In New York harbor Lady Liberty lifts her torch beside the Golden Door. The Statue is 151 ft tall. Its base is 154 ft. tall. The base is both becoming and worthy of this trophy to freedom. Faith too must have foundations. There would be no Empire State building if New York City were not an outcropping of solid granite rock. A building that large needs a solid footing. The Brooklyn Bridge is also an engineering marvel. While we can see the huge granite towers and the famous spider web of steel, the secret to its genius lies as much in the footings and the enormous anchorages buried deep in the bowels of the earth and out of human view.

The Christian faith also has its ancient anchorages and deep sunken foundations on which stand all of its history, authority, and authenticity. Those foundations are the Word of God. Saving faith rests on Grace and Grace alone. Faith must have firm foundations however. A believer is simply one whose faith has found foundations in the eternal words of God. Jesus trained his disciples for three and one half years before giving them their "Great Commission" to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. Even these great Apostles had their "Basic Training" before entering into the fields of spiritual conflict. God has charged his ministers to "perfect the saints" for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11). We cannot perfect saints without teaching them.

Paul wrote, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:2). Some think Christianity and faith is just a religious feeling. Others dismiss it as superstition. Much foolishness is pawned off as faith when it refuses to submit to the tests of revelation (the Bible) and application (does it work?). Every believer should be able to explain what he or she believes and how it affects the way they live.

It is always a good idea to build the foundation before you build the house (Kings 6:37-38). Many believers will have trouble tomorrow because they have not found good foundations today. In Hebrews 11 we are told that Abraham looked for a city that had "foundations." Abraham is called the "friend of God." His whole life was founded on a promise, not a promise he made, but a promise he was given. Abraham simply believed God was as good as His Word, and God’s Word was as good as God.

Psalm 11:3 asks a pertinent question. "If the foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous do?" Satan knows how to capitalize upon your weakness and ignorance. If you are not able to give good reasons for what you do as well as what you believe, your whole "Christian Experience" will be shaky.

This study shall attempt to lay a strong foundation of Biblical ideals and principles upon which you can build. The end result will be a Christian Philosophy for living that is worthy of your faith and will stand you well in every circumstance and situation.

The Ten Commandments were never intended to be a road to heaven. However, they were a road through the moral wilderness of this world that would point us to the way. Jesus is the only way. Jesus was the only one to ever keep the Ten Commandments. He said he did not come to destroy, but to fulfill them. They have supported civil government as well as sacred life for eons. Any society that removes them must deal with the painful resulting consequences and collapse.

Much of the church’s ministry is remedial as we labor in the spiritual hospital at the bottom of a cliff over which millions fall. While only God can save, we can warn people at the top of the cliff that the "wages of sin is death" and mend the broken fences by teaching the truth.

One wonderful aid to understanding the importance and implications of the Ten Commandments (which many see as negatives- as in "Thou shalt not.") is to embrace them as sterling standards and personal convictions that stand on God’s Eternal Word.

And God spake all these words, saying,

or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under

the earth.