Foundational doctrines

Hebrews 6:1-3 lays out the foundations of the Christian faith. The author of Hebrews--which I believe the Apostle Paul wrote even though there is disagreement--wrote, "Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so." So we see from this that the six foundations of the Christian faith are:

1. Repentance from acts that lead to death
2. Faith in God
3. Instruction about cleansing rights
4. The laying on of hands
5. The resurrection of the dead
6. Eternal judgment

These are the six foundations of the Christian faith from a doctrinal standpoint, but, of course, the ultimate foundation for the beginning of spiritual maturity is a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you don't have that, nothing else matters. To try to understand these things and then claim spiritual maturity without Christ is like getting all excited about going to the Super Bowl without actually having a ticket to get in. It is his empowerment through the Holy Spirit that enables us to continue moving forward and grow spiritually. Without him, a person is still dead in their sins. In that case, any talk of spiritual maturity is downright pointless.

The three steps for building a proper spiritual foundation according to Luke 6:47 are:

1. Coming to Jesus
2. Hearing Jesus' words
3. Acting on Jesus' words

If you don't act on Jesus' words, there is little point in bothering with him. It is just intellectual stimulation with no transformational value. It's the equivalent of watching a workout video while eating a box of Hostess Ding Dongs while telling yourself and everyone else you just started a new workout program and are expecting to lose weight. It's not enough just to watch. You actually have to participate to see the results. But to act on Jesus' words, first, you have to have them. You can't work on something you don't know. If someone asked me what the first line in the movie The Goonies was before last summer, I would not have been able to tell you because I had not seen the film before going to see it at a drive-in with a couple of friends. You can't know something if you have not been exposed to it. But then, to hear Jesus' words, one has to come to him. That's why it is the first step on this second list. You can't hear something if you don't make yourself present for it. Even in the digital and internet age, when you don't have to be "there" to be part of something, you still have to type or click to get to the proper online destination. If you don't show up in some form, you won't hear what you need to hear. Then you won't be able to do what you need to do. These examples work the same way when it comes to your spiritual life. You can't act on what you don't hear, and you can't listen if you don't show up. Again, Jesus is the spiritual foundation God has given. There is no other way to spiritual maturity and the Father except through him.