30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 11 27-28 Hearing God's word and keeping it Keeping God's word 6
📖 Luke 11:27-28
*Hearing and keeping His word* _Luke 11:27-28_
People were praising Mary for she had brought forth Jesus but our Lord made it clear that more than praising her, it was necessary to hear the word of God and keep it.
There are two principles that Jesus is giving here - One is hearing the word of God and the other is of keeping it. We will consider both of these principles in the coming days and both of these principles need to go together. We cannot just be hearers of the word of God and not do it _James 1:22._ Hearing is a separate discipline by itself and we will consider as to what it means to be a ‘hearer’ of the word of God.
The person who hears God’s word and does them is like a man, who built his house on the rock. He dug deep and laid the foundations of his house on the rock. The flood arose and the stream beat vehemently on the house but could not shake it because it was founded on the rock _Luke 6:47-48._
This is the picture that our Lord wants us to hold before us. We live in turbulent times. It will cost us heavily to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. The cost will be for us and for our families. The question is, Are we prepared and ready to pay the price to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? The world will offer compromise options to go along with the standards of the world, in our homes, in our every day decisions, in our work places, in our businesses and even in the way we conduct mission organisations and our churches. What will we choose? Will we go along with the compromise option, saying, “I need to be smart to live in today’s world and will also be involved in church or missions”? or will we be willing to pay the price to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?
The picture of the house built on the rock, must be strongly etched into our consciousness.
_Friends let us be clear that if we are living a life of compromise with the world, we are not Christians at all. We do not belong to the family of God Luke 8:21._
The Lord said, _“blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” Luke 11:28._ The bottom line question of our life is, “What is our definition of blessing?” Is material well being, our children having become successful in life, we are well settled as a family, I am doing well in my business, are these our definitions of blessing? Or is our definition of blessing, *God is my reward*?
God’s will is known by His word. _Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures James 1:18._ We are therefore being birthed again and again of His will and His word by His Holy Spirit. How will the world know God’s will and God’s word? They will know it from us, His disciples. We are the manifestations, the revelation, to the world of God’s will and His word by His Holy Spirit. The will of God and the word of God must be flesh in us. This is the life of the disciple of Jesus Christ.
*Thought to ponder*
```The church is the manifestation of the truth.```