What does it mean? Well, take the church of Rome. It started with the true foundation, the gospel, and it still has some elements of it, though they covered up and ruined. The Church of Rome believes in Christ: that the Son of God came, that he suffered and died upon a cross, that the cross is the basis of salvation. They still believe in the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They have got the foundation underneath them, but what have they built upon it? Have they built a structure calling for repentance, conviction of sin, seeking of Christ, conversion? Have they preached faith in his atoning death alone as the way of salvation, yielding the life to him, finding him, and walking with him? No, what they have built is this: ‘To have salvation you need the priests and the sacraments; they must get it for you. You need to work, support the church, and worship according to our ritual, and the church must administer grace to you and salvation. It is not something that God gives you directly. It is not a new life through Christ’s atoning death. No,’ says Rome through the Council of Trent, ‘we curse people who teach that sort of thing.’ So they have covered up and obscured the foundation of salvation. They are a case of people building on the true foundation falsehood which conceals it, and people cannot see the truth and be saved.
Then there are theological liberals like the present Archbishop of Canterbury, and many of the clergy in the Church of England, and most of its bishops. They are theological liberals, and they have even jettisoned the foundation. ‘Christ came and suffered and died? A substitutionary atoning death? That is dreadful’,, they say. So they have even uprooted the foundation and denied and thrown it to the side.
But then there are some converted people who do have the foundation, and they say they believe it, but they don't call people to repentance, because they are afraid that will turn people away, people like that famous pastor in America, pastor Rick Warren. He has that huge church and he wrote a bestselling book, The Purpose Driven Life, and then, The Purpose Driven Church, but his idea is quite different to Paul’s. We believe in the foundation of Jesus Christ, but you come to my church and we will attract you with rock music, and any activity you like. Just have a look at us and you will see how happy we are and that we are a grand club, and you will want to have fellowship with us. ‘But have you asked for a profession of faith before people join?’ ‘No, no. You can join without a profession of faith. You can join without any clear evidence you have ever been saved. We have made it so easy.’ So they have built on the foundation something which is nothing like gospel work. They say they believe in the gospel, in the death of Christ, in heaven and hell and the Trinity, but really they are running a happiness club; it is little different from a social kind of activity. Sadly, it has got to that state with many, many churches, and the people who go to them! It is hard to believe they are really saved, because there is no sign of repentance, conviction of sin, change of life, or holiness and separation from the world. This is what the apostle is warning about. He is a wise master builder; he has laid the foundation, ‘but let every man take heed how we buildeth thereupon, for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid.’