In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus stated that, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
The storms of life are going to come, and it isn’t a matter of “if” but of “when” because we live in a “fallen world. In John 16:33 Jesus said “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me [the rock-solid foundation] you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Because of the “Fall of Man” sin has corrupted all creation, nature and flesh, where people seek a solid footing to stand and have a peaceful existence. The Greek word for “tribulation” is “thlipsis” meaning oppression, affliction, tribulation, being in distress, or straits. The Webster’s 1828 dictionary define “tribulation” as: severe affliction; distresses of life; vexations, whether natural, supernatural or manufactured by human design. It is the quality or state of being vexed, irritated, annoyed, frustrated, or worried; frustrated, or worried: trouble, to say the least. In Scripture, it often denotes the troubles and distresses which proceed from persecution. Tribulation is symbolized as the rains that descend, the floods that came, and the winds that blow and beat on that house of our life structure.
A disciple is defined as: a follower; an adherent to the doctrines of another. Hence the constant attendants of Christ were called his disciples; and hence all Christians are called his disciples, as they profess to learn and receive his doctrines and precepts. All are invited to believe and receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, but whoever hears His sayings and does them build their lives upon His rock-solid foundation to stand firm and strong, come what may in the storms of life. He is the authority, the power, the light, the way, the truth and the life for His true disciples, so that storms of life are like “water on a duck”. Not only because the Believer built their godly life upon the unmovable and impenetrable rock-solid foundation for today, but these children of God also have the eternal perspective that they have been saved by the grace of God through faith knowing that this walk with the Lord leads to ever-lasting life in the kingdom of Heaven.
There are a plethora of people, ideologies and causes in which we can build our lives upon, but if that person, ideology and cause is not Jesus Christ, then we have structure our life upon unstable sandy ground which shifts and erodes during the storms of life, leading to collapse and total lose on this side of eternity. But even worse, John 3:36 proclaims, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” because their sins are not forgiven. Even with any temporary gains, in the final analysis it is an eternal lose/lose situation ... and great is its fall.”
All need to make the wise choice to build upon the rock-solid foundation of Jesus.
In Christ, Brian
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