The foundation endures

Jesus once spoke about a wise man who built his house on a rock (Matt. 7:24-27). The person who hears His Word and lives according to it is like this man.

On the other hand he who builds on sand is foolish. A torrential rain will cause his house to fall. A person like this hears Christ's words, but does not live according to them.

On what kind of a foundation are you building your faith?

If you build it on your own works, your building will collapse. But if you build on Christ, you will endure. He was attacked by all of our enemies. He successfully resisted the devil's flattering promises of power and honor. To the very end He traveled the road of humiliation that His Father sent Him to travel. Death and the whole world with its full weight of sin stormed against Him. Even the holy Law of God condemned Him - not because of His own sins for He had none - but because of our sins, which were attributed to Him, so that we might go free. He experienced what it means to be forsaken by God in His body and soul. But with His death He earned us life, with His suffering He earned us glory, and by placing Himself under God's wrath He earned us the fathomless love of our heavenly Father.

Christ is a tried and tested foundation. All of our enemies have already attacked Him and failed. When we do as Christ's Word tells us to do (Matt. 7:24), or in other words when we trust in Him, we are on a firm foundation. We ourselves will remain weak. Even our faith wavers. The main thing is that the foundation endures. If we build on some other foundation we will not be able to bear the trials of this life let alone the events of the Last Day. Along with the works of all mankind, our works too have been tested. The bodies of millions have been buried in the earth. Our bodies too will one day be laid to rest. But we ourselves do not have the power to arise as Christ did. We have the hope of resurrection only because of what Christ did in our behalf. In Him we have a sure hope, not just a wish or a dream. Jesus says: "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son, and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:40).