Foundations

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God – Heb 6:1

My daughter reminded me of an exchange we had many years ago when she was a child. I was teaching her how to make mom’s buttermilk pancakes, which are simple, fluffy and delicious. But flipping them isn’t for the timid because they tear easily. Once you start flipping mom’s pancakes, there is no going back. “I was slowly trying to get the spatula under one of them,” she recalled, “And you said, “commit to it!”

The whole success of a house depends on its foundation. Once it is laid, the rest of the work can get underway. If there is a significant issue with the foundation after the house is built and it can’t be repaired, there is often no recourse but to tear it down and start over.

The scripture from Hebrews was a continuation of a passage about maturing in our faith. If repentance is a 180 degree turn, then a double repentance completes a full circle and you’re right back where you started! Every year at a certain Christian festival, the first speaker would fill the prayer tent with people giving their lives to Christ. That’s great! But some did that every year and as the writer(s) of Hebrews reminds us, we’re not supposed to live on milk forever or we will be “unskilled in the works of righteousness” (Heb 5:13).

If you have decided that Christ is your firm foundation, then “commit to it.” If you take steps every day to grow into the fullness of Christ, then you won’t have to constantly repent from “dead works.”  The foundation is trustworthy, so work side by side with the Carpenter from Nazareth to build something that will last forever.

Mom’s Buttermilk Pancakes

1c buttermilk               1 tsp baking soda

1 egg                           ½ tsp baking powder

¾ – 1 cup flour

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