A local news outlet published this article in California:
Scott and Robin Spivey had a sinking feeling that something was wrong with their home when cracks began snaking across their walls in March.
The cracks soon turned into gaping fractures, and within two weeks their 600-square-foot garage broke from the house and the entire property — manicured lawn and all — dropped 10 feet below the street.
It wasn't long before the houses on both sides collapsed as the ground gave way in the Spivey's neighborhood.
The subdivision was built near a dormant volcano. Officials believe water that has bubbled to the surface is playing a role in the destruction.
Eight homes are now abandoned and 10 more are under notice of imminent evacuation as a hilltop with sweeping vistas swallows the subdivision built 30 years ago.
Though the homes were beautiful, the foundation has proven unstable.
Though we may not be building homes near volcanoes, the reality is that we also must choose how we are going to build our lives. And the foundation of what we build our lives on makes all the difference!
What motivates our decisions with finances, relationships, work, parenting, marriage and so on? What forms the foundation for how we make these choices? Do we draw from the foundational values of the culture around us, or family traditions, or feelings, or something else?
We are constantly building our lives on something. The question is what am I building my life on and is it sufficient?
JESUS’ TEACHING ABOUT FOUNDATIONS
A few weeks ago, Walt preached a sermon on Mark 12:18-27. In the text, Jesus is challenged by some religious leaders about Jesus’ belief in the resurrection. The interesting thing is that they posed a hypothetical question about marriage to try and undermine the belief in the resurrection. In the hypothetical scenario, they present a woman who is successively married and widowed by seven brothers. The question they raise is whose wife she will be in the resurrection. They thought this chaotic situation would certainly undermine the belief in the resurrection!
However, Jesus’ response is amazing! He begins his rebuttal with these words in v. 24
"Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?”
Jesus answers their question by questioning their foundation. They are building on faulty ideas that do not recognize scripture nor the power of God. So, their question is irrelevant. It doesn’t take into account how the world is designed, who is in charge, and how they are to live. Jesus is teaching them that there are good foundations and there are bad foundations to build your life on.
We want to ask the question what we are building on and is it sufficient? Are we like the religious leaders? Or are we building our lives on what Jesus says is sufficient?
BAD FOUNDATIONS
Personal Interpretation: “My Own Private Bible Interpretation is My Foundation”
Culturally, we often hear people using language about personal interpretations of the world around them being “their truth.” There is a focus on what is true “for me.” In this way of seeing the world, there is a multiplying and flattening of truth. Everyone has their own personal truth and each “truth” is equally valid. It’s often the case that these “personal truths” are basically whatever approach to life that increases enjoyment and reduces pain, suffering, and inconvenience.
This cultural position can even tint the way we approach the Bible. Perhaps you’ve been in a Bible study group where someone begins with “This is what this verse means to me…” This approach to the Bible may sound humble, but it can lead into some hot water. For instance, let’s imagine someone (let’s call him Bobby) reads Philippians 4:13 - “ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Read in isolation, Bobby may come to believe that this verse is telling him he can skip studying, pray for strength, and then ace his math test. All things are possible, after all! But, living with this assumption can quickly lead to disappointment (especially after Bobby gets his math grade back).
A broader look at that verse reveals that Paul was actually talking about experiencing the Lord’s strengthening presence in both prosperity and adversity. Take a look at the verse before: “ I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
So, here’s the problem with personal interpretation: There is a single truth. Not all interpretations are created equal. If you ignore aspects of the truth, it can cause you to be bitter and unstable. It is a bad foundation.
Personal Experience: “Who Needs the Bible? Experience is My Foundation”
Another error is building your life on feelings and personal experiences. Matthew Barrett helpfully summarized this issue saying: “In faith and practice, too many Christians nod at what the Bible says, but politely set it aside to live their life how they think or feel is best. Sufficiency of scripture is affirmed in the head, but functionally it is experience that rules the day.” Matthew Barrett
In addition to prioritizing personal experience, we can often be quick to consult the personal experience of others. As different issues surface, we can be tempted to become frustrated with the Bible’s seeming lack of answers. We may think, “the Bible doesn’t talk about technology, dating, depression, fast food jobs, or whether I should go to college. So, the Bible may be fine for religious discussions, but I need something more to help with my problems.”
