The Parable Of The Three Little Pigs

1 Corinthians 3:9-15
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

The story about the three little pigs has been told in many children books and songs.

Herein I am retelling this same story with a Biblical perspective.

About 2000 years ago, our Lord ascended into heaven. Before His ascension, He gave us this promise that He went to prepare a place for us. He also ensured us that in His Father’s house were many mansions. We can be very sure that His mansions will be wonderfully and excellently built beyond our human comprehension.

Meanwhile here on earth, all of us together are the house of God. The Spirit of God lives among us in His house. We are co-working with God. We are His field, and we are His building!

And Jesus taught us about building houses:

Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

He exhorts us to build wisely by laying the right foundation and using the right materials. There is only one true foundation - Jesus Christ our Lord! And all other grounds are sinking sand!

Some Christians are very lazy. They don't want to work at all. They lay no foundations at all. They just build their houses out of straw and hay resting on sandy land. Whatever is easy, whatever is convenient, and whatever does not cost them anything. They are more interested in quick fixes and instantaneous answers instead of lasting solutions and permanent results. No need to come after Christ. No need to deny themselves. No need to take up their cross daily. No need to follow Christ. And no need to read their Bibles and obey the commandments of God!

Some Christians are very complacent. They lay their foundations on their favorite pastors and prophets by soaking up false teachings and half-truths. They build their houses out of wooden sticks. They don't desire to hear the Truth. They will go around looking for false teachers and prophets who will tell them just what they want to hear. And they won’t listen to what the Bible says but will blindly follow their own misguided and unguarded hearts. They will sing, dance and play every day without any care and concern for the Lord and others!

But some Christians are diligent and wise. They hear the instructions of the Lord, and do them. They are the doers of His Word. They build their houses founded on the Solid Rock.

They co-work with the Lord and build their houses with durable and long-lasting bricks to withstand the strongest winds, the fiercest rains and the worst floods. The wolf represents the storms of life. When the winds blow, when the rains come and when the floods rise, their houses remain strong and are standing firm, for they are built based on the Word of God.

Some Christians are satisfied by being saved only. Some Christians are satisfied by being saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. But some Christians desire to be saved and continually be filled with the Holy Spirit, and also daily abide in Christ and dwell with God.

One day, our Lord will return. There is going to be a time of testing to see what kind of foundations and materials each builder has used.

Everyone’s work will be put through the Refiner's Fire so that all can see whether it is truly durable and valuable, and whether it will endure the test.

Every workman, who has built on the right foundation with the right materials, will get his reward as his house still stands firm.

But every workman, who has built on the wrong foundation with the wrong materials, will suffer a great loss as his house burns up and collapses. But thanks be to God that he himself will be saved, just like a man escaping through the flames.

If interested, please view this song: Upon This Rock

Written on: 2 February 2020