Matthew 7:21-27 / Luke 6:46-49…
Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount by talking about the eventual, eternal implications of either doing or refusing His words. Many, having done a lot, will be quite assured of their standing before God, but are rejected. What does that say to those who are assured and have done nothing, or very little? Being right with God is more than doing things, but it isn’t less than that. Activity and success, as the world defines it, is not the measure Christ will use. Who we are truly trusting, in Christ or our own works, this is the deciding factor.
Jesus illustrated our lives by two houses. One house stands and one falls, both the result of inclement weather. Consider well the fact that both houses had a storm. Yet one served to destroy the house and the other pointed out how secure the foundation was. The truth is that the events of life are an irresistible force; they will come, no matter any of our plans. However, we can be like the immovable object, our being grounded in Christ gives Him glory when the inevitable storms of life come our way.
Make no mistake, in this passage and woven into the whole fabric of the New Testament is the idea that the storms will come. We cannot simply name it and claim it so as to avoid them. No way, because that would not give God the glory He is due, it would only save you from suffering and serve to sever you from sanctification. Besides, what gives more glory to God; to have you gloat about being in His favor, or for people to see you stand in the power of His might?
Friends, faith in Jesus is about the power to withstand the storm, not the power to withdraw the storm. Christianity, from the sanctification side, is less about being an irresistible force, and more about being an immovable object. The rain will fall, the floods will come, and the winds will blow. The question is, will your house stand as a testimony to the faithfulness of God, or will it fall as a testament to a life lived without following God?
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