“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice,
I will show you what they are like.” (Luke 6:46-47)
Why do we not just listen to the word of Jesus Christ but
obey Him? Apostle James puts it bluntly why, saying “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)
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied
by action, is dead.” (James 2:17)
More importantly, there will be a test for all. The test
means the last judgment of God. There will be the Day of the Lord coming when
everything will be laid bare before the judgment seat of God. But it also means
the present judgment of God that is going on right now.
In this parable, Jesus says what just hearers and doers are
like when the test comes.
“They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and
laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house
but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my
words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on
the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it
collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:48-49)
A flood indicates the various troubles and difficulties of
life. They may be physical sufferings, financial struggles, relationship
problems, temptations, or even persecutions and misunderstandings. The test will
reveal who they really are, just hearers or hearers and doers. Jesus also says
in the parable of sower that the seed fell on the thorny places is choked when
the test comes.
“The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who
hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth
choke the word, making it unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22)
The test result is remarkable. The doers of the word of
Jesus remain untouched and unshaken because the foundation is the rock of ages,
Jesus Christ. However, the hearers only are collapsed and destroyed completely
because they built a house on the ground without a foundation.
Apostle Paul says in the climactic chapter of Romans,
Chapter 8 that nothing can separate the doers of the word of the Lord Jesus
Christ from the love of God.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As
it is written:
‘For your
sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)
How can we be so sure of this? It’s because the power of our
Lord Jesus Christ is the power of resurrection that is exerted in the cold tomb
of Calvary some two thousand years back. The power of Jesus is far above all
rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not
only in the present age but also in the one to come.
“That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted
when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the
heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and
every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to
come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head
over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who
fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:19b-23)
The real test is whether we love one another in the midst of
troubles and difficulties. In the last days because of the increase of
wickedness the love of most will grow cold, says Jesus. “Because of the
increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands
firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:12-13)
Apostle Paul in his last epistle to Timothy also said in the
last days the love of themselves, not of others will be intensely increased.
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous,
rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of
godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” (2
Timothy 3:1-5)
That’s the real test which is going on right now in our
midst. What shall we do these days? As Jesus says plainly, “Love one another just
as I have loved you,” so shall we do. He loved us first when we were still sinners,
enemies of God. He did not judge us but instead died on the rugged cross in our
place. He invited us gently and kindly to open our hearts and minds to accept Him
as Lord and Master by faith. He lives within us forever. We are the temple of
God, the resident of the Triune God, the home of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit.
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If
God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
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