Context: Matthew 5-7
Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27
24″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. 25The 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. 26But 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. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
This passage comes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. A passage where Jesus basically lays out what the life of a Christian looks like. He hits everything from lust to hatred, fasting and praying. After his discourse, he intentionally takes time say the above words. He makes sure that he ends by saying what we are to do with his teaching.
In a word: obey.
In other words, he says that we can hear these words, a million times over even, but unless we act on them, unless we obey, they don’t do us any good. The things that God teaches us in his Word aren’t meant for us to hear and walk away. Rather we need to act on them.
This is what the book of James says on the subject:
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
When we study Scripture, or hear a teaching from the Word of God, we always, no exception, need to prayerfully consider how it applies to our life and circumstance. This does not mean that we pick and choose what parts we like, and rapidly discard the rest. Rather, it means that we pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal to us how we are to obey him according to the whole of Scripture.
Here are some things that might help you as you study:
1. Ask: What was the point of the Scipture that I just read?
2. Ask: Is my life measuring up to what is taught? Do I reflect God’s will in this passage, or do I reflect the world (e.g. Galatians 5:16-26 says that we are not to be sexually immoral or hate others but that we should have the fruit of the Spirit. The question to ask would be, “Does my life reflect the sinful acts mentioned or the fruit of the Spirit)?
3. Get accountable with someone. This means opening up to another human being about what God is teaching you and challenging you with. As you share, talk about what you’ve been studying and think up ways of how you can be obedient to the Lord. Call each other throughout the week and check up on each other about your commitments