Title: Faith in Action (Matthew 7:21-27)
Contents
The cry of victory ⑦ Faith in action (Matthew 7:21-27)
Today’s talk is about ‘glorified faith’ and the cry of victory (last) ‘practice’. Everyone behaves according to their values and beliefs. This is because his thoughts, values, and beliefs are reflected through his words, habits, and actions. The Bible strongly warns believers not to lead a double life. Because faith and works are inseparable and inseparable. (James 1:22-24) Then why is it important to act? The reason is that
① Because faith without works is dead faith (James 2:17) ② Because faith is made perfect by works (James 2:22)
③ Because we make perfect people (Ephesians 4:13) .
And another reason why practice is important is that it bears fruit through him, and through the fruit, you can know the true face of the person's faith. Faith is works, and works are manifested by their fruits, and by the fruits, you can know your faith. What and how can we bear good fruit? What is the principle?
I. We must do the will of the Father (Luke 22:42)
On the night the Lord was arrested, when he prayed until the very last moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, that prayer was an earnest prayer with blood and sweat. Jesus must have wanted to escape from the pain of being torn apart on the cross, pouring out all his water and blood, and giving up his life. No, you could have escaped if you wanted to. But the Lord did not do that. Rather, Jesus laid down his thoughts and desires to avoid this cup of suffering before God's plan. And he gave it for us even to the point of death. Because that is what God wants. The Bible says that Jesus was obedient to the point of death (Philippians 2:5-8).
Why was Jesus obedient? There was only one reason. It was to do his father's will. Just as Jesus did, we must live our lives according to God's will. That is the secret to victory in this world.
However, there are two important principles here.
It is first to give up one's own. God, who has called us, is not the first to choose people based on their outward appearance. See where the person's heart is headed. Therefore, what man sees and what God sees are different. And we must always remember that God is always looking at the heart. Therefore, if I am called by God, I must live with the heart and appearance that God expects. must please God. (2 Timothy 2:4)
Christians are spiritual soldiers. We, who are called to be spiritual soldiers, must have the spirit of spiritual soldiers. If you do not give up your ego and stubbornness, selfishness and pride, greed, desire, jealousy, envy, hatred, and anger, you will fight for your own righteousness. You must also change your thoughts and plans.
Why? For without forsaking it, we cannot do the Father's will. You cannot be used by God without throwing away what you have (2 Timothy 2:21). Therefore, the most difficult battle in spiritual warfare is not with the environment, people, or the world, but with yourself. The best soldier is the one who fights and wins. Paul tells us to put off the old man that is decaying (Ephesians 4:22-24). This is the first step to doing the Father's will.
And the second step is to know the Father's will. Today's text is a terrifying warning. Let's look at verses 22 and 23 together. Jesus wants people to know God first. what God's will is. what are the attributes of God. It is to become a person who deeply knows what God wants. Jeremiah 14:14, Ezekiel 13:9 You must deeply understand the words of Jesus and receive approval from Jesus. To be approved by Jesus is to be approved by God. Therefore, in order to follow the path of triumphant faith, we must cultivate the spiritual habit of conforming ourselves to God's will. If you are going to use Jesus to carry out your will, you must not.
Jesus always put the will of God first. He is the one who killed his own will and made alive the will of God. That is why we need to know Jesus and God. You must discern what His will is. We must practice the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Because this is the faith that triumphs (Romans 12:1-2)
II. You must not do anything illegal.
God's plan is for us to enjoy an abundant life (John 10:10) and to enjoy peace with God (Romans 5:1). But this abundant life is only possible through Jesus. Because only Jesus is our Savior and Shepherd. So what the hell is illegal? It has a different purpose, a different purpose than Jesus. (John 10:11-15) The crucial difference between the good shepherd and the laborer is revealed when a crisis strikes. When a wolf comes to catch a sheep, the wage earner runs away because it is not his sheep. But the good shepherd fights with his life for his sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. So even now, Jesus is looking for the lost sheep and looking for the sheep that have been stolen by wolves. He travels all over the world to find even one sheep.
Matthew 18:12-13 The heart of Jesus is full of interest and purpose in the salvation of souls that God has given. The good shepherd is interested in the soul, and the paid shepherd is interested in other things. In the text, “Lord! Lord!” The same goes for those who cry. They also cast out demons in the name of the Lord, exercised power, and prophesied (Matthew 7:22) What is illegal? The will of Jesus is to do whatever we want, no matter what. If you do not know the Lord, you commit iniquity. (Hos. 6:3)
Anyone who does not know God's will does something wrong. Therefore, the Apostle Paul said that we should become one with what we believe and know and become a perfect person and live a life that is worthy of the will of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). A life of victory is a life of realizing God's will and acting.
Ⅲ. It is to put the word into practice.
What is the difference between the man who builds his house on the rock and the man who builds his house on sand? That is the attitude after hearing the Word. Anyone who hears the word of the Lord and practices it is the one who builds a house on the rock.
The degree of faith differs depending on whether the basis of faith is Jesus Christ or not. Those whose beliefs are not in Jesus Christ live by their own experience or knowledge. Or, they live by trusting in their own experiences, wealth, personal connections, and abilities.
These people hear the words of Jesus, but do not live by them. For them, Jesus Christ is not yet the foundation of their faith. So it is easy to get tested, fall and fall.
The problem is, however, that this pattern is still among us today. He attends church, attends worship and listens to the Word, but it does not relate to his life. So, at the moment of decision or choice, we follow our own judgment and the standards of the world, not the words and teachings of the Lord. Even in the moments of important choices and decisions, they do not act according to the Word of God. And when the results don't go the way you want them to, they get frustrated and despair easily.
This is the image and result of those who hear the words of Jesus but do not do them. They seem to have built their foundation on the rock they are sure of, but they are building their house on sand that will soon collapse and disappear without a trace.
That is why Paul proudly speaks of believers who live according to the will of the Lord (2 Corinthians 6:8-10). Yes. Those who hear the words of Jesus and do them are those who have built their foundation on the rock. This is the blessing that those who live by the word of the Lord enjoy. Living as one who is nothing but possesses everything is a blessing given to those who live a victorious life through glorious faith. God wants all Christians to win. From now on, I hope that you will have victory by hearing the words of Jesus and putting them into practice.