Would you like to know what makes it easier to believe in God or to read the Bible? Not applying it to your life! Listen to Gods Word, then put it aside and just move on. Now that’s a great way of living! Isn’t it..?
Original text by Irene Poot.
Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27, NLT)
A house on a rock as a foundation
Jesus is clear about it. The last words of His famous Sermon on the Mount: if you listen to God’s Word and if you read the Bible, but you don’t do anything with it, it is worth nothing. No matter how satisfied you are that you’ve managed to set aside time with the Lord, it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t live what you believe. If you are not obedient to God. It is like building a house on sand. A house without a foundation.
But what does Jesus mean by this? If you do not listen to God, it means you are building your life (your house) on a different foundation. You are building your house on things like judgment, power and selfishness. But these things won’t help you when things get tough. If the rain comes and the winds blow against your house, the sand will sink and your house will crumble. But if you have built your house on God, on God’s principles, such as love, humility and service, you will stand firm. If you build your house on a rock, your house will stand, for God is your Rock.
Dead faith
James also does not beat around the bush. According to him, faith without deeds is dead faith.
How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. (…) Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. (James 2:20-22, 26, NLT)
In this scripture James mentions Abraham as an example of one who put his faith into practice. He believed that God wanted the best for him and had a plan for him. You can also see that in how he obeyed God and did what God told him.
If you tell a child not to touch the hot pan, and the child says: “I believe that what you say is good for me”, but still goes and touches the pan, then you can’t really take this belief seriously. Does the child really believe that the right thing to do is to not touch the pan?
On what foundation is your house built?
Are there things in the Bible or are there things that God has said to you that you know you are not doing? What have you built your life, your house, on? On God’s principles, such as goodness, faithfulness or self-control? Or on other matters, such as greed, infidelity or dishonesty? Is your house built on a rock or on sand?
Build your house today on the strongest rock there is: God!
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26, AMPC)
For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? (Psalm 18:32, NLT)
Make it practical!
- Read the entire Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 or the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:3-17. What are the exhortations that could you still grow in? Put them into practice instead of just hearing them.
- This week, memorize one of the bibleverses from the Psalms written above about God as the Rock in your life.
