BEWARE OF SHIFTING FOUNDATIONS
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:12)
A couple of years ago I had a carpenter over to my house to help me make some repairs. One of the doors was sticking and one of the walls had a small crack in it. Unfortunately, exposure to the elements, as well as other changes in circumstances often cause shifting foundations. Our foundations are what keep us grounded. Yet in today's society we find ourselves leaving our foundational principles, and shifting to something that won't stand when storms come.
In the passage above, there was growing disunity in the Corinthian Church regarding whether or not Christ was raised from the dead. Paul makes it clear, if Jesus did not rise, our preaching is empty and our faith is empty. In other words, we are wasting our time in Church. If that is the case, all of our loved ones who died before us will not rise again. And we are still hopelessly lost in our sins. After all, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the foundation of our faith. Any shifting from that premise, causes all of us to be forever separated from God.
The Science of Geology tells us that the crust of the earth will sometimes move. Perhaps it is only a very slight movement. Fault lines may exist for many years without anything happening. Then one day a 7.2 earthquake can occur. When we entertain other teachings that conflict with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are setting ourselves up for an earthquake that can eventually destroy us.
Christians must stand firm in our beliefs that Jesus rose from the dead. Therefore, all who are in Christ will also rise from the dead as well. Our lives will experience trouble from time to time. But we must not be moved. If our foundation is firm, we will weather all storms without being destroyed. Our foundation is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing else will do. Beware of shifting foundations!
