ARE YOU WISE OR FOOLISH?
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on 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 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 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“. Matthew 7:24-27
This teaching of Jesus to his 12 disciples, with a much larger crowd listening, immediately follows his recorded words that we looked at a few days ago. This continues the serious theme of doing what the Father wants. We noted then there will be shocked and aghast people at the End, at the judgment. Will you be one?
In this simple parable Jesus shocks us now with the stark truth: it is not how much we know or remember of his teaching, but whether we put his teaching into practice. That is the difference represented by these two different foundations.
As one who has designed many houses, I can say with the greatest conviction that the foundation on which we build a house is of first importance. It will mean the difference between security and habitability against total failure leading to complete demolition of the structure.
Let’s do a bit of foundational risk assessment.
What risks are you taking by continuing to build your life on an inadequate foundation? What is your foundation? Is it how much you understand, how great is your Bible knowledge, how much doctrine you have learned? your correct world view? loyalty to a system of doctrines or your aligned party?
If so, your foundation is critically faulty. If so, our Lord calls you foolish. You are fooling around with religion, with ideas. You faith is a waste of time. Living a lie, a fantasy. It will not be sustainable when difficulties arise, when the End comes.
A foundation for a house can appear to be sound but if the kind of ground for building is not assessed and taken into account in foundation design, disaster is ahead. Your “Christian life” may look nice to those around you, even admired and copied. But is it founded on the solid rock of not only knowing, but loving and keeping Jesus’ words? Thank, God he shows us what he wants—his perfect design.
Better surely to have a little understanding of Jesus commands and actually be keeping them than to have floor to ceiling libraries of well read volumes and knowledge but then continue to be unmoved to obey. Foolishness.
Maybe you are trusting in a doctrine, say, once saved, always saved. But there is absolutely no doctrine that can save you. Only to follow Jesus as his loving disciple will save you. This is the clear message of Jesus to would-be followers.
We will not be saved by our works, but neither will we be saved without them.
There are two critical issues here. First, we must be aware of Jesus’ commands, his words, not our assumptions of what he meant, or words of another, of others, of dogmatic decrees by minders, and these occupying our attention and energy? Doing stuff that does not conform to his plans and specifications?
Here’s a good question: Just what are the commands of Jesus? Just what does he demand of his followers?
Second issue. Are we lovers of him and his words so that we actually do them?
So we better examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the faith. 2 Cor 13:5
Ian Thomson 