NO OTHER FOUNDATION

“When God’s Son is your unshakable base of spiritual support,
you can be assured that your spiritual structure is sound and will not fail!”

Iwonder how many times this hymn, written by Edward Mote back in 1834, has been sung around the world?

• My hope is built on nothing less
• Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
• I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
• But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

The hymn refers to the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (sometimes called the House on the Rock) that Jesus delivered at the end of His Sermon on the Mount:

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. (Matthew 7:24-27 NKJV)

Primarily, Christ’s parable stresses the need to put His teaching into practice, and specifically points to two different types of people—wise and foolish—whose hearts are revealed in their actions.

Unshakable!

Life is filled with a smorgasbord of teachings and philosophies about how you can have a great life. Some of those ideas are good. Some aren’t.

Jesus, however, gives us a clear, proven blueprint on how to establish a strong spiritual foundation:

Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. (Luke 6:47-48)

When God’s Son is your unshakable base of spiritual support, you can be assured that your spiritual structure is sound and will not fail:

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Don’t be deceived. God’s Word offers only one strong rock on which to build your life: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

How do you begin?

We Must Come to Him

In a revealing passage of Scripture, Jesus Himself referred to building upon the solid foundation:

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:13-16)

The exchange between Jesus and His disciples tells us how our spiritual foundation must be laid by coming to Him. These are the steps involved:

• You must have a face-to-face encounter with the Son of the Living God, Christ Jesus. The Lord asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter, looking into the face of the Master, said, “You are the Christ.” Your experience doesn’t come through a church, a minister, or a priest. You must present yourself one-on-one with the Living God. That is the beginning—the foundation of foundations!

• You must receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. Scripture records that “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Peter did not receive the answer from Jesus, nor from the apostles or other disciples. He heard it from God through the Holy Spirit!

• You then must acknowledge that revelation. When Peter affirmed who Jesus was, he was recognizing his heartfelt belief that “I know that I know You are God’s Son.” A revelation will produce acknowledgment and affirmation.

• You must declare and confess that revelation publicly. The final step in building your foundation is to publicly confess what has been revealed. Peter told all who were gathered together, “You are the Christ.” Peter made a public confession of who Jesus was to the world around him.

In our services all over the globe, when I give the altar call, inviting the unsaved to experience the great miracle of salvation, I ask people to make a public confession that they are renouncing their sin and turning to the Savior. This act of faith seals the decision in their hearts and makes a declaration to the world that Christ is Lord.

We Must HEAR What He is Saying

When Jesus speaks of hearing His sayings, He is talking about hearing through the Spirit, for it is the Holy Spirit that reveals God’s Word. The Lord Himself declared, “He that hath ears to hear, let Him hear” (Matthew 11:15).

Hearing God’s Word is not just passive listening or empty confession; it is letting God breathe His Word into one’s spirit.

Paul taught: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The word “inspiration” is from the Greek word for breathing, and it means both inhaling and exhaling. When you receive the Word into your spirit, then you can “exhale” confession that has a true and effective meaning.

It is the Holy Spirit that gives life to the Word of God. Let me explain why both are so essential:

• The Spirit without the Word will produce fanaticism. I’m sure you have encountered people who can dance and shout before the Lord, yet their lives don’t seem to ring true? Why? There is no grounding, no anchor, no doctrine.

• The Word without the Spirit produces formalism. Scripture warns of those, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5). It is sad to hear someone in the clergy who only speaks words. We may comment, “Oh, what a wonderful speaker,” yet no lives are changed.

• The Word and the Spirit together produce balance. Years ago, I heard someone share this phrase: “If you have the Word alone, you will dry up. If you have the Spirit alone, you will blow up. If you have the Word and the Spirit, you will grow up.” What good advice!

It is God’s desire that we have both the Word and the power. Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). And Peter declared, “Prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

There are some who read the Bible “just to read the Bible.” It is good literature, but it must be more. They don’t absorb it or obey it. Others pray out of routine and it becomes a meaningless exercise.

We Must DO What He Says

These indicators will be evident in your life when you are doing what Jesus commanded as you build your life upon His firm foundation.

• Faith will be born in you.
  “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). This is faith in God, not faith in faith. As the Word of God is infused into you by the power of the Holy Spirit, faith will be supernaturally birthed in your spirit.

• You will have victory over sin.
  “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). The Word, fueled by the Holy Spirit, will help you be triumphant over sin and death.

• You will have victory, not just over sin, but also over the enemy of your soul who seeks to embroil and entrap you into evil.
  “The word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14). Because the Word is in you, you will overcome the devil.

• Holiness will characterize your life.
  Because the Word of God is not coming through your mind but through the power of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to live a holy life. We are told, “Santify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Ephesians 5:25-27 likewise teaches that the Lord will wash you with the water of His Word.

• You will have a cleansed and understanding mind.
  The Word of God will cleanse your mind from the pollution of the world and give you understanding: “The entrance of thy words giveth light. It giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130).

• You will have peace.
  “He will speak peace unto his people” (Psalm 85:8). When you build on the right foundation, you will have supernatural “peace that passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

• You will have joy.
  “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). Jesus declared, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). Building on Christ’s firm foundation brings joy!

We have many choices in life. God gives us free will. However, the wise person builds on the most solid bedrock by coming to Christ for instruction, hearing what He is saying, and doing what He says.

Your Foundation Will Be Tested

Then everything will be perfect, right?

Hardly. The Christian life does not offer a storm-free passage to heaven!

So many times I’ve been asked, “Do Christians face adversity?” On the authority of God’s Word I can guarantee it! There is no such thing as a storm-free passage to Glory. “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

In fact, as you study Matthew 7:24-27, you read how storms, symbolic of the trials and problems of life, will come.

God does not say, “If you go through the flood or fire…” He says, “When it happens….”

The Almighty declares:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. (Isaiah 43:2)

Without a life that is anchored to the cross, every wind of false doctrine can blow you off course. Only a firm relationship with Jesus and His continual revelation can keep you from hopelessly drifting.

Scripture declares, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19). With God we have a firm foundation.

Ask Jesus to become your foundation and allow the truth of the Spirit-inspired Word to encompass your life as you spend time with Him in prayer. Upon these foundations, your life will stand, no matter what!

Safe and Secure

When your life is founded upon Jesus, the Rock, then the enemy of our soul may throw everything against you and he will not prevail. Your life is safe and secure on the true Foundation of faith.

You can say with the psalmist:

• “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).

• “For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me” (Psalm 31:3).

• “He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved” (Psalm 62:6).

What a dependable, reliable foundation upon whom we can trust in all situations!

My Prayer for You

In closing, let me share this request with you. I believe that the remainder of 2019 will be a supernatural season of unlimited power and blessing, and I want you to be part of what God is doing.

Will you prayerfully ask Him what you should donate so that multitudes can hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ? As you know the gospel is free to all but taking it to the world is incredibly and increasingly expensive. You gift allows us to meet our financial obligations for the reaming events in 2019 and begin fill our calendar for 2020.

I encourage you to give your most generous contribution for lost souls—whatever God directs!

Together we can do more! Together we can accomplish God’s agenda for this generation.

Together we can do our part, give our best, and surrender our all to our wonderful Jesus, to whom belongs our lives, our gifts, our talents, our all.

Let’s do it together while there is still time!

I am eager to hear from you very soon, and I pray that your gift will bring multitudes of lost souls to the cross.

Build every part of your life upon no other foundation than Christ! That is my prayer for you.

In warmest Christian love,

Benny Hinn