“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matt. 7:24-27
This text, this parable, is very familiar to all who have grown up going to Sunday School…at least, the part after “a wise man…” You remember the children’s song… “The wise man built his house upon a Rock, The wise man built his house upon the Rock, the wise man built his house upon the Rock, And the rains came tumbling down… But the house on the Rock stood firm.”
But it is the first part of this passage, however, that we must consider because that is main His point. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them…” everything after that is simply illustration. This is the greater point…walking in His truth is crucial to our ability to live the Christian life in this fallen world. Just so we are clear “everyone” speaks of those who have ears to hear…believers only who hear His words/ doctrines/precepts, etc. and who internalize them and truly understand them; theyare the ones who will naturally and effectively do them for His own glory.
Even James, Jesus’ earthly half-brother said, echoing these words… “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves…” James here is contrasting doing the Word with merely hearing the Word. Hearing without doing, he says, is like looking at your face in the mirror and then walking away and forgetting what you look like. But the one who does what the law says is blessed. “… the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:22-25)To make things clearerJames will say, a little later on, in his letter, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
It is in walking in God’s truth, in doing God’s Word that we develop our ability to discern the true from the false, we do not regularly stumble in our walk and we are able to carry others along by faith when we do. Our foundation is the Rock. So when, not if, the rains comes and storms pummel our faith and/or the faith of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we will not falter for it is founded on the Rock… Jesus Christ.
When we hear His word and do His word we naturally seek to build upon Him and His Word for we know instinctively that that is the safest place to be… hearing and doing what He has commanded… and made the desire of our hearts.
One more thing: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Eph. 2:8-10
God bless y’all today.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
