It was given through an apostle to write:
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Any notion, even by the titling of these few sections, that there is an attempt to establish a book from the Bible (any book for that matter) and in particular Genesis as the foundation, or foundation of faith (God forbid), would be wrong. Though it is foundational, and in particular to what we might call our theology, it surely holds great influence; but always and ultimately Jesus is the foundation that God has laid to us of all matters. And there is not contradiction in this, for as Jesus has said, the scriptures all testify of Him. He is sole foundation…even that which supports all scripture(s), and can be discovered in all when His testimony is embraced.
And were we again to speak of house or houses and the place(s) in which, and from which, we live; it should not be a stretch to understand this as pertaining to our theology. We live from there, speak from there, act from there, think from there in such measure as our understanding of God is formed and informed and (hopefully) of Him, we know from there. For we know that stuff can “go up” of wood, hay, and stubble; in all subject to God’s testing by fire to show whether we are living (and building) in truth, or just fancy. The man with no marks of fire upon his theology has not yet even begun to build.
God’s end is His house, that habitation in which He dwells fully and unobstructed in spirit, even the Church as all little houses are joined seamlessly in submissive agreement to form that greater house, God’s house. Where Christ is glorified in His glorifying of the Father, and we together fitly joined in, and to Him, know this as all truth. O! but it is no small work God undertakes and has undertaken in choosing what was once of both all disagreement and hostility to Him (and therefore also one another) and fitly compact so that no seam be seen! A singularity, so to speak, so dense and weighty as all creation yields to this new creation.
And to whatever extent we learn, we have learned God is neither reluctant nor shy through Christ to tear down what is not of Him (in our theology and theologies) that this building can only grow in one way, and that upon that firm foundation that is Christ. He not long tolerates (though His patience is unfathomable) what may of corruption and therefore corruptibility be placed upon, or laid to, His Christ. And the fire tests every man’s work. Do we not know this…even in ourselves? We shall not make much progress, otherwise. God is faithful to do as He says.
For if not knowing this there is a day appointed in which the Christ of God says “Depart from me, I never knew you”. The whole of it, and surely foundation was never laid to that them; so that all, from a foundation of fancy to a steeple of once glamour will be torn down. “I never knew you” is quite emphatic overall in “never”. So, even if not yet made glad of God’s wondrous work of bringing fire to test, we, at least, dare not deny it. Lest we think as that them. Not merely bad theology, but knowing of God, at all. Even to constructing their own foundation and that not received of God as in His Christ.
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Even the word exclusive pales to this matter and manner of work, for it is all of God’s sole doing. Man may be given a wonderful allowance to do (try doing nothing and find the end of that) but it, this joyous and gracious allowance to do, is always and only ministered relative to, and by our relationship with that, that foundation. And the Christ of God is not in suspense. I hope you see, or can see, that. He is both under and over all even as Alpha and Omega, all support in beginning, all and only support to end. All begins and ends in Him for us, no matter how we may be yet given to thinking, or reasoning, linearly. And God will handle that.
If then, as it was previously claimed above, Christ is for discovery the scriptures even as He maintained all testify of Him, we must be able to see Him in all. But only if we are made able. Not by first our looking only at the scripture, but contrary wise now, in the sense of only looking at the scripture through Him. We do not see until. We may have sense, there may be an inkling, even a great desire to seek and find (even as Jesus spoke to those who diligently searched them, the scriptures) but until a man is brought to Christ his best estate remains as described by an apostle
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Only Christ does, and can, remove the vail. Or veil. We must read always with those new eyes, of a new creation in Christ. And having a mind renewable. Otherwise our theology and the place we may live and speak from is not in congruence (and will be shown so, undeniably) as not consistent in and with the Christ. That foundation.
And how much of our theology finds well spring in Genesis? A creation, a fall, and all corrupted in result, a faithful One (who does as He says), a deceitful one, a deceivable one, curses ministered, rebukes made of actions, consequences to be so clearly seen of messing with authority leading to all direness of estate…bringing about a knowing of total and undeniable dependency and as being all under that Hand…and also promise. And this just in a first few chapters.
Does one not see (if they be in Christ) how all points to the Christ? And not only so, but in such way that the man in Christ be made able to recognize himself, also? For if we think this is all and only about a “them”, Adam and Eve…how wrong we may be shown! Even how wrong we have been.
But the same who ministers fire to our building, also ministers promise of all comfort and relief.
And, God willing, we may continue.
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