A Firm Foundation: Part Two

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” - Matthew 7:24-25 (ESV)

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” – Colossians 2:8 (NIV)

In A Firm Foundation: Part One, I discussed our need to rely on God and His Word to carry us through the storms of life. After all, that’s what Jesus was talking about, right? However, I think it’s important to address a different challenge that everyone faces - finding truth in the present culture. As human beings, we have a lot of important questions to answer: Where did we come from? Where are we going? What is our purpose in life? Due to the constant and instantaneous spread of ideas on the internet today, a person can easily be drawn into any number of spiritual ideologies, and if we aren’t careful, we may find ourselves adopting a worldview that is not founded on truth. Nothing is more important than finding real answers to questions about God, eternity, and salvation, and yet so many of us seem content to embrace worldviews that fit our own lifestyles, rather than adopt a worldview that is rooted in evidence and reason. Paul urged the Colossians to dismiss “hollow and deceptive philosophy” when it came to matters of eternal significance, and we would be wise to follow the same advice today. In a world full of confusion, we have to recognize the importance of building a worldview that is founded on truth, regardless of the moral and spiritual trends of today’s culture.

Over and over again, the Bible cautions us not to be deceived (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 1 John 3:7). When Jesus’ disciples asked him about the signs of the end of the age, the first thing He said to them was, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24:3-4) Likewise, immediately after stating, “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few,” Jesus warned His disciples, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:14-15). Paul addresses this issue in his second letter to Timothy, and I believe he provides a fitting description of our society today:

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” - 2 Timothy 4:3-5 (NIV)

If you were to examine the foundation of your spiritual beliefs, would they hold up to scrutiny? Are your views based on truth and reason, or are you inclined to believe whatever “feels” right? This is a question we all need to ask ourselves. Jesus asserts that truth can only be found in Him (John 14:6) and in the Word of God (John 17:17). If issues of eternal significance are of the greatest possible importance, then would you be willing to open your mind to the possibility that Jesus is right? Would you allow the Bible a fair opportunity to reveal the truth to you?

Part one of this series focused on the storms that beat against the house in Jesus’ parable. This time, however, I would like to shift our focus to his description of the wise and foolish man. Take a look at how Jesus described them:

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man… and everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man.” - Matthew 7:24, 26 (ESV)

How does Jesus distinguish the wise man from the foolish man? Both men have one thing in common: they hear the words of Jesus. Yet only the wise man puts the words into action. Jesus is telling us that merely hearing the word is not enough - we have to do something about it. We have to allow the truth to change us when we hear it.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.” – James 1:22-25 (NIV)

I’ve been shaving my face for years, but I recently made the switch from an electric razor to a razor blade (it’s been painful). Every time I shave my face, I finish by looking in the mirror to see if I missed a patch here or there. If I find a spot that I missed, I can fix it and move on with my day, confident that the mirror accurately pointed out the flaws in my shaving abilities. In the same way, God’s Word gives us an accurate representation of ourselves every time we read it. It not only reveals the true nature of our hearts and where we have fallen short but more importantly, it reveals our need for Jesus. It shows us God’s perfect standard and directs us in the way of truth.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” - Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

In Mark 4:1-20, Jesus gives us a parable in which a farmer scattered seed in various places, yet only the seed that was sown on good soil grew up and produced a crop; the seed sown on the path, on the rocks, and in the thorns did not grow. He later explains that the seed represents the “word” and that the seed sown on the path, rocks, and thorns describes people who do not accept the word for various reasons. When describing the seed sown on good soil, however, Jesus said:

“Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop - some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” - Mark 4:20 (NIV)

A criticism I often hear about the Bible is that it was written by “mere men” and shouldn’t be treated as the “Word of God.” Although I won’t dive into that discussion right now, I will say that before making conclusions about the Bible, we should have the same willingness to learn from it that we do with any other book. We all have books in our library that were written by “mere men,” and yet we trusted them enough to engage with them because we started with a desire to learn from them. We listened first, then let the words speak for themselves. When Jesus was speaking to the crowds, the Pharisees sent soldiers to arrest Him but they came back empty-handed, saying, “No one ever spoke the way this man does” (John 7:46). Jesus didn’t argue with the soldiers or try to explain why His words were true - He simply spoke the truth, and it touched the hearts of the soldiers.

Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice, and they follow Him (John 10:27). He loves you, and He is calling out to you even now! Are you willing to let Him speak, or have you already made up your mind about who Jesus is and what the Bible has to say? Life has a way of keeping us preoccupied with things that are of little significance when compared to matters of eternal destiny. Society tells us that we have plenty of equally valid options to choose from, or that God can change to fit our preferences, but is that really the case? I urge you not to be taken in by these “hollow and deceptive philosophies” but instead, build a firm foundation for yourself, rooted and established in the truth of Jesus Christ and the unshakable Word of God (Colossians 2:6-8).