We see that Paul has laid Jesus Christ as the foundation. He goes on to say that no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is laid. For Paul to have laid Jesus as the foundation means that he came with the knowledge concerning Him who, according to the flesh, was born of the seed of David and who could rise again on the third day. The foundation for our faith is the knowledge concerning Jesus in the days of His flesh, how He reacted in order to put sin in the flesh—which had entered through the fall and had corrupted all mankind—to death. This is the foundation for our faith. The life that Jesus lived was for our liberation. This is the gospel for us, namely, that we can be liberated. By means of this knowledge we have received the exceedingly great and precious promises so that we through them might become partakers of divine nature, fleeing the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Pet. 1:3-4. No one can lay another foundation for this hope that the body can be liberated from sin. If Jesus had not been born of the seed of David according to the flesh, He could not have been tempted like we are. He was tempted and tried in the same way we are. If He had sinned in temptation, He could not have helped us to come out of sin—but He was without sin. On that foundation we can appear before the throne of grace and receive help in time of need. The time of need is when we are tempted—before we fall. Concerning this matter there are many scriptures that explain Jesus as the foundation. Rom. 1:1-5; 8:3-4; Heb. 4:14-16; 5:7-10; 1 Pet. 2:21-24; 4:1-2. We read in Romans 8:3-4: “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Here we see that Jesus was laid down as the foundation for our hope. However, most preachers do not believe in this redemption. Therefore they do not read verse 4. In the third verse they read only the part about the likeness of sinful flesh, implying that His flesh was unlike ours. Of course then they have no foundation for being able to fulfill the law and become partakers of divine nature. Yet we read that God condemned sin in the flesh—which means that sin had to be there. What is the requirement of the law? We read that in Romans 7:7: “You shall not covet.” Covetousness in the flesh is what tempts us; and when covetousness has conceived in our mind, it brings forth sin. Jas. 1:2-15. Then the flesh becomes sinful; but if we do not give in to the lust, but hate it, it is crucified and put to death. All of us have sinned many times, which is why we have a sinful flesh. Jesus never fell in temptation. On the contrary, sin was condemned and put to death. That is why we read, “In the likeness of sinful flesh.” When God gave Jesus light and condemned sin in the flesh we read about Him: “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Heb. 9:14. This eternal Spirit through which Jesus offered Himself also became acquainted with the sacrifices that Jesus brought on the new and living way which He consecrated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh. He received this Spirit from the Father and poured Him out over the disciples on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:32-33. This Spirit of truth was to lead them into all truth because He would not speak on His own authority, “but whatever He hears He will speak and He will tell you things to come. Jesus explained to His disciples that He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:13-14. This Spirit of truth was to lead us into all truth. Just as the Father condemned sin in Jesus’ flesh—who then offered Himself through the power of the eternal Spirit—so this Spirit of truth can now also deal with us. Through this Spirit we can receive light over the deeds of the body—things that we did not understand before—and through the same Spirit of truth we can put to death these deeds of the body so that we can partake of Jesus’ life. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” This is how we are conformed to the image of the Son so that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Rom. 8:28-29, and verses 13-14. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Here we can see the apostles laying Jesus as the foundation. We cannot live this life of following in His steps who did not sin in our own strength. When we receive the same Spirit in which He lived and are led by Him, then we can walk in His steps; then we can always bear the fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5:19-22; 2 Cor. 4:10-11. We can, as James writes, “Count it all joy” when we fall into various temptations. Yes, we are blessed in temptation if we endure, because then we receive the crown of life. V. 12. We know that there has been division among the believers throughout the ages. They soon lost this foundation, which the apostles had laid, and they could not lay any other foundation. We read that it was impossible—which means that they could not build the body of Christ. In his letters, John warns us powerfully against the spirit of Antichrist. It was of the utmost importance for Antichrist to destroy this foundation so that those who believed in Jesus would not come to a life of victory over sin. We read this clearly in 1 John 2:18-20; 4:1-3; 2 John 7-11. We know that in our days the teaching that Jesus is born of the seed of David according to the flesh is considered the worst deception of all. Thereby they deny that we have a High Priest who can have compassion with our weaknesses, One who was tried in all things like we are, yet without sin. They do not believe that if He was tried—or tempted—like we are, He could be without sin. Heb. 2:11-18; 4:14-16. They have no foundation for the hope that the law can be fulfilled in them if they put to death covetousness. Paul asks: “Is Christ divided?” 1 Cor. 1:13. No, that is impossible. There would not have been any divisions, and so many denominations, if they had built the body of Christ. The only foundation they have for their faith is Jesus as the atoning sacrifice. Therefore they believe in the forgiveness of sins, but that is not building anything. We read that clearly in Acts 13:38-39. “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sin; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Then the requirement of the law “You shall not covet” is fulfilled in us. Jesus explains this in several places. Matt. 5:27-30. That is serious, as Jesus explains it, and as we read: “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” Religious people reckon that only those who are under the law need to be obedient. They say, “This word does not apply to those who are under grace.” They think that obedience has nothing to do with the gospel. We read when Paul was chosen to declare the gospel, he received grace to work the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles to the glory of His name. Rom. 1:5; 15:17-19. We praise God because He is raising up the church all over the world! Jesus is appointing servants who have grace to build on Jesus Christ as the foundation, and who can help the saints to become fully equipped for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. They grow up to Him who is the head—Christ—in every respect. The head joins us together, and He apportions the ministries to all the members for the edification of the body in love. Eph. 4:11-16. There is no division in that body. They receive revelation in the knowledge concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. They know how to esteem this knowledge so highly that they consider everything else as dung in order to attain to the righteousness of God by faith. Paul explains this way of faith as follows: “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Phil. 3:10-11. This was the only thing he was interested in. Vs. 13-14.Sigurd Bratlie

By Elias Aslaksen The vast majority of those who are occupied with preaching God’s Word pervert it by omitting this “if,” and thereby keeping silent about the conditions. Each promise has one or several conditions that must be fulfilled before you can obtain what has been promised! They act as though there were no “if” existed; therefore it is their fault that those who listen to them do not partake of God’s glorious life that has been promised to each one who fulfills the conditions. People like to be exalted together with Jesus. However, according to Jesus’ own words, that is impossible unless the person humbles himself. Matt. 23:12. “If you abide in My word . . . .” John 8:31. Not otherwise! “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you . . . .” John 15:7. “If you keep My commandments . . . .” John 15:10. Otherwise nothing can come of it! “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” John 15:14. Otherwise you are not His friends! If you imagine yourself to be His friends anyway, you are extremely superficial, living in profound self-deception. Preachers and leaders bear the main blame for this. Wretched people! It is just as with the Pharisees and scribes in Jesus’ days, who did not enter through the strait gate themselves and did not walk on the narrow way, and those who desired to were hindered from doing it by these hypocrites; they were warned against it. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another . . . .” 1 John 1:7. Otherwise, we do not have true and genuine and sincere fellowship with one another; it is only a so-called fellowship which the entire world is full of. There they “act” as if they love one another instead of loving one another in truth. Therefore this cannot result in sanctification. In the previous verse it says that if we still say that we have fellowship with one another, or with Him, we lie. It is always a tremendous either/ or!!! We see the conditions for becoming Jesus’ disciples most clearly in Luke 14:26-27 and 33: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Therefore the conditions must certainly be fulfilled; otherwise it is out of the question and utterly impossible. What a critical deception when you leave out the conditions!