In the town of Gilchrist, Texas there is utter devastation from hurricane Ike which pounded the gulf coast last week with 120 mph wind gusts and a 20 ft sea surge . There has been picture after picture of destroyed land, ruined homes and families who have lost everything. Yet, in the midst of all the destruction there was one home that stood, seemingly untouched by the pernicious storm. The home belonged to Pam and Warren Adams who rebuilt their home after it was destroyed by hurricane Rita in 2006. They hired a contractor to build them a home that would withstand a category 5 hurricane, and it worked.
This reminded me of the of a passage in Matthew 7:
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27"The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."
Jesus uses the imagery of a house built on a rock in this parable to illustrate to us the importance of being sure we have the right foundation in our spiritual lives. In the preceding verses to this passage Jesus is telling us about people who believe firmly that they are saved, when in reality they are deceived about their spiritual condition. He tells us that at the day of judgment he will say to them "I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS." How absolutely frightening it would be to hear those words. Can you imagine the horror that will grip the souls of these people who believe, perhaps their entire lives that they are saved and as they stand before God at the judgment he tells them "I never knew you."
Sadly, churches in America and all over the world are flooded with people who will fall into this category. There are those who have been in church since before they can remember, that teach Sunday school, that give their tithes and offerings, that are deacons or elders that will die and be damned because they did not have the right foundation.
This is a picture of the funeral of Pope John Paul II. There were over 300,000 people in attendance. They came from all over the world to attend such a monumental event. This was also the largest gathering of world dignitaries in history. But it is quite possible that everyone in this picture is deceived about their eternal destiny. There is probably not a single doubt in most of their minds yet, they will die and they will go to hell forever because they do not have the right foundation.
However, one does not have to be Catholic to be deceived. It is not just those who belong to false churches who are in spiritual peril. There are those who belong to wonderful, Bible teaching, Christ exalting churches that also are deceived. It doesn't matter at all that they belong to a good church. They are still as lost as those who belong to a Mormon church, a Catholic church, or even those who worship Satan. They are still bound for the same hell.
There is only one foundation on which our we are to put our trust (build our house) and that is in Christ alone by faith alone. Anything else either adds to or takes away from our salvation. If one does not see their utter inability to produce anything worthy of pleasing God they are without hope. Those who think that praying a prayer gives them a ticket to live as sinfully as they wish are wrong. The Spirit of God must change the heart to where we seek to do good and then when we stumble to feel agony over our sin.
It is in Christ that we find salvation. Jesus tells us in this text that those who build upon the rock are considered "wise." Because they see that this rock is the only hope they have from the coming storm (Judgment). Those who do not build on the rock have only sand on which to build. Jesus said: "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."
I am reminded of the song:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus' name
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand
