July 22nd 2018
Is Your House (Of Faith) Built On Rock Or Sand?
Matthew 7:21 (NIV)
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Is your house (of faith) built on rock or sand? What Jesus said is startling, as it raises the question for all of us who to claim to be followers of Jesus Christ of “am I really saved?” In this instance Jesus is calling out people who He says have performed some form of a miracle in His name, yet He is says to them, and us, are you really saved? Of course, yes, I know that our salvation is a gift to all those who truly believe that Jesus died for your sins, and your salvation is a gift through grace. However, you MUST truly believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, and that His death paid the price for your sins! There is a term that a lot of people do not like, “Once saved always saved!” Some people will point out people who have been professed believers, but then they fell away from their faith, and left the body of Christ!
The trick of this old term is the “once saved” part. If you have truly accepted the gift of grace through Jesus, and truly believe you have been saved by the Messiah’s death, then how could you change your mind about this amazing truth? There is only one God, and only one Son of God, how would you accept this grace, and then, change your mind? However, if you still have doubts that this Biblical account and wonder if there may be some other way by which you can be saved, then you could fall away, thus you were never really saved in the first place. You MUST believe what Jesus said about himself to those who would choose to follow Him. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6-7). You MUST believe this wonderful message from Jesus, if you do your salvation is assured, and you have been “once saved!”!
More people who are walking this today do not believe this message from Jesus Christ to all of mankind. Jesus knew this would be true, because many people have been influenced by Satan to not accept the salvation offered by the one and only man/God, who walked this earth. They have chosen to follow another member of mankind, or Satan himself instead. Jesus knew this would be true, and He left us this message about the difficulty for mankind to believe He is the only Way. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14). Are you heading for that narrow gate in your walk today? Or are the pleasures of this world too enticing for you to accept the free gift of salvation?
The earthly Microsoft Word processing system flagged my entry of “free gift” above, as it is based on the assumption that all gifts are free, thus the term free gift is a poor usage of grammar. However, this is the only time there is truly a gift that is absolutely FREE, as it is not a promise from a member of mankind, but from the Savior of mankind! The writer of Hebrews tells about how Jesus came to this earth from heaven and experienced all the temptation this earth through Satan offers us, and Jesus remained sinless. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathies with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. (Hebrews 4:15). Once when Jesus earthly family came and knocked on the door of the place where He was teaching, they were announced to Him, and He then commented about His earthly family. Jesus once said, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:35). Here Jesus is announcing that everyone who accept His salvation offer are thus members of His heavenly family. What a friend, and brother we have in Jesus!
Isaiah gave those who follow God a message that they will be energized by their faith and not become tired of communicating with Him. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:30-31). Do you hope in the Lord? In the Book of Acts we read about a young man who seemed to have boundless energy, and when he was about to be stoned to death because of his faith, he saw a heavenly emanation. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55-56). Do not become tired of doing good in this world. Keep having hope in the Lord, and you too can be able to “soar on wings like eagles; they (you) will run and not grow weary, they (you) will walk and not be faint.”
The Biblical hope is not that you hope something is true, it is you have hope because you know in your heart that it is true, Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, and you know you have been “once saved!” Let’s end this commentary with a great hope that Jesus gave us His followers. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:2-3). Jesus has prepared a place for you when you were “once saved!”
What a friend and brother we have in Jesus!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Matthew 7:21 (NIV)
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Is your house (of faith) built on rock or sand? What Jesus said is startling, as it raises the question for all of us who to claim to be followers of Jesus Christ of “am I really saved?” In this instance Jesus is calling out people who He says have performed some form of a miracle in His name, yet He is says to them, and us, are you really saved? Of course, yes, I know that our salvation is a gift to all those who truly believe that Jesus died for your sins, and your salvation is a gift through grace. However, you MUST truly believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, and that His death paid the price for your sins! There is a term that a lot of people do not like, “Once saved always saved!” Some people will point out people who have been professed believers, but then they fell away from their faith, and left the body of Christ!
The trick of this old term is the “once saved” part. If you have truly accepted the gift of grace through Jesus, and truly believe you have been saved by the Messiah’s death, then how could you change your mind about this amazing truth? There is only one God, and only one Son of God, how would you accept this grace, and then, change your mind? However, if you still have doubts that this Biblical account and wonder if there may be some other way by which you can be saved, then you could fall away, thus you were never really saved in the first place. You MUST believe what Jesus said about himself to those who would choose to follow Him. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6-7). You MUST believe this wonderful message from Jesus, if you do your salvation is assured, and you have been “once saved!”!
More people who are walking this today do not believe this message from Jesus Christ to all of mankind. Jesus knew this would be true, because many people have been influenced by Satan to not accept the salvation offered by the one and only man/God, who walked this earth. They have chosen to follow another member of mankind, or Satan himself instead. Jesus knew this would be true, and He left us this message about the difficulty for mankind to believe He is the only Way. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14). Are you heading for that narrow gate in your walk today? Or are the pleasures of this world too enticing for you to accept the free gift of salvation?
The earthly Microsoft Word processing system flagged my entry of “free gift” above, as it is based on the assumption that all gifts are free, thus the term free gift is a poor usage of grammar. However, this is the only time there is truly a gift that is absolutely FREE, as it is not a promise from a member of mankind, but from the Savior of mankind! The writer of Hebrews tells about how Jesus came to this earth from heaven and experienced all the temptation this earth through Satan offers us, and Jesus remained sinless. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathies with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. (Hebrews 4:15). Once when Jesus earthly family came and knocked on the door of the place where He was teaching, they were announced to Him, and He then commented about His earthly family. Jesus once said, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:35). Here Jesus is announcing that everyone who accept His salvation offer are thus members of His heavenly family. What a friend, and brother we have in Jesus!
Isaiah gave those who follow God a message that they will be energized by their faith and not become tired of communicating with Him. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:30-31). Do you hope in the Lord? In the Book of Acts we read about a young man who seemed to have boundless energy, and when he was about to be stoned to death because of his faith, he saw a heavenly emanation. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55-56). Do not become tired of doing good in this world. Keep having hope in the Lord, and you too can be able to “soar on wings like eagles; they (you) will run and not grow weary, they (you) will walk and not be faint.”
The Biblical hope is not that you hope something is true, it is you have hope because you know in your heart that it is true, Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, and you know you have been “once saved!” Let’s end this commentary with a great hope that Jesus gave us His followers. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:2-3). Jesus has prepared a place for you when you were “once saved!”
What a friend and brother we have in Jesus!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak