Our foundation’s cracked. The house that is our faith is crumbling in upon itself and we are left inside fixing to be crushed. Actually, we haven’t even noticed the walls bowing in toward the center of the building. Regardless, whether we know or care, the house is about ready to cave.

The average Christian has no foundation for their faith. I’ve painfully become aware of this over the past five or six years. Having conversations with people who grew up their entire lives in the church only to find out they were less than certain of their salvation. Do you notice something wrong here? If you don’t, please, this isn’t the blog for you.

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried;
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; He will come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.
Amen.” — “The Apostles’ Creed”

Do you know how many versions there are of the Apostle’s Creed? Look on Wikipedia, there are over five. The very thing that forms the nucleus of the Christian faith, yet there is no consensus on this. It’s no wonder we are not being taught the fundamentals for our faith. We’re too busy arguing over what translation of the Bible and Apostles’ Creed is best. We’re too worried about the minute details. We’re too worried about being unique and right.

“‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.’” — Matthew 7:15–20

Faith is suffering. Souls are being disillusioned into thinking they are getting fed and have been provided for when in fact their need for foundation to later be built upon has not been met. We are trying to build up houses for our souls that have nothing to support them. What are we, the Bluth construction company? (Arrested Development, anyone?) We grow up under the identity of Christian believing fully that we are, yet the only people really fooled are ourselves. The nonbelievers around us are right. There isn’t anything different about us, because we never took the time to lay the groundwork for that difference. They see through our facade and recognize the house of cards that is our fragile faith. They know, as should we, it could fall at any moment.

We have a warped view in the church of what’s truly important. The look of our worship band doesn’t really matter. Our officially recognized translation of the Bible is hogwash. No one cares what wafer you use for communion. Denominations have spent so much time, even the nondenominational church (where I’ve spent most my life), distinguishing themselves from one another. Churches within each denomination have also done the same. It is the result of treating the church as a business in the marketplace for warm bodies. The marketing is all wrong. The church is in the business of souls and has always been. In fact, we are all under the same management, if you will. We are all parts of the catholic (worldwide) church serving Jesus. Rather than focusing on the differences, where are the similarities? Where is the assurance of salvation and the basics of faith?

Our church has been suffering a long time from lack of substance. We are raising up strong Christians who find out in the worst way they have nothing to support their faith. They become lost, disenfranchised and eventually lost to the world, maybe returning later on in life. These souls crave this foundation, but basics are not sexy in the Christian world. Being radical and starting nonprofits to save the world, instead, are. If we only realized, we could do so much more by providing the necessary foundation for the rest (). Faith is something to fight for everyday. Will you today go down and look at your foundation, maybe for the first time? When you do, will you find your foundation’s cracked?