The book of Genesis tells the story of God ruling over His people, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. Initially, Adam and Eve were meant to partner with God, trust Him, love Him, and assist in spreading His Kingdom throughout the world. However, Genesis 3 recounts the moment when Adam and Eve made a dark exchange by exalting themselves as kings of their own kingdom and their own world, deciding what was good and right for themselves.
From that moment on, humans have been living similar, Genesis 3, garden-type of lives, trying to be kings of their own universe, deciding what is good or evil, and unraveling everything. However, God promised to send a rescuer and redeemer. He promised a king who would conquer sin and death and restore His kingdom to its rightful place. In the Gospels, Jesus unpacks this gospel of the kingdom by comparing it to everyday things. He emphasized that those inside the kingdom are there by faith alone. Believers show mercy, do good to their enemies, repent, and continue to pray to the King.
In Matthew 7, Jesus delivers the “now what?” kind of sermon that concludes the Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon, He lays out what it means to live within the kingdom of God. This passage is similar to a coach’s final training session, when they summarize everything they have taught and trained their team for. This article will dive deeper into this passage from Matthew 7 to explore Jesus’ teaching about building your house on the Rock.
Houses Built on the Rock and the Sand
In Matthew 7:24, Jesus says everyone who hears His words (everything He has just taught in Matthew 5-7) and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall because it had been found on the rock.
On the other hand, He warned that everyone who heard His words and didn’t do them would be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The foolish man would be left with a crumbling house after the rain and floods came because his house didn’t have a firm foundation. As we look at this passage together, let’s walk through a few things that will both warn and encourage us.
The Way of Wisdom vs. The Way of Foolishness
Jesus makes it clear that there are only two ways to live: a wise way and a foolish way. Matthew 5-7 fall under the category of wisdom literature. This means that wisdom is living according to God’s ways in God’s world, recognizing that He created life to function in a specific way. For example, when God says “do not lie,” it is not to deprive you of anything, but because lies can damage relationships and lead to destruction.
The path of wisdom is to live according to God’s call. However, there is another path that one can walk—a path of foolishness. This path disregards God’s ways and prefers one’s own ways. If you do not trust in God, you will trust in yourself, seeking something or someone to build your life upon. But there is no third option. Jesus does not offer a third way to live, but only two ways: wisdom or foolishness.
The way of wisdom involves humility, obedience, trust, and honoring the Lord. Alternatively, the way of foolishness involves not trusting in God but trusting yourself instead. Jesus acknowledges that many have tried to live the way of the fool before, attempting to find a better way than the one God has outlined, only to have everything unravel in the end. He warns that there is no third option and emphasizes the importance of building on a solid foundation.
Jesus explains that there are two foundations to choose from: a wise man who builds his house on the rock, and a foolish man who builds his house on the sand. The foundation is critical, as it affects the entire structure. A poor foundation will eventually reveal itself, even if it takes time. The wise man builds on the rock, which represents Jesus Christ, the solid foundation on which to build a life. The Rock you build your life on is Jesus.
Making Jesus the Foundation
In Matthew 16, Jesus has a conversation with His disciples. He heard people talking about Him and His work, and He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples responded, “Some people say that you’re a prophet” or “a good teacher.” However, Jesus then asked the crucial question, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” Jesus commended Peter for this declaration, stating that it was revealed to him by His Father in heaven.
Jesus then explained that the church would be built upon the foundation that Jesus is king, and that obedience to Jesus is the way to stand on this foundation. Therefore, the passage teaches that Jesus is the foundation upon which our lives should be built, and obedience to Him is the way to stand on this foundation.
The mark of a true disciple is not only hearing, but also doing. In the Bible, trust in Jesus is always linked with obedience to Jesus. Therefore, what Jesus says here is very clear and straightforward: if you’re not obeying Jesus, no matter what you say, you’re not building your life on Him. Without obedience, you’re not building your life on the rock.
James 1:22 states, “Do not just be hearers, but doers,” and James 2:17 says, “So faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” 1 John 2:3-6 also reinforces this, saying, “By this we know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands. The one who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not keep His commands is a liar, and the truth is not in Him.” Therefore, it’s important to remember that the Bible never separates faith in Jesus from obedience to Jesus.
