January 11, 2022

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears my sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.” Luke 6:46-48a

Jesus, our Rock of Ages, is consistent. “For I am the LORD; I do not change.” (Malachi 3:6a) He spoke unmistakably regarding obedience, teaching each of us to be one who “hears my sayings and does them.” He showed us very early in His Word that He has a crafty enemy who placed his own deceptive character on display by questioning God’s word, contradicting God’s statement about death, and impugning His motives (see Genesis 3:4-5). This enemy wants to be in the place of God and he resents any close relationship between God’s people and God Himself.

Jesus spoke of the man building who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. Such a man builds his faith upon the God of truth and the truth of God. Our God, the only Source of life and every good thing, does not want us to die. But the devil, who relentlessly covets God’s place of highest honor, knows that his own doom is certain. Denial of the reality of death was the first pillar of deception that he erected. On the heels of this idea comes the notion of inherent immortality (eternal life apart from God).    

And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. Luke 6:48b

Jesus, our Divine Teacher, has a mastery with words. The flood prophetically refers to peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (Revelation 17:15). In every age, since Abel and Cain, those who have sought to live in obedience to the commandments of the Lord have been—and will yet be—opposed, derided, persecuted, and killed. Yet we know of a faithful body of believers who was nourished throughout the 1260 years of persecution known as the Dark Ages.

So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. Revelation 12:15

But the remnant church was not carried away by the flood. She remained faithful and loyal in full dependence on God’s grace. She took seriously the loving instructions, admonitions, and warnings of Jesus. She viewed faith as active faithfulness.

“But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”  Luke 6:49