“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11 NKJV)
God always employs and engages men as co-builders whenever He wants anything built on the earth. However, God always gives His co-builders a detailed specification, pattern, or blueprint for whatever He has called them to build for Him.
When God wanted an ark to be built on earth for the salvation of those who would believe and heed His warning before sending a great flood to destroy the world and its inhabitants, He employed Noah and delivered to him a detailed blueprint or plan for building the ark.
God instructed Noah in Genesis 6:14-16, saying,
14 “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.
15 “And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
16 “You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. (NKJV).
Likewise, when God wanted a tabernacle built in the wilderness so that He might dwell and walk among the children of Israel, He called Moses up to the mountain and showed Him the pattern of the tabernacle He wanted to be built on earth.
Having revealed to Moses the divine blueprint or pattern for the tabernacle, God commanded Moses, saying, “And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” (Exo. 25:40 NKJV).
Moreover, God delivered the divine building plans for the first temple to David. David then handed over the building plans to his son Solomon.
Therefore, David said to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:10-12:
10 “Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat;
12 and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things. (NKJV).
The Scripture reports that God filled the tabernacle built by Moses and the first temple built by Solomon with His awesome presence and glory at their completion and dedication because the builders built according to the divine blueprint, plan, or pattern God had revealed and delivered to them.
God always approves the building built according to His revealed blueprint, plan, or pattern with His awesome presence and glory.
When Moses had finished the tabernacle and set it up according to the pattern God revealed to him, the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle to the extent that Moses could not enter into the tabernacle of meeting (Exod. 40:34-35).
Similarly, when Solomon had finished building the first temple according to the divine building blueprint, plan, or pattern delivered to him by his father, David, the glory of the LORD filled the temple to the extent that the priests could not enter the house of the LORD (2 Chro. 7:1-3).
God has not changed His ways of dealing with His co-builders today. He will not send any man to undertake any building project for Him without showing or giving him a clear blueprint, plan, pattern, or specification of what He wants.
And if the man builds according to the God-given pattern, God will fill the building with His awesome glory and take over the building entirely from men.
Sadly, unlike the faithful men of old who built for God according to His blueprint or pattern, many men who claim to be building for God today are not building according to God’s blueprint and pattern.
While God’s emphasis today is on building His Church (the Ekklesia) as a spiritual temple for Him on earth, the focus of carnal leaders today is on building impressive edifices, cathedrals, or monuments for themselves.
Any wonder God’s awesome glory is absent in our imposing buildings today!
God has a building project going on now on the earth. This building is not a physical temple or edifice but a company of people redeemed by the blood of Jesus and called out of sin, self, and the world to be separated unto God.
God’s present building on the earth is the Church (the Ekklesia). The believers, as living stones, are being “built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:21-22 NKJV).
What is God’s blueprint, plan, pattern, or model for building His Church today?
Jesus Christ!
First, the only true and divine foundation on which the Church (the Ekklesia) must be built is Jesus Christ.
Paul clearly states, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:11 NKJV).
The foundation is very crucial to any building. It is the foundation that carries the weight of the building. Therefore, if the foundation is shallow, weak, or faulty, the entire building will also be fragile and liable to a sudden collapse.
Jesus Christ is the only sure and solid spiritual foundation that can carry and sustain the spiritual temple God will inhabit and fill with His awesome glory.
God will not dwell in, walk among, and work in and through the people we build on mere religious rules and rites, human traditions or customs, vain philosophies, or worldly wisdom.
Sadly, many believers today are not being built on pure faith in the person and finished work of Christ. Instead, they are being built on the Old Testament laws, religious rites, human traditions, vain philosophies, wisdom, and words of men.
According to God’s blueprint, His Church must be “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” (Eph. 2:20-21 NKJV).
The Cornerstone is the first stone set in constructing a foundation, and all other stones are then placed in reference to this stone. The cornerstone determines the position of the entire structure or building.
As a living stone, every believer must be built, set, or aligned in reference to Jesus Christ – the Chief Cornerstone (Isa. 28:16)!
Building men upon the sure and solid spiritual foundation of Jesus Christ starts with teaching or presenting the gospel truth that salvation is purely by faith in the grace or provision of God for our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-9, Tit. 2:11).
The salvation that is not entirely based upon pure faith in the person and the finished work of Christ is not a sure and solid foundation for a Christian life pleasing to God.
Second, according to God’s blueprint, His Church must be built with pure, sound, and wholesome words, doctrines, or teachings of Jesus Christ.
While laying a solid foundation for a building is very important, building with good and suitable materials is also essential.
Although the foundation may be rock-solid and strong, if the building is built with fake, inferior, or substandard materials, the building will not be strong or stand long before collapsing.
Therefore, God is not only concerned about building His Church on His recommended foundation (pure faith in Jesus Christ). But God is also very much concerned about the materials (the words, doctrines, or teachings) men are using to build His Church.
What is God-recommended building material for His Church?
The teaching of Christ!
The doctrine of the early apostles of Christ!
The only pure, sound, and wholesome words, teachings, or doctrines approved of God as the suitable building material for building His Church as His spiritual house on earth are those which Jesus taught in person and through the Holy Spirit to His early apostles. They are called “apostles’ doctrines” (Acts 2:42).
The teachings of Christ or apostles’ doctrines consist of Christ’s beliefs, views, perspectives, values, mindsets, principles, ways, or attitudes.
The body of truths Christ delivered to His early apostles to use in building His Church is divine, perfect, and complete.
While our understanding of these truths may be progressive, they are not progressive but constant; nothing can be added, removed, or modified.
The Scripture testifies that it “was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 1:3 NKJV).
The word or teaching of Christ on every subject or issue is divine, authoritative, final, complete, perfect, and superior to any religious or spiritual leader.
Any doctrine or teaching that does not wholly conform to Christ and His early apostles in the New Testament is a fake, inferior or substandard building material for building God’s Church today.
Apostle Paul warns against false teachers using artificial building materials.
1 Timothy 6:3-5 – NKJV
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,
4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,
5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
Regrettably, many men who claim to be building the Church for God today are only building with fake or substandard materials – enticing words of human wisdom, vain philosophies, empty deceits, traditions of men, religious regulations, and principles of this world (Col. 2:8).
Today’s Church is primarily spiritually immature, weak, unstable, and carnal!
If God’s people are not constantly fed with pure and wholesome words of life (the teachings of Christ), we should not expect them to grow up to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Many believers today hardly resemble Christ in their minds, will, emotions, and actions. This is simply because many of our spiritual leaders build believers with un-Christ-like materials today.
Beloved, are you called to be a co-builder with Christ?
You must be careful how you build and the material you use in building the Church!
Paul warns, “Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” (1 Cor. 3:12-13 NKJV).
Gold, silver, and precious stones speak of wholesome doctrines!
Wood, hay, and straw are false doctrines!
You are building with wood, hay, and straw if you are teaching or feeding God’s people under your tutelage with doctrines that do not conform wholly to Christ and His early apostles in the New Testament. And when your work is tested with fire, you will suffer a significant loss.
1 Corinthians 3:14-15 – NKJV
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Dear friend, choose to build according to God’s blueprint. Your reward will be great in heaven.
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for opening my eyes to understanding today to see and understand Your blueprint for building Your Church. My Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me to be a wise builder who builds according to God’s blueprint, in Jesus’ name. Amen.