"For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh"1
A sure foundation is where Jesus is our Rock. Paul also writes it is sure against what he later calls doctrines of demons. Now, some think these teachings harmless, as long as Christ is preached, right? Paul speaks of teachers who teach for personal reasons and then there are those who are evil workers or who teach doctrines of demons. One type he says as long as they preach Christ, good, but the other, he would rather they be castrated. He later writes these evil workers are teaching, not just of doctrines of man, but demons, he warns us to avoid their mutilation. Paul establishes this foundation, for by Grace are you saved through faith as a safe guard against such teaching. I have experienced it, when people operate to these doctrines in the church satan gets a foothold, you can sense his presence. Understanding this new covenant, for by grace are you saved through faith in Jesus, is sure foundation. It is established by Grace but conditional through faith in Christ. We can mention some elements of this foundation as "now abides Faith, Hope and Love, where the greatest of these is love."
This fellowship with the Father is a eternal purpose of this new covenant, where we boldly approach His throne of Grace. We will need to. These doctrines of demons do not teach us to wear the shoes of the gospel of peace but shoes of disunity. They teach people to put confidence in the flesh not in the Spirit. Paul writes we are to be rooted and grounded in His love, in unity, to be safe against such doctrines. The Law of the Spirit says we must walk in the Spiritual for life and peace. The Law of Sin says if we walk in the flesh we receive death. These doctrines of demons want us to put trust in the flesh, and this can mean trusting in the Mosaic Law, which does not empower us to overcome sin. This is what is so deceiving about these doctrines, they look like truth, they look like life, they look like the gospel, but they are not and their leader is an imitator of light. Why do you think this looks so good? Well, it appeals to the flesh and also to old requirements of the Law, thus the deception. God's requirements for righteousness in the old was by the Law, by works to meet His requirements, these works were given to Moses; do not look, do not touch, do not taste... In the new covenant these doctrines have a form of godliness but lack the power.
This was the weakness of the Law it never had power to overcome sin in the flesh. Doctrines that appeal to the flesh for righteousness will have no power to free. But you say, we are called to be holy, to avoid sin, to obey the Law. Some would even say teaching Grace is leading His people astray because it gives a license to sin. Jesus did not do away with the Law. I say these people don't understand Grace. By Grace, God's Son met that righteous requirement and by faith in Him we are empowered by His Spirit to overcome sin in the flesh, to meet His righteousness. Not to rely on our flesh for such and the great thing about this new covenant is that He empowers and when we do walk in the flesh, we have this advocate with the Father, Jesus, so that we have Bold access to the Father, to His throne of Grace, to receive grace and mercy when needed. David learned this principle to boldly come to the throne room of God, he writes "better is one day in His courts than a 1000 years elsewhere," The scriptures say he was a man after God's own heart.
Jesus came full of Grace and truth, equilibrium. To not teach Grace is to not teach truth. Grace encompasses faith, hope, and love, a foundation that we build on. There are other principles to learn, we are to be holy as he is, but we must learn to do so not depending on the flesh. When God met Moses on his way to Egypt he almost destroyed him because one of his sons was not circumcised. Some Jews wanted to add the old covenant requirement to the new, such seems harmless, but such appeals to the flesh. Under the old covenant God set apart His people externally but under the new it is internally, circumcision of the heart, born again. Some want to go back to external measures for righteousness, external cleansing, external shows of piety. This solid foundation as Paul writes, is by which we stand firm, and not only to stand firm but as to be Safe, sure footing when it comes to doctrines introduced by dogs, evil workers, doctrines established by demons. This unity with God and in His church is the eternal purpose of this new covenant, it manifests His glory to the heavens, it defeats the bodies in the spiritual where the battle is played out.
Christ established this gift of grace in our hearts, and he gives the same to all who believe. "to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift."8 This foundation is also where we stand firm as we grow in our spiritual journey, into what John calls from child to a young person, where the Word of God abides in us and where we overcome the evil one. This process includes the renewal of our minds; "put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."9 This is where I learn to walk by the Spirit, God has empowered within me, it is metamorphosis, that which is inside becomes outwardly, a reality. It starts as a child. I must have a sure foundation, I can not overcome the evil one in my flesh, the battle must be fought in the Spiritual. We have this same power that raised Jesus from the dead within us.
We are to pray without ceasing, as we have this access to the Father, the eternal purpose of the new covenant, "in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him."10 It is a main teaching of Grace, to boldly come before His throne of Grace.11 Paul writes that when the body is weak we are to take time to strengthen it "and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed."12 The straight path helps us to heal and to endure the discipline of God. I believe His church now, needs the straight path, a sure foundation.
Good Good Father