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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

The Faith that Does


This morning I was impacted by the connection between what we say about Christ, and what we do about Christ.

Jesus spoke about people who said the words, “Lord, Lord,” and yet had never entered the kingdom of heaven. He said there would be people in the judgment who address him as Lord, and remind him of the mighty works they did for him, and yet he will tell them he never knew them, and banish them from his presence.[1]

In the middle of all that, he tells us who it is who truly enters the kingdom of heaven: “the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Somehow, saying, “Lord, Lord,” and doing miracles (or thinking you did miracles), is not sufficient cause to believe one is in the kingdom of God.

Jesus then followed this glaring contrast with an illustrative simile. He said there was a wise man who built his house on rock, and a foolish man who built his house on sand. The wise man’s house withstood the rainstorms that came against it, while the foolish man’s house collapsed into the shifting sand.[2]

What did Jesus say was the difference between the two men? That, although they both heard what Jesus taught, the wise man did what Jesus taught, and the foolish man did not.

Now, we know that people are saved by grace through faith, not of any works they do,[3] so Jesus could not mean that, if we do what he says he will save us (how can dead people do what Jesus says?[4]).

Rather, he differentiates between those who are his sheep and those who are not. His sheep hear his voice and follow him;[5] the goats hear his voice and keep doing as they please (goats are very much like that, don’t you know).

If we must do the will of the Father in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, and we know the Father’s will means hearing Jesus’ words and putting them into practice, what did Jesus tell us about how to enter God’s kingdom?

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

What does the wise man do when he hears Jesus speak these words? He repents and believes in the gospel, entering the kingdom of God by grace through faith. What does the foolish man do when he hears Jesus speak these words? He continues in his sin, and denies the good news of great joy.

Jesus is our supreme example of what it is like to do the Father’s will. He described it like this: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”[6]

If that is Jesus’ view, and the adopted sons of God are created in the image and likeness of our Savior, it ought to be our view of our Father’s will just the same.

This is why James clarified, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”[7] After all, to hear Jesus’ words without doing what he says is like a foolish man building his house on the sand. It won’t last. We must be the wise man who hears Jesus words and puts them into practice.

© 2016 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)








[1] Matthew 7:21-23
[2] Matthew 7:24-27
[3] Ephesians 2:8-10
[4] Ephesians 2:1-3
[5] John 10:3-4, 27
[6] John 4:34
[7] James 1:22

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