A WISE MAN - Matthew 7:24
Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Are you a wise man or are you a fool? In this passage, Christ reveals to us who is wise and who is foolish. The wise man is one who hears the teachings of Jesus and applies them to his life. The foolish man is one who hears what Christ commanded and determines that while they are good suggestions, one is permitted to do what they want when they want.
The thing is, from the outside, both individuals could appear to be serving God. However, when trials come, it will quickly be revealed to all what kind of foundation has been laid. The house that was built upon the sand worked just fine until the storms arose. So too, the man who does that which is right in his own eyes appears to be enjoying life and having no problems.
Every one of us at some time in our life will face some unexpected trial. How we survive that trial will be determined long before we enter the trial. If our life is established upon the laws of God and doing HIS perfect will, then, when a trial arises, we will be in a position that we can remain content regardless what is going on around us.
Do you want to be like Peter or like Judas? Both men followed Jesus and heard HIS commands. Peter was rough around the edges and he sinned by denying Jesus. We really do not know too much about Judas other than at some point, his love of money drove him to betray the one whom he had agreed to follow. Both men came to realize that their actions were wrong; however, there responses were completely different. When Peter realized what he had done, he went out and cried while Judas simply went out and hung himself.
Peter was a wise man, he had seen Christ forgive prostitutes and tax collectors and as such, he was still willing to serve Christ. Judas was foolish and the trial of him realizing that he had betrayed the Son of God caused him to believe that his sin was unforgiveable and as such he took his own life.
A foolish man, once they have started the downward destructive cycle, there is little hope for escape. A wise man will see the storm but because their life is establish firmly on the rock, it does not matter what is going on around them, they know that this world is not their home and that regardless of the storms God is in control.
There is a firm foundation, a rock upon which you can establish your life. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ takes the time to teach us the things that we are supposed to do in order to live a life that is pleasing to God. God is not going to make us obey HIM, however, if we hear the commands of God and willfully chose not to follow them, we are harming ourselves.
Are you a wise man or are you a fool? Have you taken the time to add knowledge of the ways of God to your life? Are you daily studying HIS word to hear what HE has to say and then practically applying these principles to your daily life?
Until you are willing to put God first in your life, your life will be like the house built upon sand. Remember, God created man and put him in a garden where man had daily fellowship with God. Until you learn to restore perfect fellowship with God, you will discover that you are a foolish man and your life will not have the purpose that you desire.