Each one should be careful how he builds. 1 Corinthians 3:10 (NIV)
Church
Maybe you have been brought up with the idea that whatever the church teaches, you should believe it, and the reason for believing is that it is the teaching of the church.
In that kind of authoritarian structure, there is very little room for honest questions. The result is some people sign off on certain beliefs because it is the party line, but they find it difficult to make this reality personal. They are left saying to themselves, “I believe what the church teaches, and I’m not sure it makes a whole lot of sense, but who am I to question the church?”
Pastor
Another form of deficient foundation is when faith rests on the influence of a trusted pastor or leader. Perhaps some Christian leader had great influence in the formation of your faith. You looked up to him, admired him, and in some sense wanted to be like him.
But if a scandal were to occur which undermined the credibility of your church or your pastor, where would that leave your faith? If your faith rests on the credibility of the church or the ministry of a pastor, you may one day find that your faith is resting on an insecure foundation.
Maybe you know someone who professed to believe, but when a scandal rocked the church, faith began to crumble, and he or she could no longer believe.
You may have had the unfortunate experience of discovering that the person God used to lead you to Christ fell into some terrible sin. Maybe you know the pain of being let down by a leader. Thank God the faith you learned was bigger than the person you learned it from.
How can you honor your church or pastor without building your faith on them?
