Grow In Grace (Part 2): Built To Last
Photo Courtesy of Fabrizio Lunardi
AS for me and my house
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15
Before passing away at the age of 110, Joshua left us with one of the most well-known and recited verses of the Bible. It’s a powerful declaration of allegiance to God; one that every sincere Believer is called to make. And while this verse certainly stands on its’ own, it’s the context in which it’s delivered that makes it meaningful.
After leading his generation of God’s people, Joshua calls the entire assembly together in order to deliver a farewell address. It’s in this address that God speaks through Joshua & provides a detailed account of everything He’s done for them up to this point. We see how God delivered them from bondage, turned curses into blessings, and brought them continual prosperity. All of which culminates with God declaring:
“I gave you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you live in them; you eat from vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”
Joshua 24:13 (AMP)
For God’s people, this was more than a simple history lesson. This was a powerful realization that everything they had, came as a result of His undeserved kindness. And above all, it was an invitation to respond to His Grace. The reality of today is—
God Is Calling Us To Examine Our Own Life.
To take a moment & consider that every material blessing, every ounce of good health, every spiritual gift, and every good person in our life—all of this & more has come from His Hand. And because of Jesus, we have a new & even greater invitation.
We’re invited to “come and be his “living stones” who are continually being assembled into a sanctuary for God...” (1 Peter 2:5, TPT). The God of all creation is building a home for His Presence, and we’re invited to be a part of this process. In light of all these things—
How Will We Respond?
Will we see our blessings as simply “our own” & go the way of the world? Will we forget His faithfulness? Or like Joshua, will we make a declaration to be different? To choose to be a part of the Heavenly Home He’s building. And declare that, no matter what the rest of the world does, “as for me and my house”—
We Will Serve The Lord.
Incline Your Heart
“Now then, remove the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your hearts toward the Lord, the God of Israel. The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and we will listen to and obey His voice...
Then Joshua sent the people away, each to [the territory of] his inheritance.”
Joshua 24:23-24, 28 (AMP)
It's powerful to make a claim within the greater assembly of God’s people, but life is ultimately defined by who we are at home. It's not just about the public claims we make, but the private ones we take. It’s about the truth that takes root at a heart-level.
Just as the Israelites made their way back to their “own inheritance”, you have your own household & heart to attend to. As Genesis 8:21 says, “every inclination of the heart is bent towards evil.” Which is why you can’t afford to blindly follow your heart. But rather—
You Have To Incline Your Heart Toward The Lord.
So God help us. Help us to see ourselves not as “we think” we are, but as the people you “know us” to be in Christ. Remind us today & everyday, that you are bringing us together as The Home of Your Presence. Open our eyes to see your assignment. Position our hearts to-
Remain In Alignment.
*All throughout Scripture, God uses the “home” as an illustration of our life. With that in mind, we'll explore a few key considerations that help us take inventory on the spiritual home we’re building.
As you read through each section, our prayer is for the Grace & Truth of Christ to speak to the specifics of your situation. And ultimately, for you to allow His Spirit to lead the way in putting your house in order.
Set On Solid Rock
It’s remarkable how we can get caught up with “everything else” in life & overlook what’s truly foundational. But Jesus never deviated or minced words when it came to building a life that lasts. In Matthew 7:24 (TPT), Jesus illustrates two scenarios for us. He says:
“Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation. When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.
“But everyone who hears my teaching and does not apply it to his life can be compared to a foolish man who built his house on sand. When it rained and rained and the flood came, with wind and waves beating upon his house, it collapsed and was swept away.”
Jesus, The Master Builder, makes it clear there are only two options we’re ever building our lives on. We’re either building on sand or we’re building on solid rock. And why does He tell us this? Because He knows—
The “winds and waves” are going to come.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”. As Christ-followers, it’s imperative we are operating with a plan. At a time in which so many people are building on shifting-sand, we have to evaluate our standing. And in humility, turn to the Rock-Solid Words Of Jesus.
Fundamentally, Jesus taught us to “seek, pray, and obey”:
—Seek God & His Kingdom first & above all else (Matthew 6:33)
—Pray for the Father’s Will to be carried out here & now as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9).
—Obey the Lord by loving Him with all we are & loving others as ourselves (Matthew 22:37).
If we will continually ground ourselves in Jesus, today’s trouble will never move us off our Rock. The unforeseen of tomorrow will have no bearing on our firm standing. Decision after decision, day after day—
We Seek, pray, and obey.
Every day, we choose to orient our entire life around Christ our Cornerstone. We stay in-tune to what He is speaking & we respond in obedient love. And as we do, another stone of trust is placed in His Unfailing Word. And our God—
Sets Our House On Solid Rock.
The Right Standard
“...Let every builder do his work carefully, according to God’s standards. For no one is empowered to lay an alternative foundation other than the good foundation that exists, which is Jesus Christ! The quality of materials used by anyone building on this foundation will soon be made apparent, whether it has been built with gold, silver, and costly stones, or wood, hay, and straw.
