Build Your House on the Rock
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Straight to the Cross
COLUMN: From Friend to Friend
Build Your House on the Rock
by Phil Sanders
Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-27, "Therefore everyone
who hears these words of Mine and acts on them,
may be compared to a wise man who built his house
on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods
came, and the winds blew and slammed against that
house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been
founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these
words of Mine and does not act on them, will be
like a foolish man who built his house on the
sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the
winds blew and slammed against that house; and it
fell -- and great was its fall."
This pivotal passage at the end of the sermon on
the mount demonstrates how Jesus spoke with
authority. Jesus always highly prized his words.
Note these passages:
John 8:31 "abide in my words" truly disciples of
mine (love is not the only thing that determines
one to be a disciple)
John 12:48 "rejects me and receives not my words"
has a judge, the word I have spoken
Luke 9:26 whoever is "ashamed of Me and of My
words," I will be ashamed
Matthew 24:35 my "words" will not pass away
John 6:63 the "words" I have spoken to you are
spirit and are life.
John 8:47 "He who is of God hears the words of
God"
John 10:24 "He who does not love Me does not keep
My words"
John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide
in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done
for you."
Jesus asks us to listen to him and to act upon his
words, not to ignore what he says. Foolish men
build their houses on sand by acting as they
please rather than listening to the Lord.
Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hear the word
of God and observe it" (Luke 11:28). Jesus
promises that both he and Father will love and
dwell with the one who keeps his word (John
14:23).
Build your house upon a rock by listening and
obeying. Building on sand means you heard God but
did what you wanted. That simply won't work.
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