A Sure Foundation

Krista Sanders

Central Truth

Through all of the unknowns of life, having a strong foundation in Christ is marked by a consistent obedience and complete dependence, leading to true intimacy with Christ.

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome."

1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God's high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.

11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

Paul was no stranger to navigating the unknowns of life, and neither are we. As we live through the unknowns on our journeys, we can learn from Paul what marks a person with a solid foundation in Christ.

Because of Paul's bold retelling of how Jesus changed his life, we find a collected Paul in front of the Sanhedrin (the supreme Jewish religious, political, and legal council in Jerusalem), ready to defend his message. This group of leaders would have caused most men to tremble in their sandals, but Paul looked straight at them, addressed them as "Brothers," and began, "I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day." (Acts 23:1) Here is evidence for his sure footing in front of such an intimidating crowd. Since his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he had lived a life of consistent obedience. He had a good conscience, which produced a confidence that could only come from following God. With every conscious choice to obey God, another layer of strength was added to his foundation so that he could hold fast to Christ in times of trouble.

Paul had many heated encounters with the rulers of his day; and in the midst of them, he exercised complete dependence on the Lord. Luke had recorded Jesus' words regarding when the disciples would appear before the synagogues and rulers: the Holy Spirit would teach them, in the moment, what they should say. We see this as Paul perceived his audience and spoke truth that distracted the people with a theological argument. It bought him more time to carry on the mission to Rome. Paul listened to the Spirit and acted upon the Spirit's leading, marking Paul as one who humbly depended on the Lord and whose foundation in Christ was strong and secure.

The next night, the Lord stood near Paul and encouraged him (Acts 23:11). What a comfort the Lord's presence must have been to Paul. As believers, we know that Jesus is near to us. His Spirit resides within us. His intimate presence is the cornerstone of a firm foundation.

A life marked with consistent obedience and complete dependence on the Lord can't help but develop a true intimacy with Him.

1. Paul was no stranger to suffering, but he was a man who claimed to have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation (Philippians 4:11-12). In our passage today, we find him in hardship—where some of us might consider ourselves today. In the midst of the unknown or trouble, how do you typically conduct yourself? Where do you seek out comfort? Have you found your foundation in Christ to be firm and unwavering?

2. Jesus illustrated how obedience develops a strong foundation in Luke 6:47-48:
"Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built."
How had it been "well built"? How does obedience make your foundation strong?

3. Read Luke 12:11-12. Have you ever been in a situation that caused you to be dependent on the Lord for your very next words? How would this kind of dependence and trust strengthen your foundation in Christ?

4. What are some ways you can grow in your intimacy with Christ? (time alone in prayer, Bible study, serving others, Scripture memorization, sharing your story of faith, meditating on God's Word, prayer with others, etc.) Choose one or two of these, share with your community group, and commit to growing closer to God.