“if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
Two metaphors characterize the stable Christian. He is both “grounded and steadfast” in his faith.
“grounded and steadfast”
The word “grounded” suggests a secure foundation as a building that sits upon a rock. The believer lays a foundation of stability when he comes to trust Christ. His foundation was dug deep and solid. The foundation is Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11). The Greek indicates that they were placed on that foundation at one point with permanent results.
The word “steadfast” is literally “settled.” It depicts a steady and firm resolve (1 Cor. 15:58; Heb 10:23). “Steadfast” is a metaphor for spiritual stability. While “grounded” suggests a solid foundation, this term indicates the strength of the building. The Lycus Valley was noted for its earthquakes. They must not be like a house that shakes in an earthquake. They must resist efforts to shake them loose from their foundation, Jesus Christ.
The sub-structure supports the super-structure. The believer stands before God in an unchangeable, unalterable, infallible, eternal state. Our condition may vary because we sin in our current situation. There will be a day when our condition lines up with our position before God in Christ.
Principle:
A believer must have both a sub-structure and a super-structure, a sure foundation, and a solid structure, which will keep his faith stable.
Application:
Do you erect upon the sub-structure (Jesus Christ) a little hut, lean-to, or pup tent? What a pity that some Christians have such a weak structure to their faith. That is like building a foundation for a skyscraper and erecting a one-story wood building upon it. Yet, that is exactly what most Christians do. We have the most incredible foundation anyone can secure, the work of Jesus Christ. Look at the skinny little life that we perch upon that foundation!
This is an amazing analogy! From reading this I pictured an incredible foundation with a scanty beach pop up tent erected symbolizing the life of so many Christians. What a visual to remind us of the wonderful foundation we have in Christ! May our lives mirror a skyscraper, not a convenient pop up tent!