In Luke 6:47-49, the Lord Jesus said that 'everyone who comes to Me and hears my words, and acts upon them ... is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock' whereas, 'the one who has heard ... and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation.' When the 'torrent burst against' those two houses, the outcome for each of them proved to be very different. Whereas the house that had been built upon the rock withstood the assault by the elements (which, no doubt, occurred over time), the house 'without any foundation' collapsed and, as Jesus stated, 'the ruin of that house was great.'
As I read those words of Jesus, I was reminded of how, just a few years ago, a grand sandstone arch which had, for milleniums, stretched from Australia's southern coastline to a sandstone pillar that rose from the sea, suddenly collapsed and disintegrated into the sea. For years, visitors had, without a second thought, walked across that arch and yet, in an instant, that massive, apparently indestructible sandstone arch collapsed and was no more. What had happened? Evidently a combination of rain, wind and waves had, over time, weakened that structure. Its foundational strength had, over time, been eroded away until finally, it could no longer support its own weight and collapsed into the sea.
Wise King Solomon declared that 'Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it.' (Psalm 127:1) In our time, there are many 'houses' that have no sure foundation. Many groups, whilst claiming to base their beliefs and practices on the Bible, fail to act according to Jesus' simple yet life empowering words. Jesus' illustration of the two men and their houses follows His discussion concerning blind guides, hypocrites who seek to remove a speck from another's eye whilst ignoring the log in their own and the good or evil treasure that resides in our hearts. Jesus then asks, 'Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord," and do not do what I say?' Many who call Jesus, Lord, 'hear' His words, for they are recorded in Scripture, yet they fail to heed them. Whilst they are kept busily engaged in activites as prescribed by their various groups, they fail to listen to what the Lord Jesus is saying to them and acting 'accordingly.' They are so busy 'working out their own salvation,' so conscious to demonstrate their faith 'by their works,' that they fail to act accordingly when they hear Jesus say, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.' (John 6:29) They fail to act accordingly when they hear the Lord inviting them to 'Come to ME, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest' (Matt. 11:28) and they fail to live out the reality of Jesus' words when, in the midst of His agony, He cried out from the cross, 'It is finished!' (John 19:30)
In Jesus' illustration, the house that had no foundation collapsed as the tempest raged against it and 'the ruin of that house was great.' Similarly, the many 'houses' that have not been built by the Lord but are the schemes of men, continue to suffer as the winds of time come against them. For the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and all other pseudo-Christian groups, the ravages of time continue to erode their unstable, man-made foundations whilst they persistently turn a deaf ear to Jesus' words and attempt to reinforce their faltering, ever-changing man-made doctrines. Like a house that is slowly shifting on its foundations, the members of such groups are being 'tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.' (Eph.4:14)
Just as that massive stone arch finally collapsed under the burden of its own weight - as a result of the elements' gnawing and eroding at its foundation over time - so too, the effects of time continue to wear away and expose the unstable foundations of the 'houses' that have not been built by the Lord. There can be only one outcome for such 'houses' built, as they are, without a sure foundation, and Jesus said that that will be complete ruin. However, Jesus continues to speak through His written word the Bible and His invitation, recorded in Revelation 3:20 is as valid today as it was when it was penned by the Apostle John 1900 years ago: 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.'