Luk 6:47-49 | KingComments | STEP | It comes down to whether we really acknowledge the Lord as Lord. We can address Him as “Lord, Lord” and call Him “Lord” with the mouth in a exaggerate way, but if we do not do what He says, it is a lie. In this respect, it is not about what we confess, but what we do, what we show in our life. The Lord indicates what the true disciple resembles who listens to His words and acts accordingly. He illustrates this with an appealing example. The disciple who hears the words of the Teacher will show this by working hard to create a good foundation for his life house. Such a person is deeply convinced of the dangers that threaten his life. In order to have a reliable foundation for his life house, he digs deep. He is not superficial, but digs away everything in his life that offers no support. He wants a good foundation. Only the rock offers that. The rock is a picture of Christ ( ; ). He is the foundation ( ). If a disciple has built his house thereupon, there may be torrents and floods of water, but his house will not shake. It is well built because it stands on the rock. There has been dug deep into the soul, all sinfulness has come to the surface and has been confessed and judged in God’s light. Whoever has dug deep has learned to say: “Wretched man that I am!” ( ). Then he comes to the rock: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” ( ). Then there is no more condemnation ( ). The words of Christ are the rock. By paying heed to His words, we survive every attack by the opponent. If anyone proves his faith in obedience, he will never be moved or ashamed. However, there are also people who listen to the words of Christ but do not act on them. They are not committed to digging and deepening. They build their house “on the ground” because they believe that the “ground”, that is to say the earthly things, provides sufficient basis for their life. When the torrents come, it turns out that these things do not offer a foundation. That life house collapses and the destruction of that house is great. It becomes a ruin. We can also apply the ‘house’ to the ‘house’ of professing Christianity (cf. ) and the ‘house’ of Israel (cf. ). The words “who has heard and has not acted [accordingly]” indicate exactly what has characterized Christians and Jews. If the Lord returns in glory, the hardest blow of judgment will not hit the heathen nations who have never heard the Word of God, but the professing Jews and the professing Christians to whom the Word of God has come to a rich extend. They heard the gospel, but did not obey it.

‏ Luke 6:47-49

Two Foundations

It comes down to whether we really acknowledge the Lord as Lord. We can address Him as “Lord, Lord” and call Him “Lord” with the mouth in a exaggerate way, but if we do not do what He says, it is a lie. In this respect, it is not about what we confess, but what we do, what we show in our life.

The Lord indicates what the true disciple resembles who listens to His words and acts accordingly. He illustrates this with an appealing example. The disciple who hears the words of the Teacher will show this by working hard to create a good foundation for his life house. Such a person is deeply convinced of the dangers that threaten his life. In order to have a reliable foundation for his life house, he digs deep. He is not superficial, but digs away everything in his life that offers no support. He wants a good foundation. Only the rock offers that. The rock is a picture of Christ (Mt 16:18; 1Cor 10:4). He is the foundation (1Cor 3:11).

If a disciple has built his house thereupon, there may be torrents and floods of water, but his house will not shake. It is well built because it stands on the rock. There has been dug deep into the soul, all sinfulness has come to the surface and has been confessed and judged in God’s light. Whoever has dug deep has learned to say: “Wretched man that I am!” (Rom 7:24). Then he comes to the rock: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom 7:25a). Then there is no more condemnation (Rom 8:1). The words of Christ are the rock. By paying heed to His words, we survive every attack by the opponent. If anyone proves his faith in obedience, he will never be moved or ashamed.

However, there are also people who listen to the words of Christ but do not act on them. They are not committed to digging and deepening. They build their house “on the ground” because they believe that the “ground”, that is to say the earthly things, provides sufficient basis for their life. When the torrents come, it turns out that these things do not offer a foundation. That life house collapses and the destruction of that house is great. It becomes a ruin.

We can also apply the ‘house’ to the ‘house’ of professing Christianity (cf. 2Tim 2:20) and the ‘house’ of Israel (cf. Heb 8:8). The words “who has heard and has not acted [accordingly]” indicate exactly what has characterized Christians and Jews. If the Lord returns in glory, the hardest blow of judgment will not hit the heathen nations who have never heard the Word of God, but the professing Jews and the professing Christians to whom the Word of God has come to a rich extend. They heard the gospel, but did not obey it.