GOD’S HOUSE – HIS BUILDING

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are GOD’S BUILDING” – 1 Corinthians 3:9

GOD’S HOUSE is His people; and His people are HIS BUILDING: “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are GOD’S BUILDING” (v.9). A church is people, not physical buildings; and though the building may be beautiful, useful and necessary to enhance the programmes that God has given the Church, the Lord had much more in mind when He said, “I will build MY CHURCH, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:18). The Church is a spiritual building, a growing building, growing through the centuries, made up of people whom Peter calls “living stones” who are built into this mighty temple of God (1Pet.2:5).

A building is an apt and useful symbol for the Church, and Scripture uses this analogy. Our Lord is building His Church, which He started in the first century when the foundations were laid. The building project has been progressing, stretching through the centuries, and now we are perhaps at the roofing stage. The building is almost complete, this one building, one Church. Paul wrote: “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (vv.10-11).

This building is an invisible union among visible people. In a sense the Church is both visible and invisible: we can see the Church because the people of God gather in one place; yet we cannot see the Church because it consists of only that spiritually-knitted tie that binds us together in sharing the life of Christ. That union is evident in three distinct ways: First, the church is the total union of all believers of all time, both on earth and in heaven: “in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph.2:21). Second, the church is the local congregation, meeting at separate times and places: consisting of any two or three Christians gathered in the name of the Lord (Mt.18:20). Furthermore, there is a sense in which every individual believer is a dwelling place of God by the Spirit (1Cor. 6:19-20a).

In all of these manifestations the matter of first importance is the foundation. A building is no good if the foundation is faulty. The foundation of the Church is not subject to debate: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (v.11). His person, life, doctrines, teachings, resurrection, ascension, return by means of the Holy Spirit to make Himself universally available among us; as well as His coming return in person from heaven – all of these are included in the foundation. The unshakeable foundation, of course, consists of the Scriptures, passed to us by the apostles. JESUS is the foundation, and we must keep Him central in all things.

Paul calls himself as “the wise master builder” – the Architect: the one man who conceptualizes, designs, and details the building. Of course, God is the Architect of the Church (Mt.16:18). Paul was like a building contractor, who along with other apostles, preached and taught the doctrines of Christ and enabled people to practice them as part of laying the foundation of the Church. But, foundations are meant to be built on. The apostles laid the foundations in giving us the Scriptures, so that we might build on them, in order for the Church to rise and take shape and form.

Pertinent questions follow: What is your impact? What kind of material are you putting into another person's life?” The options are listed: “gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is” (1Cor.3:12-13). There are two types of material: permanent, fire-resistant materials and temporary, combustible, perishable materials that soon pass away! What are you building with?