Authority Acknowledge • Matthew 7:15-29
By Carl M. White
The heart of this lesson, verses 13-27, is a series of three binary comparisons. While following Jesus is a lifetime commitment, it starts with a series of rather simple and obvious choices. First, chose the narrow gate and road, which lead to life, not the broad gate and road, which lead to destruction. Second, chose the trees with good fruit, not the trees with bad fruit. Third, be a wise builder. Build your life on the solid rock of the faith handed down through the ages. Do not be a foolish builder, who builds on the shifting sands of culture and fad.
How, then, do we decern the narrow gate and road that lead to life, the good fruit of truth that feeds your soul, and the solid rock of the faith upon which to build? In the introduction for this lesson, verses 7-12, Jesus teaches us of a trinity of actions for pursuing: ask, seek, and knock!
Each of these actions are doable for everyone. Each action also requires at least a degree of faith. You see, if you don’t believe that there is an answer, then there is no reason to ask. If you don’t believe there is anything to find, then why bother to seek? And if you believe the door will always be shut to you, then there is no need to knock. It is sad when a person reaches the point that they don’t believe it is worth the trouble to ask, seek, or knock. But Jesus promises, if you ask, you will be answered; if you seek, you will find; and if you knock, He will be there to open the door.
I once visited a young man who was in rehab because of drugs. He didn’t want to see me. I asked if we could pray together. He said he did not believe in prayer. I told him that he could pray this prayer: “Lord, I do not know if you are real, but if you are, I want to know. I humbly ask that you make yourself known to me and I promise that I will follow that knowledge wherever it leads. Amen”
He prayed that prayer. It led him to Christ.
Anyone can ask, anyone can seek, and anyone can knock. These actions lead to the ability to decern which gate to go through and what road to go down. These help a person to recognize the good fruit of Biblical doctrine and to avoid the bad fruit of false prophets and teachers. These will lead you to the solid rock you can build a life upon, a life that will stand fast through the storms and winds that inevitably come.
What kinds of false teachings are there today? It is funny how history is often more modern than we think. Here are some false teachings from the early church: Docetism, which taught that Jesus only appeared to have a human body, denying His humanity. Arianism, which believed that Jesus the man was a created being, not co-eternal with God the Father. These denied that Jesus was one person with two natures.
A core doctrine of the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ was “truly man and truly God,” possessing two distinct natures in one person, as is declared in the Chalcedonian Creed of A.D. 451. Only in this way will His death on the cross, taking on the sins of humanity, and His resurrection from the dead, bring to us eternal life.
Today, many will say they like Jesus but refuse to believe that he was raised from the dead. That is not Christianity. Or some may say, “Sure, Jesus died for my sins and was raised, but for me to be saved I’ve got to do enough good works to earn it.” In other words, justification by works, not by faith.
Another distortion is what is called the Prosperity Gospel. God’s purpose for your life is to be wealthy and healthy. That’s how you know you are right with God. But that is not what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (NASB).
Be one who asks, one who seeks, and one who knocks. Doors will open!
White is a member of Pineview Church, Clinton.
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