April 10, 2017 ACTION REQUIRED
Matthew 7:24-27: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.”
Many in our culture, including those who profess to be Christians, have come to a place where they are content to hear, without acting on what they hear. We somehow think that it is sufficient just to hear and know the truth. We place value on knowledge. As believers, we feel that we are ‘spiritual,’ or ‘right with God’ if we have right doctrine, and to some degree, know the scriptures. We often quote John 8:32 in support of our emphasizing the importance of knowledge; “and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” However, we should note what Jesus said in the preceding verse: “If ye abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.” Of course it is critical that we have a correct understanding and knowledge of the gospel, but we also must understand that being a follower of Jesus includes the doing of what He says. During Jesus ministry on earth, many would seek Him out to hear Him, hoping to see a miracle, but then depart form Him once they heard His teaching. The whole idea of the gospel is that Jesus came to teach and to demonstrate that life in the Kingdom of God was different than life in the world; often the two are in opposition. Life in the kingdom of God brings with it different motives, different desires, different viewpoints, and a desire to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. One cannot live in the kingdom of God apart from acting on the words and teachings that the scriptures record. At the point of our salvation God put within us a new mind, a new heart, and a new spirit, equipping and enabling us to live in total harmony with His written word. Every word that Jesus spoke, and the words He spoke through the writers of the New Testament, are words meant for our good, and are words that lead to life when acted on. Acting on the scriptures does not diminish life in any way, but on the contrary, acting on the scriptures results in experiencing life to the fullest. We need to hear the words of scripture, but we also need to act on, or apply what we hear.
Matthew 4:4: “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
John 14:23: “Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.’”
Blessings,
Buddy
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