areas, Matthew 7:21 and Hebrews 6:1 (1)
Jesus Teaching on Foundations
God in the person of Jesus Christ talks about His foundation teaching in Matthew 7:21 - 27. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name throw out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works? And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness!
24 Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded on a rock. And everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them shall be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the wind blew and beat on that house. And it fell, and great was its fall.
It goes like this. In verse 24 we see that He says “these sayings of mine” and He is talking about what He has just preached, or the teachings contained in what is called 'the Sermon on the Mount' from the beginning of Matthew 5 to the end of Matthew 7.
Some say that this statement of His means all of His recorded sayings but He is not saying that. His words here are quite specific that at this point in time He is talking about these sayings He had just uttered. There is a beginning when they came to the mount and sat down to be taught, and an ending when they came down from the mount, thus defining a starting point to “these sayings” and an ending point.
As we probe further we find that the Greek language used here is far more descriptive than the English. The expression “built his house on the rock,” reads, “consolidated his house into the rock”. In these days of plentiful use of concrete, which is a man made consolidating sedimentary rock; we can have a very good understanding of a concrete-to-rock consolidated joint that tears the original rock or the concrete before giving way. This is a parable of the kind of foundation that God wants - us to be consolidated into Him as the rock of our existence, and He is telling us most directly here that this is how we can be. “Every one, then, who listens to these sayings of Mine and puts them into practice will be like a thoughtful man who consolidated his house into the rock.”
Do we find parallel ideas to this in His preaching? Yes! He talked about oneness. John 10:30, 38; 14:10; 17:11, 22. (2) Oneness implies consolidation and goes with the idea of consolidation into Him and of Him consolidating into us. Also in John 15:1 (3) we see the intricate living connection of being of one vine with Him.
Further down in this article we look at what those foundations are.
Do the foundations in Hebrews 6 (1) fit entry to the Kingdom or kingdom walking? This list fits Kingdom entry so we will deal with them first.
Foundations of Kingdom entry
We can think in terms of four foundations that need to process equally as God works out His life in us.
Repentance from dead works (plus New Creature and old)
Baptism in water / resurrection life
These are all part of the process of growing the basic foundation into the rock who is Jesus Christ.
All other building in your life will find its foundation here. I teach them according to my treasury of revelation and understanding, and you will teach them according to your understanding and your fund of Revelation, which is the source of the light you can speak.
Foundations of Kingdom living
Jesus foundation teaching was given mainly to the disciples when He had drawn them aside for a retreat. Unfortunately they were followed by a crowd, but Jesus did not let that stop Him from gathering the disciples on the top of a knoll, sitting down with them and teaching. Matthew records this in chapters 5 to 7. This teaching is in parts, each dealing with aspects of how the Kingdom works and how to live, all motivated and fuelled by God's love welling up on the inside of us. The gift of Jesus Life dwelling in our spirit is the key to being able to align with all that He taught naturally without turning it into rules and regulations.
There are 24 sections in the Sermon on the Mount, each contrasts the nature of our Father with an aspect of selfishness, describing the nature of our Father and showing how we can live in alignment with His Kingdom. The general areas He covers are:-
Fruit of relationship;
identity;
doctrinal correction regarding behaviour –care of others;
Prayer and fasting;
treasures and anxiety;
Judgement assessment relationship and provision;
foundations and authority.
Here are articles that go through Jesus' teaching here.
(In this category of articles, you will find other articles that deal with the various foundations of Kingdom living that Jesus taught.)
Scripture noted above
(1) Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore, having left the discourse of the beginning of Christ, let us go on to full growth, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the baptisms, of doctrine, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgement.
(2) John 10:30 I and the Father are one!
John 10:38 But if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works so that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.
John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The Words that I speak to you I do not speak of Myself, but the Father who dwells in Me, He does the works.
John 17:11 And now I am in the world no longer, but these are in the world, and I come to You, Holy Father. Keep them in Your name, those whom You have given Me, so that they may be one as We are.
John 17:22 And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one, I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made complete in one;
(3) John 15:1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vine-dresser.