The Importance of Faith and Obedience
If you were to pull out a quarter where one side is heads and the other side is tails, and then ask which one is a quarter, you might say both sides are. Similarly, life in Christ is about both faith and obedience, which work together. Obedience is the proof of faith, and the genuineness of one’s faith is seen in the fruit of their life.
Jesus emphasizes the importance of obedience in this passage, stating that those who obey his words are building their lives on solid rock and are wise, while those who hear His words but do not obey them are foolish and building on sand, which is unstable and movable. This instability is comparable to a fort made of paper clips and clothespins, which falls apart easily.
It is concerning when people claim to like Jesus but refuse to obey him. Such easy believism does not align with what Jesus teaches. If there is no obedience following one’s proclamation of faith, there is no faith, and they are building their lives on sand, possibly even deceiving themselves. In fact, the scariest part of this passage is when people stand before Jesus and claim to have done good works, but Jesus says he doesn’t know them and that they were building their lives on sand, not on the rock. It is essential to remember that obedience to Jesus is an integral part of having faith in him.
Build Your Life on Jesus
This passage raises the question of what one’s life is built upon, beyond the simple dichotomy of wise or foolish living and building on rock or sand. Jesus emphasizes that there are two outcomes to consider, as shown in verses 25-27. In the former, the house built on rock withstands the rain, floods, and winds, while in the latter, the house built on sand falls and is destroyed.
Although some interpret the storm as the trials of life, Jesus is actually referring to the final judgment, where the foundation of one’s life will be revealed. This is not to discount the reality of life’s storms, such as illness, loss, and separation, which are addressed in the Bible. Rather, Jesus is warning of a catastrophic and all-encompassing storm of future judgment from God.
Therefore, it is crucial to heed His message and build one’s life on a solid foundation, which will determine whether the house of one’s life will stand or fall in the face of the storm of judgment. As Jesus emphasized in Matthew 7:21 that you may be able to deceive others, or even yourself, but you cannot deceive God. The truth of where you have built your life will be exposed on the day of judgment. If you have built your life on sand, your house will fall, and the fall will be great, lasting for eternity.
The point of Jesus’ teaching is not about the appearance of the house or the materials used to build it, but about the foundation on which it is built. A life built on Jesus stands, regardless of the storms of life that may come. So, it’s not about how big, pretty, or tall your house is, but about whether it is built on the rock or the sand. Therefore, don’t take pride in the appearance of your house, but rather in the foundation on which it is built. Even if your house is incomplete or imperfect, keep building on the rock. Remember, what truly matters is what you do with Jesus.
Next Steps
Repent and Believe
In order to build your life on Jesus, the first step is to repent and believe. This means repenting of trying to build your own life and instead believing that Jesus is the rightful King, the owner and sustainer of everything, and the One alone who is to be worshiped and adored. This is the foundation upon which everything else is built.
The second step is to keep doing this for the rest of your life, continuously believing in and repenting to Jesus. Even when you make mistakes, don’t look to other people’s opinions or other things, but instead go to Jesus, the general contractor. Jesus is the One who will guide you in building your life on a solid foundation, even if you have to tear down what you’ve already built.
We all need Jesus to help us build our lives on a rock-solid foundation, and if you haven’t done so already, it’s never too late to start. Maybe you’ve been trying to build your life on your own, but your efforts keep falling apart. Or maybe you’re already building your life on Jesus, but you need some guidance on how to keep things on track. Either way, the key is to keep your focus on Jesus and build your life upon the rock that He provides.
Examine Your Foundation
Listen to what Jesus says. He makes it clear that if you don’t build your house through faith and obedience, it doesn’t matter what you say. You’re not building on the rock. This is foolishness, but in God’s great mercy, He’s trying to show you this truth today.
He wants you to realize that you need Jesus to build your life on. You may have made mistakes and messed things up, but only Jesus can cover your sins and pay for your mistakes. Only Jesus was good enough to offer a sacrifice that was acceptable to the Father, and only Jesus has conquered sin and death. You can’t do anything on your own; you need Jesus. My prayer is that this truth will become clear to you this morning and that you’ll turn to Jesus to build your life on.
So, where are you building your life today? Are you building on the rock of Jesus through obedience to his commands and trusting Him? Or are you building on sand? If you realize that you’re building on sand, I encourage you to repent and turn to Jesus, the only rock that can bear the weight of your soul and your life. He alone is the King forever.
