Spiritually-Wise Christians

PART #3

Jesus tells a parable of “The Wise and Foolish Builders” in Matthew 7:24-26, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Jesus is a preacher and teacher who is not only an expert in life and a scholar in His Father’s Word, but He is a practical man.  This parable is one which could really happen and is a wonderful picture of a spiritual truth.  It is an illustration that every wise Christian takes to heart.

Jesus Christ was a carpenter. (Mark 6:3) He knew houses and the building trade and He knows what it takes to build and maintain a righteous life before God His Father.  In this parable Jesus is demanding two things that must be done if a Christian is going to be a wise builder.  Jesus has always taught that the key to walking in the wisdom of God is the master plan of hearing and doing.   The whole course of what Jesus is teaching is a radical submission to His Lordship. James gives us this exhortation, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”  (James 1:22)

Once hearing and perceiving it is a necessity for wise living to do what Jesus and the Holy Spirit of God tells you to do through the written Word of God.  William Barclay put it powerfully when he wrote, “Knowledge only becomes relevant when it is put into action…  Knowledge must become action; theory must become practice; theology must become life.”

There is no use in going to a heart doctor, if we are not going to do as he tells us to do.  There is no use to go to a Christian teaching somewhere unless we are allowing the Holy Spirit to prepare our hearts to put into action what we learn.  

Spiritually wise Christians give up slumber to seek for God’s truths and they survive the storms of sickness, sorrow, suffering, disappointment, rejection, handicaps, loss, death, mistreatments, and temptations.  If a Christian builds upon faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, he can handle the severity of the storms. These Christians know the truth of what the Apostle Paul was writing about in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…” (Romans 8:28-29)

Spiritually Wise Christians grasp the truth that all circumstance, trials, temptations and blessings are for the revealing of what is yet in their heart.  There may need to be a cleansing or just a revelation of the spiritual condition of the heart.  These Christians have a God given ability to see life with rare objectivity and are given an ability to handle all that is thrown at them in stability.

Are you building on the foundation of Christ’s Words?