Let’s Go! (Review of Building Blocks)

Sept. 13

Read: 1 Corinthians 2: 6-16

Let’s Go!

“But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory…“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him” - these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit…Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”  (1 Cor. 2)

God is working to bring his people to full maturity. He will stop at nothing less than completing the work in us which is making us like his Son Jesus… specifically “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”  (Cf. Eph 4:13) This means that in our journey with he Lord there are doctrines or truths that we begin with … that serve as a foundation for us which the Lord builds upon. God is “freely giving to us” His wisdom and truth so that we are “built up” and made “fully mature”.

Hebrews 6:1-2 has a short list of these foundational ideas that it calls “elementary doctrines” that we have been looking at as “building blocks” which lay a foundation for our faith and maturity to grow upon… to be built upon. Here is a review of those blocks:

1.) Jesus Christ has worked out for us a “once and for all” forgiveness. He has set us free from being slaves to sin, death, the devil, and being held captive by the Law. We turn from all of these things and towards God. The Love of God and forgiveness of Jesus is a “sure thing”… it is what we place our hope in. Even though we cannot see exactly how it all works out, we know it is true. This is FAITH; “the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen” (Heb. 11:1) and we have our “faith in God”.

2.) We get baptized as Christians. There is a strong link between our baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit in the scriptures. Baptism is modeled by Jesus and it “united us with him” so that we too walk in a “newness of life”. (Rom. 6:3,4)

3.) The Christian walk is marked by a powerful indwelling presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The scriptures declare that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. (Cf. Matt 3:11) The spiritual gifts that the Spirit brings to us and the supernatural work that God does through the Spirit in and through us is “delivered” most often through God’s people. This ministry happens when we are actually / physically present and with one another… close enough that we can “lay hands” on one another. The life of God’s people is marked by this supernatural work of the Spirit in us as we use our gifts that are called out and brought to the surface by one another as we are together… this is the “laying on of hands” spoken of here! (Cf. Acts 9:12, 19:6, 2 Tim 1:6-7, etc.)

4.) We will rise again from the grave to live eternally with Christ. This is not only a “spiritual truth” but a “physical truth”. As Christians we believe in the resurrection of the dead. We are “no longer slaves to the fear of dying” as Christ followers. (Cf. Hebrews 2:13-14, 1 Cor. 15, Rev. 20, etc.)

5.) Everyone will be judged. People who reject Christ will face a judgment in light of their sins. Every Christian will be judged not against their sins (which have been taken away by Jesus) but against their “good works” and how they have lived their life. This is like being judged at the Olympics and it is tied to the reward we are given in Christ! It is like the game show host saying, “tell them what they have won!” (Cf. 1 Cor. 3:10-15, Rev. 14:13, 20:12, 1 Peter 1:17 etc.)

Christ, Repentance, Faith, Baptism, Holy Spirit, Community, Resurrection, Judgement.

These are the building blocks of basic Christianity that set the stage for growth and maturity in Christ! God has worked through Jesus to set the stage that we may receive what he is freely giving to us as his sons and daughters. To quote the book of Hebrews one last time in this short series: “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrines about Christ and go on to maturity…” (Heb. 6:1) It is a life-long adventure of learning and growth as we experience Jesus work in us and through us!   

Love you guys. - JDP.