To build something generally means to put together a variety of simpler pieces to make a useful and more complex structure, as to build a house out of wood or bricks, and it is commonly used this way in the Word. In the land of Shinar men wished to build a tower, and in the new testament Jesus advised that a wise man should build his house on a rock. But in a representative sense the meaning is to build a mental and spiritual structure, like the doctrine of a church or the individual concepts of spiritual reality in a single mind. The building materials are representative also. The tower of Babel was built of brick, which is man-made rock, or representatively, man-made "truths", that is"truths" not from God but ideas of spiritual reality thought out by men. The house that the wise man would build was founded on a natural or "God-made" rock, which means a truth from the Word.

376. Charity and faith are of no use to a person, so long as they remain merely in the bodily hemisphere, that is, in his head, and are not given a firm base in deeds; this is evident from a thousand passages in the Word, of which I shall quote only the following.

Every tree which does not produce good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire, Matthew 7:19-21.

He who sows on good soil is the person who hears the Word and pays attention to it, and bears and produces fruit. When Jesus said this, he cried out saying, He who has ears to hear with, let him hear, Matthew 13:9, 23.

Jesus said, My mother and my brothers are these who hear the Word of God and act upon it, Luke 8:21.

We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone worships God, and does His will, He listens to him, John 9:31.

If you know these things, you are blessed if you act upon them, John 13:17.

He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me, and I shall love him, and show myself to him; and I shall come to him and make my dwelling with him, John 14:15-21, 23.

In this my Father is glorified, in that you bear much fruit, John 15:8, 16.

It is not those who hear the law, but those who keep it, who are made righteous by God, Romans 2:13; James 1:22.

On the day of wrath and righteous judgment, God will render to each in accordance with his deeds, Romans 2:5-6.

We must all be put on show before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be rewarded for our bodily acts, whether good or ill. 2 Corinthians 5:10.

The Son of Man is to come in the glory of His Father, and then He will reward each man in accordance with his deeds, Matthew 16:27.

I heard a voice from heaven saying, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. So says the Spirit, so that they may rest from their labours; their deeds accompany them, Revelation 14:13.

The book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged according to what was written in the book, everyone according to his deeds, Revelation 20:12-13.

Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, so that I may give to each according to what he has done, Revelation 22:12.

Jehovah, whose eyes are open upon all the behaviour of men, to give to each in accordance with his behaviour, and in accordance with the fruit of his deeds, Jeremiah 32:19.

I will punish his behaviour, and his deeds I will repay him, Hosea 4:9.

Jehovah deals with us according to our behaviour and according to our deeds, Zechariah 1:6.

There are a thousand other such passages.

[2] These prove that charity and faith are not charity and faith until they are realised in deeds, and if they merely exist above the level of deeds in space, or in the mind, they are as it were images of a tent or a temple in the air, which are nothing but atmospheric phenomena which vanish of their own accord; or they resemble paintings on paper which are eaten by bookworms; or they are like dwellings on a roof, lacking a bedroom, and not in the house. These comparisons will enable one to see that charity and faith are unstable, so long as they remain mental concepts, unless, when possible, they are realised in deeds and come into existence jointly in deeds.