(Ephesians 2:17-22)
No building will last for long if it does not have a solid foundation, and the kingdom of God is THE eternal kingdom. So the foundation of God’s kingdom must by necessity be the strongest and greatest of all.
The Bible talks a lot about foundations and it is critically important that you get the foundation right. If we are to enter into God’s eternal kingdom, then we too must get the foundation right.
This issue is so important I have even written a separate eBook teaching about
The importance of these foundations, what they are and how they impact us as Christians is shown in these few verses.
Foundations of Peace
The first thing we see in these scriptures is the part that peace plays in building the house of God. Through peace all of the barriers between people and God are broken down.
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:17-18)
By breaking down all of the barriers of race, religion, nationality, colour and so much more, the preparation of the “spiritual worksite” is made ready.
No building can commence to be built, nor a foundation even laid until the site has been prepared. When building a house the ground has to be prepared, cleaned up, levelled and so on to make it ready for the setting out and pouring of a foundation.
In the same way the spiritual house that God is building, which is being built within the hearts of His people, must also be prepared. The starting point is through repentance and the accepting of the need for a Saviour. And as we accept these things we find the peace of God rest upon us. All barriers are broken down making us ready to accept what the Lord has to give to bring us into the kingdom of God.
Once these first preparations are made, the important next steps is the setting of the foundations.
Like any building designed to last, the foundations must be strong. They must go deep to hold the rest of the building firm and fast in the most dire of storms.
And we in Christ will face the most dire of storms. We will be tested and tried. Our faith will be under attack from within and without. People will attack us in many ways, and we will suffer internal doubts.
If our spiritual house is to stand, we must have strong foundations to hold the whole together so that when the storms of life arise against us to tear us down, we do not sway, but stand rock solid on the One who is the Rock.
What are the Foundations?
Which then brings us to the foundations. What are the foundations? The next few scriptures give us a clue where to look.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-20)
The starting point in the building of any house or commercial structure is the laying of the cornerstone. It must be right and in the right place to ensure that the rest of the building goes up correctly.
Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the house of God into which we are being built. It was His teachings and examples that led the way and He was and is the first-born and only begotten Son of God.
There is no other foundation that can be laid than the foundations of Jesus Christ.
That foundation was laid and spread further by the disciples, apostles and prophets of God who spread the gospel. Jesus began the work and then He handed the work of expanding the kingdom of God to His disciples.
The apostles and prophets taught all mankind the teachings of the kingdom of God, and those first teachings they gave were the teachings that are the foundational teachings designed to stabilise and ground all who come to Christ. There were six very specific foundations and they are described by the writer of Hebrews.
1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 with instruction about baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement. (Hebrews 6:1-2)
The writer here speaks about moving forward and onward past the foundations. But he did us a great service by specifying what those foundations are.
I mentioned above the need for repentance, but also all of the other foundational teachings are essential if we are to stand strong and immovable in the face of the opposition and storms of life.
I am sad to say that many of the churches in the world today do not even recognise these foundations and many do not acknowledge the need for them. This is a mystery to me as ALL of the words of the bible are essential if we are to learn to live and walk in Jesus Christ to enter His eternal kingdom.
Many do not teach baptism, or if they do it is NOT the baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They use it more as an initiation into the church or as a naming ceremony or anything but the way it is taught in the bible. And similar issues exist for several of the other foundational teachings.
Stop a moment and consider this. If a builder decided to only put in place a few of the foundation beams and stumps in a house, how long would it stand? Likewise if a church teaches only part of the foundations, how long will a Christian stand in the face of opposition. And how secure will their place in the house of God be if they do not listen to His instructions and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as they were taught by His disciples, apostles and prophets? All of these foundational teachings were written down for us in the scriptures so that we could learn them and apply them correctly.
Building The House of the Kingdom of God
But you cannot live in a house that is just a foundation. You need to go beyond the foundation and add walls and a roof and so much more before the house is completed.
So too the spiritual house we are being built into must also go beyond the foundations. In the last few verses of this scripture today we see this continuing building.
“…in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:17-22)
We are being built into a “holy temple in the Lord,” and, “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
We are being built into the spiritual house of God for the kingdom of God is within us. It is not a physical building where a person can dwell, but rather it is a spiritual “building” where God can dwell within us in the spirit.
We can receive the Holy Spirit as a gift from God and it is His job to transform us from the raw materials and building blocks of the flesh, and into the solid, stable and powerful structure of the spiritual temple of God.
The starting point is to get the foundations right and we should spend significant time getting the foundational teachings that will allow the rest of the building to be stable. In Christ we must get these things right, and there are some very strange, if not downright misleading teachings in the modern church that do not help Christians. In fact in some cases they lead people away from the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Do not be fooled. Do not fall prey to the philosophies and vain discussion of modern religion that has nothing to do with the truth. Get your bible out and study it, asking the Lord to bring along the right teachers that are interested in giving you the truth and not seeking their own advantage. Get the foundations of God’s kingdom right and the rest will follow.
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Enter By The Narrow Gate
Build Your House Upon The Rock
The Parable Of The Sower
On This Rock I Will Build My Church
Call Of The Twelve
A House Built Upon The Rock
Why Repentance
Preaching The Word
Baptism And Receiving The Holy Spirit
Babes In Christ
Christ The Foundation
The Kingdom Of God Is Within You Parable Of The Leaven
Hidden Treasure Parable
Parable Of The Merchant Seeking Pearls
Perfection In Jesus Christ
Hard For A Rich Man To Enter The Kingdom Of Heaven
Parable Of The Marriage Feast The Great Invitation
Kingdom Of God Is Like A Mustard Seed
All This For Free
Home Heaven
Where Is The Kingdom Of God
Life In Abundance
The Ruler Of This World
Salvation Is Near
Hi! I’m John, the owner, author, and editor of this site. Over the past 50+ years as a Christian I have been teaching, preaching and writing about the Bible to help Christians gain a deeper insight into the scriptures that are easily understood. I also answer specific Bible related questions, so feel free to contact me.
