Our "WALK" and our "TALK"

Let's look at Mathew 7:21:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven".

Some self-professed athletes can "talk" a great game, but that tell you nothing about their athletic skills. In the same token, not everyone who talks about heaven belongs to God's Kingdom. Jesus is more concerned about our 'walk' than our 'talk'. Jesus' aim is for us to do right, not just say the right words.

In the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus challenged the proud and legalistic religious leaders of the day. It called them back to the messages of the Old Testament prophets who, like Jesus, taught that heartfelt obedience is more important than legalistic observance. What it's clear is the need of some kind of qualifications in order to enter the Kingdom. Jesus began His sermon with words that seem to contradict each other. But God's way of living usually contradicts the world's. He gave the Beatitudes, which can be understood in at least four ways:

(1) They are a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of conduct for all believers. (2) They contrast Kingdom values, what is eternal, with what is temporary in worldly values. (3) They contrast the 'superficial faith' of the Pharisees with the real faith Christ wants. (4) They show how the Old Testament expectations will be fulfilled in the new Kingdom. These Beatitudes describe what Christ's followers should be like. Each of them tell us how to be blessed. 'Blessed' means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state of those who are in God's Kingdom. They do not promise pleasure, laughter, or earthly prosperity, but instead it refers to the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances.

In Luke 6:46, Jesus asked,

“But why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?”

Why would people build a house without a foundation? Perhaps to save time and avoid the hard work of preparing the concrete and stone. Possibly because the waterfront scenery is more attractive or because beach houses have higher social status than cliff houses. Perhaps because they want to join their friends who have already settled in sandy areas. Because they haven't heard about the violent storms coming, because they have discounted the reports, or because they think disaster can't happen to them. Whatever their reason, those with no foundation are short-sighted, and soon they will sorry. Obeying God is like building a house on a strong, solid foundation that stands firm when storms come. When life is calm, our foundations don't seem to matter. But when crisis come, our foundations are tested. We must be sure that our lives are built on the solid foundation of knowing and trusting Jesus Christ.