Their work will soon become evident, for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by blazing fire! And the fire will test and prove the workmanship of each builder. If his work stands the test of fire, he will be rewarded. If his work is consumed by the fire, he will suffer great loss.
Yet he himself will barely escape destruction, like one being rescued out of a burning house.”
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (TPT)
One day, everything we’ve built is going to be revealed for what it truly is. And since God has a certain standard of acceptance, it’s worth asking, what does He find acceptable?
1 Corinthians 4:2 tells us that God demands for His stewards to be “faithful and trustworthy”. In Matthew Ch. 25, Jesus dedicates an entire parable to celebrating “good and faithful” servants. Time and again, we find that God is looking for a certain kind of people.
God’s looking For people who will build with Integrity.
Our calling isn’t to build blindly & without purpose, to labor in the spirit of the law, or to build with self-centered ambition. None of these approaches bring pleasure to God because none of these depend on God. It’s only when we build based on His Presence that—
We build with true & lasting purpose.
True and lasting purpose comes by “being the hands and feet of Christ”. By meeting the needs of people who are “hungry, thirsty, lacking shelter, lacking clothing, battling sickness, and imprisoned” (Matthew 25:35). It’s building in His Spirit that conforms us into people who are faithful with “very little”, so God can entrust us with even more.
Instead of building with materials that are destined to burn up, we build with materials that are designed to burn brighter. When we receive God’s call, we build with the right materials in the right way. And in the power of The Holy Spirit—
We Build For His Glory & The Good Of Others.
maintain With Intention
Regardless of what aspect of life it may be, if you lead with intention, it’s ultimately going to show. Likewise, any area of your life that’s led with an attitude of indifference is also going to come to bear. The story of Eli, the priest, illustrates this very point.
In the book of 1 Samuel, we find that Eli’s two sons (Hophni and Phinehas) are committing egregious sins against the Lord & His people. Instead of honoring the House of God as priests, these two men were desecrating it. They were stealing sacrifice offerings made to the Lord & even sleeping with women who served at the entrance of the tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:15, 2:22). As several Biblical translations put it, “they were worthless men who did not respect the Lord”. And they didn’t respect Him because-
They Didn’t Know Him.
But Eli most certainly did. Eli even helped young Samuel (his future replacement) recognize the voice of the Lord. And while Eli didn’t condone his son’s actions, he continued to tolerate the intolerable. Even to the point of indulging in the Lord’s sacrifices himself. Thus, making him guilty of “holding his sons in higher regard than God” (1 Samuel 2:29, NLT). As a result, Eli and his sons would go on to die prematurely, and his entire family was cut-off from serving as the Lord’s priests. Leaving us with the sober reminder—
Our Actions Have Consequences.
We’re reminded that, just because we’re involved in the “matters of God”, doesn’t mean we’re doing what matters to God. You may have the nicest home in the world, but if you fail to maintain it properly, there are going to be issues. And you don’t maintain a home with indifference—
You Maintain With Intention.
As the new dwelling place of God’s Spirit, the last thing we’re called to is complacency. We were bought with a price; the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:20). And because of His invaluable gift, God’s House deserves our attention and protection.
Because we individually & collectively make up God’s House, we maintain in a manner that serves both. We don’t just direct people to God’s Voice, we listen intently ourselves. We don’t just expect others to lift up the Lord, but we personally hold Him in the highest regard. And just as God has graciously given us a Home in Him, we intentionally—
Offer Ourselves As A Home For Him.
A Home That’s Covered
“But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.”
This First Passover that took place in Egypt was a powerful demonstration of God choosing to spare His people. It was the innocent blood of a lamb that made a house worthy of “passing inspection”. This blood was the insurance that kept the house protected. And as important as this was, it was only a sign of a more beautiful reality to come. A reality revealed in 1 Peter 1:18-19 (TPT), which says:
“For you know that your lives were ransomed once and for all from the empty and futile way of life handed down from generation to generation. It was not a ransom payment of silver and gold, which eventually perishes, but the precious blood of Christ—who like a spotless, unblemished lamb was sacrificed for us.”
Like those who demonstrated their faith by putting the blood on their doorposts, God’s people of today are only protected by innocent blood—the blood of Jesus Christ. We are saved by believing in our heart that Jesus is our Resurrected Lord, and it’s declaring this with our mouth that we demonstrate our faith (Romans 10:9-10). And our boast in the blood of Jesus is so much greater than insurance—
it’s our daily assurance.
Assurance that we “who trust in Him will never be to shame” (Romans 10:11). Assurance that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. Assurance that, as His Spirit has a permanent place in our house, we also have a permanent place in His. Our home is protected, our home is blessed. Our home is only made beautiful—
By The Blood Of Jesus Christ.
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today’s Takeaways
God is calling us to examine our life.
We Build For His Glory & The Good Of Others.
We are protected by the blood of jesus christ.