The Two “things” in Matthew 7 (part 7)
We are looking at two opposites Jesus refers to in Matthew 7, lastly we will look at:
TWO DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS, Rock and Sand
“Therefore whosoever hear these sayings of mine, and do them, I will liken him to a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that hear these sayings of mine, and do them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, which built his house on the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Mat 7:24-27
Two foundations is described here by the Lord Jesus Christ, Rock and Sand. In our previous note we have looked at two different confessors. Here Jesus is describing two different foundations. These foundations is the underlying principle in some who profess Christ. Here Jesus refers also to false converts and true converts
The one build on the Rock and the other on sand.
Now this is a core matter. Foundations are not something that are seen by the eye. Underlying – many “professors” faith is a deep principle. For one, to build on sand one doesn’t need any “hard” effort. Little effort Christians
To lay a foundation on sand is not hard work, there is no strain or any difficulty in building that house. To build on rock means that you must many times go down deeper than the surface level, many times still deeper than just tilting the ground until you get to solid ground! Now this is something very remarkable Jesus is referring here. Many of the professors of verse 21-23 are also those that have build their houses (lives) on the sand. This is a definite characteristic of a mere professors of Christ and a false convert. They never made any deep and significant sacrifices and effort in securing their house or lives on Christ. They have never took the time to go deeper than merely the surface of Christ’s work. They have never had any deeper experience and earnestness with the Lord Jesus Christ who alone is the Rock.
Now I want to show another characteristic of the false convert. The true convert has obviously not settled with an easy going Christianity. He has gone much deeper than the surface, until he has hid the Rock and secured his life on Christ. But the false convert has had no real deeper penetrating work in his faith. He is superficial and lives merely on the surface (some may have entered just deeper than the surface) of Christianity. He lives on the external doctrines of Christ, Church, etc, but there is no internal reality in his life of the things he talks so easy about! Jesus stated that the distinctive difference in these two foundations is that the one “hear” the words and teaching of Christ and DO them, the other merely hears and does not at all get engage in what he hears.
This is the crux: Those on the Rock are those that build their whole life’s on the Words and teachings of Christ! Those on the sand knows everything Christ has taught yet they so not build their life’s on that but on other things that equals sand. It can be tradition, psychology, the man’s own ideas and philosophical views, etc, but anything other than the Words and teaching of Christ equals sand! The rock here is not merely Christ (although it is Christ) but is to be more to the point the very words and teachings of Christ! Now, please understand many do believe and profess Christ as Lord, and they do like to listen to sermons and going to church, etc, but what they hear does not really affect their lives nor (here is the major point) does they have any agony and deeper distress to order their whole lives on the words of Jesus Christ.
So here is a real down to earth application to know if you are a true or a false convert:
Does WHAT YOU KNOW AND HAVE LEARNED OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST EFFECT YOUR LIFE? HAS IT CHANGED the way you dress, talk, do business, walk, eat, etc, etc?
It goes deeper than this: HAS WHAT YOU LEARNED and HEARD the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years really changed your life so that you can look back and say: “I am not what I was 1 year or 5 years or 3 months ago?!?
Does the sermons and messages you listen to really effected your life at all!?!
James describes the false convert as someone who looks in the mirror but goes away and FORGET what he has seen (and heard because it did not really effect him!)
The false converts DECEIVES himself! He thinks he is true but he is not what he thinks he is, he is deceived into thinking he is true and real! Then James also describes the true convert (see James 1:23-25 in comparison to Matt 7:24-27) as someone who looks “into the perfect law of liberty” and unlike the false convert he “CONTINUE” in looking!!!!! The true convert is not a forgetful hearer like the false convert (the word has no real and deep “staying” with them) but a “DOER OF THE WORK!” He becomes INVOLVES and ENGAGE in what he sees and hears! He that look diligently – Not with a passing glance, but bending down, fixing his eyes, and searching all to the bottom, he cannot get away from what he has seen and heard!
Thus, Jesus refers here true and false converts and the very nature or characteristics of true and false conversions, for there are true and false conversions as there are true and false Christians, both with experiences, fruits, etc!
From Matthew 13:27-30 it is evident that true and false converts are distinguishable, they can be distinguished – the true from the false, but they cannot be separated now for the sake of the wheat! If the tares would be removed among the “wheat” (true Christians) then many of the wheat will be “uprooted” also and be severely hurt! So for their sakes the tares are left till the harvest where they will be separated (or literally be removed)!
In fact Jesus taught that the true will be able to be distinguish from the false. In the previous verses Jesus spoke about 4 heart conditions of man, an enemy coming among the wheat sowing tares (false christians) and here He does not say that it will be impossible to know who are saved and who are not. The contrary is true, they will be distinguished by their fruits (see Matt 7:15-21), by their words (Matt 12:36-37) etc, and known apart by certain evidences!
The tares Jesus referred to here look liked wheat in Israel but they were different in certain characteristics, especially their savor and fruit. They almost looked outwardly the same while they are growing up so that it is almost difficult to discern by outsiders but when they grow taller and the fruit start to appear (or when they were handled!) they are easily distinguished from the true! Paul said that men will have a form of godliness, they will have an outward similarity, but they will deny the power that makes someone truly godly! (2 Tim 3:5)
Look closely if you will to verse 38, one could distinguished the good seed from the tares, the saved from the unsaved, the false convert from the true one, the true Christian from the false christian. Jesus states that there will be true Christians (good seed -wheats) and false christians (tares) – this is what He refers to here in the kingdom, in this world. You will at first have difficulty but you will be able to distinguish the true and the false at a certain level.
Let me stop here, if you want I can send you more characteristics of the false and true convert, just inbox me, space is insufficient here to share this here!
Many build their whole life on false foundations or foundations that will not keep them standing on the day of God’s Wrath and fiery anger when He will judge all men for what they have done.
Luk 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
The true convert “DIGGED DEEP” into the Words and teachings of Christ and “LAID the foundation on a rock…” Is that true of you? I do not ask if you do Bible study, etc, that’s not what Jesus is referring to here. Is your life superficial, living as it were – on the surface of Christianity and doctrine but has never “DIGGED DEEP” to make what you have seen and heard a sure reality?
“Therefore thus said the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” Isa 28:16
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Tim 2:19
The foundation of God laid in the heart of man (the redeemed) stand fast and secure
The foundation of God has a seal on it, or a mark described on both sides with the inscriptions:
1. The Lord know those that are His on the one side and
2. Let EVERYONE that nameth the name of the Lord (that is everyone who call himself a christian) as his Lord, DEPART from iniquity.
They alone that are known by the Lord and who depart from sin and iniquity are His, TO ALL OTHERS HE WILL SAY, “I know you not!” (Matt 7:22-23)
Are you really on the Rock or are you not building on sand?
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