I shared this photo in the last blog post of the Parthenon back in the 1970’s. At that time there was not a huge flood of tourists to the area. No tickets were required to access the Acropolis. No security guards … or fences. It doesn’t even look like reconstruction work had even begun on the Parthenon.
Today you cannot clamber all over the Parthenon and wander around within.
Today the Parthenon is an active construction site. Reconstruction work is actively underway.
I particularly like this photo of the Parthenon from our recent visit because it highlights the construction work which is occurring. Scaffolding. Cranes.
Walls, partially reconstructed, are still underway …
There’s no chance of getting over there now to perch on that foundation, and chill.
The Apostle Paul told the brand-new Christians at Corinth:
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” – 1 Corinthians 3:16
Peter reiterates this: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house [temple].” – 1 Peter 2:4-5
If we have repented of our sin and trusted in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world … our very lives are like this temple under construction. God is actively at work building us so that we will be more and more like Jesus.
For starters, Jesus is our foundation. Just like the massive foundation of the Parthenon.
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 3:11
And from there, the building rises. Scaffolding. Cranes.
But the construction work requires collaboration. It’s not simply God’s job to do all the work of making us more and more like Jesus … while we sit around on the steps of the foundation, chillin’ and relaxing.
We have to get involved too.
We have to pick up some tools … and put forth some effort. We have to get some construction dust & grit on us too. It’s a collaboration.
Jesus said:
“Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock [Jesus Christ].
“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” – Matthew 7:24-27
Our construction “tools” are the truths of Scripture.
A few blog posts ago I wrote about the tools in my kitchen drawer. The point of that blog post was: I have the ability to make something out of the “ingredients” life gives me by using the spiritual “tools” I have collected in my “kitchen drawer” (so to speak). The “tools” are the promises, truths, and instructions in Scripture. The way I gather the “tools” I need is by reading the Bible each day.
This same thought can be applied to the construction work going on in our life.
God is doing construction work in our soul, but we need to pick up some “tools” and “swing a hammer” too. We need to pick up a “chisel” and do some work too.
The “hammer” and the “chisel” are the promises, truths, and instructions in Scripture. We gather these “tools” by reading the Bible each day.
As we actively obey the commands of Scripture … we are “chiseling away” on the building stones.
As we actively trust the promises of God … we are “swinging a hammer” and “building walls.”
As we actively apply the truths of God’s Word in our life … we are participating in the construction work which God is doing in our life.
Jesus said: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” – Luke 11:28
This blog is called: Daily Blessing. Everyone would like to be blessed. How do we receive a daily blessing??
“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” – Luke 11:28
It’s as simple as that.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word of God but does not do what it says is like a person who looks at their face in a mirror and, after looking at themselves, goes away and immediately forgets what they look like.
“But the person who looks intently into the perfect law [the Word of God], and continues to do this, not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – this person will be blessed in what they do.” – James 1:22-25
“Each one should be careful how he builds. …
“If any person builds on this foundation [Jesus Christ] using gold, silver, costly stones [this would be the promises & truths of Scripture], wood, hay, or straw [this would be doing things our own way according to whatever we think], their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day [of judgement] will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
“If what they have built survives, they will receive their reward. If it is burned up, they will suffer loss; they themself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” – 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
My life … your life … is an active construction site.
How is the work going?
