Living a Christian Life Study 4: Do not Neglect your Spiritual Foundations

When we fail to put into practice what we have heard from God, we only fool ourselves. He will require of us an accounting of what we did with everything we heard. If we make a habit of not doing what we are told, we soon become lawless, and eventually will be called "workers of iniquity, or lawlessness"

Matthews 7:21-23  ²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  ²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  ²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

If we make a habit of not really listening, we will lose the power to hear. When the storm comes  - - - and it does in everyday life - -  we will not be able to stand.

1. God tests our submission to His Lordship on the basis of obeying His words, and laying each of these foundation stones is a command.       Matthews 7:21-28 ²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. ²⁴Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:²⁵And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:²⁷And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it ²⁸And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
    
2.  We become a part of God's people - -  His Church - - by being joined to Christ through foundational experience. Isiah 28:16 :   Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation, he believeth shall not make haste
   
3.  Only as we experience Christ in these foundation truths can we become different people.  2Timothy 2:19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
4.  We face not only the tests of our future in this life, but the judgment of God in the next life. (I Timothy 6:19 - Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
5. We will not continue growing if we fail to lay some foundation  stones in our lives; we will remain babes on "milk".   Hebrews 5:12,13 -   For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.