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NASB | Matthew 7:24 ¶ "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 7:24 ¶ "So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man [a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man] who built his house on the rock. [Luke 6:47-49] |
Subject: rock foundation |
Bible Note: Emmaus, Thanks for your response and clarification, brother. I agree that Jesus Christ is the Rock, the foundation upon which our faith is built. There is no other name given among men whereby we can be saved and therefore the gospels MUST be central to our faith. Hank has made the excellent point the everything written in the OT points to Christ and everything written after the gospels points back to Christ. The only other thing that I would like to "gently" add is that, while the gospel narrate the earthly life of our Savior and His finished work (this is the foundation of our faith), the Pauline letters and the writings of the other authors of the NT are centered in "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Maybe this is what In the Andes was referring to, I don't know. While the gospels speak of the historical Christ in focus and content (the events and works of His earthly ministry), the rest of the NT speaks of His ministry in us. I am not attempting to elevate the creation over the Creator here. I am simply saying that the same Jesus that lived and died 2000 years ago is now alive in us. So while the gospels give us a beautiful picture of what He did then, the rest of the NT demonstrates how He lives in us now. His presence in us is as real as His earthly presence 2000 years ago. Paul affirmed this when he stated, "I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." The heartbeat of Christianity is not in imitating a God-man who lived 2000 years ago. The heartbeat of Christianity is that same God-man, Jesus Christ, now taking up residence in His earthly body today and living through us. He is our life - Col 3:4. I often see bracelets, Bible covers, and stickers that say WWJD (What Would Jesus Do). While I understand the thrust behind this "fad" is to get folks to attempt to look in the gospels to see how Jesus acted and then to imitate that, there is more to the Christian life then trying to imitate God. The message of the Christian life is Christ, not just a historical figure, but a living Savior who is very much living in the world today in His people. So my "fad", if I had one, would be - What Will Jesus Do? He said, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." Paul said, "I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength." Those words are just as true today in 2002 as they were 2000 years ago. I am not a follower of Paul, Cephas, or any other man. But I certainly do recognize that God Himself wrote other books of the New Testament for our edification and growth. If the only Jesus we ever see is the one in the gospels, we will attempt to mimic Him and live a life of defeat and futility. But when we recognize that the same Jesus in the gospels still lives and works in and through us today, we can find the Christ-life to become an experience, not of imitation, but of co-operation. Paul wrote in Col 1:25-28 - Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ." Grace and peace to you, Bill Mc |