Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The difference between the wise man who builds on rock and the fool who builds on sand is emphatically not whether or not they have heard the word of the LORD. They both listen to the words of Jesus. The difference is that the wise man acts on them. Just listening gives the sense of familiarity. We may even think we know Jesus and say, 'Lord, Lord,' only to hear him tell us 'I never knew you.'
In order for the words of Jesus to have effect we must act on them. The primary acts of response to the words of Jesus are faith, hope, and love. If these seem like feelings that is only because of how they have been misappropriated by the culture. They are in fact superpowers which Christians are given and made able to use.
We need to make the connection in our minds between acts of faith and building on rock. We are called to spread the Kingdom of God. This requires more than clever acts and tacit acceptance of doctrine. It requires acts of faith. Only such acts are immune to the wind and the waves. Only such acts survive engagement with Babylon and its armies.
Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,
his ministers, officers, and functionaries,
surrendered to the king of Babylon, who,
in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.
We have the power to resist all the snares of the enemy.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one (see Ephesians 6:16).
Faith gives us this power by making us immune to the lies the world tells us. The world lies about things like what power is and what should matter to us. Faith shields us from these lies and plants us firmly on the rock by keeping in our minds the one thing necessary. But here again it should be emphasized this is an act. We choose it, or we get blown over and conquered. The assaults of the world can actually be made to serve us. They are each opportunities to place our faith in God.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
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