Christian Living

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"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Tim. 3;16

In this verse, the word Scripture meant the Old Testament since the New Testament had not yet been written, but we generally use the term now to encompass the entire Bible because Paul and the other writers were preaching the Gospel which would later comprise the New Testament. And it is truly applicable to the human condition up to this good day. But it is an over-arching summation describing the whole of Scripture's intent. As one studies, he finds that there are foundational truths which, if not in place, make the fine-tuning, amplifying, growth-producing Scriptures of little use.

Jesus oftn used few words to express the absolutely most important truths. For instance, he once answered the Pharisees' question, "Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" with these words: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like unto it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." Matt. 22:35-40 These were foundational truths, greater than all others, similar to house construction where the foundation is necessary before the superstructure can be built.

The Sermon on the Mount is another of the down-to-earth, application-oriented Scriptures. It describes how to implement the great commandments: how to relate to our Maker and how to live with one another. It has to do with the conduct of our everyday lives and is absolutely foundational. Matt. 5:1-11

The 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians is the most beautiful definition of love this world will ever know, and it is clear as a bell: not hard to understand, but the implementing of it in our daily lives requires constant attention. "But now these three remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love." It is basic.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit." Eph. 2:19-22

These ae all foundational Scriptures that must be in place before we can "all reach unity in the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Eph. 4:13

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