But the problem with prioritizing personal experience is this - like the religious leaders, the questions we want answers to may not even be the right questions, nor the most important questions. We may be missing the right foundation!
So is there a sufficient foundation to build your life on?
Yes! There is a truth and it’s a foundation sufficient to build your life on!
WHAT MORE CAN HE SAY?
Take a look at the opening verse of the beloved hymn “How Firm A Foundation”:
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word
What more can He say than to you He hath said
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled
The song boldly highlights the sufficiency of scripture. But how is it sufficient? Does it answer all our questions? In a recent article Walt wrote for the Sovereign Grace Journal, he begins to untangle this knot for us:
In a culture filled with social media feeds and hot takes, it’s so easy to conclude that what we need most is for God to say more.
What he has said in Scripture is great, but not enough, we may conclude.
We need more. More confirmations of the will of God. More explanations about why we suffer. More updated instructions for our culture’s hot button issues. More prophecies about what is happening in America & the world.
Have you ever wanted more?
The danger of this desire for more is not merely that we discard what God has spoken in Scripture, but that we also fail to plumb the depths of what God has spoken in Scripture for whatever we will face…
The Bible does not tell us everything, but it does tell everything we need to know. We do not need more.
So, if the Bible doesn’t tell us everything, but it does tell us everything we need to know, then in what way is it sufficient?
HOW ARE THE SCRIPTURES A SUFFICIENT FOUNDATION?
One of the key scriptures for this question comes from Paul’s 2nd letter to Timothy, a young pastor trying to lead a diverse church.
2Tim. 3:14-17 - But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Here, we see that the “sacred writings” Timothy grew up with are able [sufficient] for understanding how to be saved through faith in Christ Jesus.
We also see that scripture is profitable [sufficient] for teaching, reproof, correction, and for training in righteousness. And to what end? So that [Christians] may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Putting the pieces together, the Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith captures the concept of scripture’s sufficiency saying:
Believers live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The Word of God is therefore necessary and wholly sufficient for knowing the Father’s love in Christ, experiencing his glorious plan of redemption, and being instructed in the way of fruitful and godly living…Scripture alone is our supreme and final authority and the rule of faith and life.
So what? This means that scripture provides the sufficient foundation for salvation and living a godly life!
Scripture does NOT say everything that could be said on every subject. But, Scripture has all we need for salvation and living a godly life. It is a sufficient foundation for all of life!
HOW DO I PRACTICE BUILDING ON THIS FOUNDATION?
But how do you put that into practice? What about all the daily questions about things like dating and technology and whether or not you should go to college?
Here is how you could approach some of those topics by building your life on the foundation of scripture.
Dating: You may have questions about dating. Dating may not be explicitly addressed in the Bible, but the foundations you need to make godly decisions are addressed: deeper questions in the Bible would get at definitions and designs of manhood, womanhood, love, marriage.
Technology: You may have questions about technology. Technology may not be explicitly addressed in the Bible, but the foundation you need to make godly decisions are addressed: deeper questions in the Bible would get at the reasons and motivations behind the use of technology. It would get at questions of the heart, relationships, fear of man, acceptance, friendship, and leisure.
College: You may have questions about college. College may not be explicitly addressed in the Bible, but the foundations you need to make godly decisions are addressed: deeper questions in the Bible would get at why you want to go to college. What is a successful life and how do you know? The bible would address wealth, poverty, work, idolatry, worship, giving, and the goals of the Christian life.
These topics are not separate from the questions being asked. But understanding what God has revealed in scripture provides the sufficient foundation for making godly decisions.
CONCLUSION
Scripture has what we need. Our job is not to be innovators, but excavators of truth. We must go to the Bible in humility and ask for God’s help to understand and apply His truth to our lives.
If you would like more help “excavating” the truth of scripture for yourself, we recommend checking out the recent Trinity Grace College Course - Bible 101: Fighting For Joy with the Word.