Recently there has been confusing teaching released into the body of Christ regarding building ministries. Some false teachings state that the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and since the church has already been established, these building ministries are no longer needed. This short article will define what the foundation of the church actually is, and it will describe how that foundation must be laid for every believer in order to progress to spiritual maturity.
The Only Foundation
Apostles and prophets are not the foundation of the church. Apostles and prophets have authority to lay Christ as a foundation (which is far more than salvation). Jesus Christ is the only foundation of the church, not apostles and prophets, as is erroneously being taught by some.
The Amplified Classic translation properly translates Ephesians 2:20-22 in the present tense. You (the church) are currently being built up with other believers into the dwelling place of God (the temple of God). This is a lifelong process that occurs when we sit under the five ministry gifts of Christ found in Ephesians chapter 4 and journey with the Lord as His disciples.
“You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole structure is joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously, and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord]. In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:20-22 AMPC)
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 3:10-11 NKJV)
We can see that Christ is the foundation of His church, not Peter or any other apostle. Apostles’ are assigned to lay a foundation of Jesus Christ in the hearts of believers so they can be properly built into a dwelling place for the Lord. A complete foundation of Jesus Christ is a full revelation of who He is, not merely a partial revelation of Him as a Savior. Jesus, thankfully, is a Savior, but He is far more than just that.
The Full Foundation
A full revealing of Jesus Christ must take place in order to have the solid rock foundation that the house of God is to be built on (Matthew 7:24-25, Matthew 16:15-18). Christ must be unveiled in the hearts of believers so they understand and know Him in the following ways:
The Savior
The Creator God
The Healer
The Deliverer
The Anointed One
The One who can do the impossible according to His will
The One who calls and commissions into His service
The One who shows mercy, forgiveness, and loving kindness
The King
The Lord
The Master
The Judge who brings judgment
The Brother
The Friend
The Bridegroom
The Warrior with His robe covered in blood because of His wrath
The One who is holy, pure, and righteous
The Lion and the Lamb
The example of an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher
The eternal Son of God
This is not a complete list of the full revealing of Christ but the Holy Spirit always gives greater insight and understanding regarding the revealing of Christ after a builder sets his heart to build according to the Lord’s design and for the Lord’s kingdom. Those who are building without the Lord’s kingdom (building their own ministry and reputation) in mind will not be given the insight and grace to lay the proper foundation of Jesus Christ.
A good builder will bring forth a revelation of God’s ways because they have a personal journey of following him as a disciple. Believers need to know the Lord personally by journeying with Jesus through various seasons. The true meaning of life is to know Jesus Christ and be transformed into His image. It would be great if this could take place on the spiritual mountaintop where we only had to wait in the Lord’s presence and abide in His glory.
Unfortunately for us, much of our spiritual growth occurs through the difficulties and tribulations of life. When we choose to pick up our crosses and follow Jesus as disciples, He ensures that the suffering of the cross works in our souls and that we are transformed into the image of Jesus, little by little (from one degree of glory to another). As we follow the path that He walked, the veils that blind us to who He really is are removed, and we behold Him in clarity. When we see Him more clearly, we are set free from our misconceptions regarding who He is, and we come to know Him in a deeper way.
Scriptures as the Foundation
Having and knowing the scriptures does not mean that we have Christ laid as a foundation within us. We can have broken or partial foundations of Christ if we only have some revelation of who He is. The Pharisees had a large portion of our Bible and they had no foundation of Jesus within them. They couldn't even recognize Jesus as God when He stood before them.
Today, many spiritual leaders and believers prove that they do not have the complete foundation of Christ laid in them by their carnal attitudes and worldly lifestyles. Many of these have the Bible and many have read it, but they have not allowed the word to live in them. Builders have a unique grace from the Lord to make the scriptures live in the hearts of believers. They help believers turn knowledge into revelation which transforms the heart. A true foundation of Christ in a believer is when Christ is living and taking possession of the believer. It’s when He is increasing, and our own self-life and nature are decreasing.
Conclusion
The Devil is doing everything he can to prevent the foundation of Jesus Christ from being laid in the hearts of believers. When the foundation of Christ is laid in individual living stones, those stones can be built into God’s temple. When living stones are built into the temple of God, the Lord’s will is fulfilled and He has a resting place in the Spirit. He will come and dwell among us in His incredible glory. When He has a completed temple, He will remain and not simply visit with some revival meetings. The Holy Spirit will inhabit His holy city upon the earth. His glory will rest on His heavenly city that currently dwells on the earth, Zion.
