God is not building with wood, brick, or stone. He is constructing a spiritual house—a habitation for Himself—composed of living stones, the saints. But every true building must have a foundation, and in God’s design, that foundation is not a doctrine, a movement, or a system. It is a Person: Jesus Christ Himself. This is not a negotiable truth, nor is it a matter of secondary importance. Paul, entrusted as the wise master builder by the grace of God, laid this foundation once for all. There is no other.
“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon."
— 1 Corinthians 3:10
Paul’s insistence is not a matter of pride or personal preference. He calls this “my gospel” because it was uniquely entrusted to him as a stewardship for the church’s sake. The foundation he laid is Christ Himself—crucified, risen, and now revealed as the very life within His people. This is not an abstract idea but the living, unchangeable reality upon which everything in God’s house must rest.
The Mystery Once Hidden, Now Manifest
For ages, the prophets spoke of Messiah’s sufferings and the glories to follow, but the full significance of God’s plan was veiled. The mystery—Christ Himself as the foundation and content of God’s building—remained hidden. The saints of old did not possess this knowledge; the foundation was not yet revealed in its fullness. This was not a positive state; it meant the riches of God’s purpose were inaccessible, the hope of glory not yet made manifest.
But now, in the fullness of time, God has shattered the silence. Through Paul and the apostles, the mystery is unveiled: Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is not a peripheral truth. It is the very center of God’s revelation and the only ground for assurance, inheritance, and sonship. The riches of this glory are now made known to the saints—Jew and Gentile alike—so that all may be established, not in themselves, but in Christ.
“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
— Colossians 1:26-27
No Other Foundation—No Other Gospel
Paul’s gospel is not one message among many. It is the only message that establishes, strengthens, and secures the believer. To build on any other foundation—whether it be law, tradition, human effort, or spiritual experience—is to build on sand. Such a building cannot stand, and God does not recognize it as His own. The foundation is invalid, and the result is spiritual ruin. This is not a theoretical danger; it is the inevitable outcome wherever Christ is displaced or supplemented.
“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith."
— Romans 16:25-26
What is lost if we accept another foundation? Everything. Justification collapses, for only in Christ are we declared righteous. Inheritance is forfeited, for only those built on Christ share in the riches of His glory. Sonship is denied, for only Christ in you is the hope of glory. The conscience is left uncleansed, tossed by every wind of doctrine, and the obedience of faith is replaced by the bondage of works. To abandon this foundation is to abandon the gospel itself.
Take Heed How You Build
The call is urgent and uncompromising: Take heed how you build. Faithfulness and doctrinal integrity are not optional; they are the means by which the church is built up according to God’s purpose. We do not improve upon the foundation. We do not supplement Christ with our own efforts. We build by holding fast to the revelation of Christ as our righteousness, sanctification, and reward.
Let no one imagine that this is a matter for theologians alone. The foundation determines everything—your assurance, your standing, your fruitfulness, your very identity as a child of God. If you are not building on Christ alone, you are not building at all.
Christ is the foundation laid once for all by the wisdom of God. To rest in Him is to possess everything; to depart from Him is to lose all. Let us not be found among those who seek another ground. Let us be among those who, established by Paul’s gospel, build with gold, silver, and precious stones—things that endure, because they are founded on Christ Himself.
Read more: Christ As Righteousness, Sanctification, and Reward
