JESUS IS THE ROCK OF MY SALVATION

Yesterday, my post was a commentary on Matthew 7:24-27, entitled, "Sand:  Billions of Tiny Rocks."  The context of the passage has to do with recognizing false prophets or teachers (tiny rocks), which actually begins in verse fifteen.  They appear to be Christians, but they are enemies of Christ.  They give themselves away by what their teaching produces; their students will not be born again, and therefore, will not be living under the Lordship of Christ; they will simply be followers of them and their hypocrisy (v. 16-20).  Their students will base their spirituality upon their own good works, and not upon the finished work of Jesus Christ on their behalf (v. 21-23).

Then, Jesus described the difference between those who are genuinely born again, and those who profess to be believers in Matthew 7:24-25.  The Lord's followers will have Jesus as the foundation of their faith, their Rock (Dan. 2:44-45; Rom. 9:33; 1 Cor. 3:11; 10:4; 1 Pet. 2:8; etc.), and they will live in obedience to His teachings (v. 24-25).  The trials and storms of life will have no effect upon those who have based their faith upon Him.

However, those who believe they are Christians based upon their faith in the false teachings men and women, who, while appearing to be spiritual, are secretly preying upon them, will be in for a huge surprise!  The false teachers, mere grains of sand in comparison to Jesus, the Rock, will leave them foundationless before the storms of life.  Their false doctrine of works salvation, the belief that their works have earned them salvation, will be worthless.  Their foolish belief that salvation has something to do with their church affiliation, will be ridiculous.  Their trusting in some religious experience, will be shown to have only made them religious.  And when those same trials and storms of life come against them, they will be too much for them, and they perish with the flood (v. 26-27)!

The final two verses, Matthew 7:28-29, often get ignored when preachers teach about this passage.  That is really a tragedy, in that, they are the basis by which those who rejected His teachings will be judged; they knew He spoke the truth: 

"And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine:  for He taught them as One having authority, and not as the scribes."