Here’s a quick question: if you were building something, perhaps a house, would you build it on rock-solid ground or on quicksand? If you said quicksand, you’d better rethink the situation. If the foundation is built on unstable land, then the whole building will be wonky and unstable. On the other hand, building upon a solid foundation of rock will ensure a building that will last. The same is true of the foundation of our life.
Many people build upon the unstable whims of the world. Money cannot buy happiness. It might buy you a few fair-weather friends, who will stick close to you when you have money to buy them things, but as soon as the money is gone, they disappear.
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10).
It’s not the money that’s the problem but the love of it. As Christians, there should be nothing we love more than Jesus. He is our solid Rock, and all things should be done in His name and for His glory. Money will last until the next stock market crash, but salvation through Jesus Christ is eternal. Where is your hope? If it is in anything other than Jesus, you’re in quicksand.
MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS By Edward Mote
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
There’s no hope without Jesus. Life may seem wonderful; you may have wealth, and everything’s going your way, but never forget that all the riches in this world are left here at the moment you die. You cannot take your bank accounts to Heaven with you. The truth is, without Jesus, you won’t get to Heaven. The only hope for salvation is found in Christ, the solid Rock.
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).
When you build your life upon Jesus, you’ll follow Him.
We all sin. We can wrestle against sin and make up our minds not to yield to temptation, but our sin nature is always a part of us. Praise God for Jesus!
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).
Our hope is built upon Jesus and His righteousness. We cannot possibly be righteous enough to stand before God Almighty by our own merit. We are only righteous enough through the pure blood of Jesus, untainted by sin. Salvation is offered to everyone, but like any gift, it has to be accepted.
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).
Belief is the foundation upon which a Christian’s life must be built.
When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Too many new believers think that life will be a bed of roses once they’ve accepted Christ for salvation. Unfortunately, that just isn’t true. It will be true when we enter eternity, but until then, we will have struggles. When the doctor says “Your child has leukemia,” or the boss says “We appreciate your many years of service, but you’re fired,” we are jarred to the bone. Then we start asking questions. “If God is real, why did this happen?” God is real and will give you strength to get through life. Nowhere in Scripture are Christians promised smooth sailing.
When the time had come for Jesus to lay down His life for us, He had a serious talk with His disciples. He knew that they would face strong persecution, and most would be martyred for their faith. Many years have passed, but Christians still face persecution and death because of our faith in Christ.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
No matter what we face in this life, when we build our life on the solid Rock, He will see us through. Yes, sometimes that means death. If you’ve built your life on the Rock, death is the step into eternal life. Only Christians have the promise of eternal life through the grace of God through the blood of Jesus.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 8-9).
When a Christian passes from this life, we who are left behind suffer the pain of loss, but our loved one steps into Glory, forever with Jesus. Praise God!
Spiritual darkness is caused by the Evil One, who wants us all to stumble and fall. Jesus said, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Let His light shine through you. When you come to true faith in Jesus, the sin and darkness of this life no longer hold any power over you. The Holy Spirit will guide you to understand Scripture and will help you build your life upon the solid Rock.
His oath, his covenant, his blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
God has made various covenants with humans through the years, such as the one He made with Noah after the Flood, saying He would never destroy the world again with water (see Genesis chapter 9).
Another covenant was made with Abraham (see Genesis chapters 12, 13, 15, and 22). God promised Abraham the land we now call Israel and that he would be the father of physical descendants. Abraham and his wife were quite old, but when God makes a promise, He means it.
There was a covenant with Moses, which included the Ten Commandments and also the rest of the Law containing over 600 commandments (see Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy).
God made a covenant with David (see 2 Samuel 7:8-16). The Mosaic Law involved blood sacrifice of animals in order to cover sin. Although animal blood was used for sacrifice, their blood isn’t human, so its unable to redeem humans. No blood, animal or human, was sufficient.
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).
All human blood is tainted by sin, and therefore, it cannot take sin away. Since Jesus was fully human through Mary, but His father was God, His blood was pure and untainted. This is the New Covenant of Grace. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
I believe and I confess Jesus Christ is my Saviour. He is my hope for life eternal. I’m a sinner, saved by His grace.
When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found:
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Jesus died on the cross. His physical body was tortured and crucified, then placed in a securely sealed tomb, and Roman soldiers were sent to guard it. Still, according to prophecy, Christ arose on the third day! After that, He appeared to many people. Death is no longer the end, but is a beginning for believers. Then the Good News gets even better.
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52).
What a day that will be! Christians will be taken in the Rapture to be forever with Jesus. We won’t be dressed in the filthy rags of sin but clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Because of His sacrifice on the cross, our sins are forgiven. But you must make a choice to accept Jesus.
What is the Gospel? The Christians in Corinth weren’t following God’s truth and therefore had a lot of bad doctrine. They were proud of being woke and accepting of sin. Sounds a lot like today’s congregations. The Apostle Paul wrote them a letter and pointed out their need to change their ways. He reminded them that he had told them of the Gospel, which was exactly as it had been presented to him.
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
That’s salvation in a nutshell: faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When you make that confession of faith and truly believe it, your eternity is secure. There’s no other way except through Jesus. That’s when we should begin to see sin as God sees it; it’s repulsive. The Holy Spirit will change you, and you’ll no longer find pleasure in sin.
“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:25-30).
Sin will always hamper your walk with Christ, but the Holy Spirit will help you change. We cannot take pride in our own good works, but only humbly give thanks for the grace found in Jesus.
Time is short, and Jesus will call Christians home soon. Don’t compromise your faith.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
Build your life on the solid Rock and not on sinking sand. “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).
It seems to me as if there are a lot of foolish people in this world, but when Christians aren’t ashamed of Christ and speak boldly as a witness to the lost, even foolish people can find salvation. Their houses can be rebuilt upon the solid Rock of Jesus Christ.
Where is your hope? Do you think that all roads lead to Heaven? Maybe you think that your sin gets a special pass from Jesus so you don’t have to repent. Faith in Jesus is our only hope.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
Recommended prophecy sites:
www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com
All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.
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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).