“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27
Upon what do you build your life? What is the foundation of your beliefs, lifestyle and conduct here in this world?
Sad to say, most build their lives on the values and philosophies of society rather than upon God and His Word. Thus, God’s commandments are held in contempt, and His pleadings with mankind to repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for pardon and life eternal are ignored and even ridiculed.
Also among those who bear the name “Christian” – even among those who faithfully attend church services – there are many who are unwilling to accept all that the Bible teaches. They would rather pick and choose those portions of Scripture which fit their own manner of life and thinking and explain away or reject those portions of God’s Word which are less than appealing or less than politically or socially correct.
But what does Jesus say of His Sermon on the Mount – His teaching and sayings – as well as all of God’s Word?
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
Those who hear the Word of God – the teaching of Jesus – and heed that Word, repenting of all sin and wickedness, trusting in the shed blood of Jesus for forgiveness, and then, as a fruit of faith, seeking to amend and live life in accord with God’s Word, Jesus likens them to a wise man who builds his house upon a solid rock. When the troubles and storms of life come, his house – his faith and life – stands. His hope and life are in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ where nothing can corrupt or destroy his eternal inheritance!
But, on the other hand, those who do not hear and heed God’s Word, do not repent of their evil ways and place their faith and hope in Christ Jesus and His shed blood, Jesus likens them to a foolish man who built his house – his confidence and life – upon the ever-changing sands of this life and upon the hopes and philosophies of this world. Then, when the floods of trouble and judgment come, his house – his life and all he lived for and trusted in – will be washed away. And great will be the fall of it!
Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me for ignoring Your Word and teaching and not building my life and faith upon this solid foundation. Cleanse my heart and soul and give me a renewed love for You and Your Word that I might build upon Your eternal and life-giving truth. Amen.
[Scripture Quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]