We call Jesus Lord, but we don’t live like He is. While we hear what He says, we don’t act on what we hear. Since we do not obey His Word, we show we do not love Him (John 14:15). We still love and cling to the things of this world (1 John 2:15-17) although we claim to have left everything to follow Christ (Matthew 16:24). Our supposed Christian life is a house of cards.
We are building without a foundation and will crumble at the slightest breeze. When the storms come, the disaster will be catastrophic. Jesus said there are two foundations we can build our lives upon: the bedrock of obedience to His Word, or the shifting sand of cultural whims and man’s opinions (Matthew 7:24-27).
When we build without a firm foundation, expressing a belief in God with our words but denying Him by the way we live, the inevitable destruction of our lives will be devastating. We are hypocrites and liars, deceiving ourselves into thinking we are right with God. But He sees the lack of fruit in our lives and banishes us to Hell, forever separated from His love and presence (Matthew 7:19, 23). That is the very definition of devastation.
What we do with the gospel will determine which of the two foundations we choose to build on. When we are building our lives on sand, we are like someone who looks at themselves in a mirror and forgets what they look like as soon as they turn away. This is what happens when we hear God’s truth but do not allow it to penetrate and transform our hearts (James 1:22-25). We are the soil on which the seed fell but didn’t allow it to take root (Matthew 13:5-6). As the prophet Isaiah says, we are those who hear, but never listen (Isaiah 6:9-10). We have the head knowledge, but lack the heart knowledge necessary for true repentance and regeneration (Titus 1:16).
The good news is, those who do act on what they hear and receive the gospel with joy (Matthew 13:8-9) will flourish like a tree planted by a flowing river (Jeremiah 17:7-8). The roots of the gospel penetrate our hearts and bury themselves deep in our souls, providing a strong and unshakeable foundation (Matthew 7:24-25; Luke 6:47-48). This is the life God will bless (James 1:25). The difference between someone who crumbles under the storm of God’s judgment and the one who survives is determined by which of the two foundations they choose to build their life upon. He promises to save us if we listen to the words of Jesus and act on what He says (John 5:24). If we hear but dismiss His words, we seal our eternity in Hell (Hebrews 2:1-3; Luke 6:49).
No matter what life throws at us, if we live in obedience to God’s Word, we will be unshakeable. We must not only be hearers of the word. We must be doers of it (James 1:22; Luke 6:46). Many will call Jesus Lord, but few will surrender to His Lordship (Matthew 7:21). Our faith is useless if we hear the gospel but don’t obey the commands of Christ (James 2:14-17). We must act on the words of Jesus (Matthew 7:24; Luke 6:46; James 1:22). It is the only appropriate response to our Lord, King, and Savior.
Jesus is not some idea or object to admire and consult from time to time. He is the holy, awesome, and terrifying God (Hebrews 12:28-29). His name is above all names (Philippians 2:9-11), and He alone is worthy of our worship (Revelation 5:12-13). There is no other name that can save us (Acts 4:12), and no other foundation that can survive both the trials of this world and the great and final judgment to come (Revelation 20:11-15). Which of the two foundations are you building your life upon?