The Sermon on the Mount by Jesus focuses on man’s heart. It is the heart that matters to God. Another important thing Jesus addresses is self-deception. Jesus concludes his sermon as he admonishes his followers warning against self-deception. Those that practice self-deception fail to live in obedience to Christ and lack good fruit. Disobedience is the natural man’s practice that produces bad fruit.
What is biblical obedience and the benefits that bear fruit in the believer’s life? What biblical obedience is not is mere talk and claiming, which is disobedience. Those in verse 46 that call Jesus “Lord, Lord” fall into this category of seemingly Christian, but having lived a life of disobedience. In the immediate context, Jesus is speaking in the present tense, which indicates some that were in the crowd fell into this category. The Bible often tells of hypocrites and self-deceived people that are close to Christ in knowledge, but not truly knowing and believe in Christ (1 Jn. 2:19).
Anyone can fall into self-deception. Some of the ways people can fall are as follows.
- Those that refuse to practice self-examination, especially meditation through the Word and the Spirit
- Busybodies due to many activities
- Keeping ourselves occupied in so many good works is not an indicator of being saved
- Some balance out good works versus living a worldly life
- Look down on some scriptural principles
- Example: culture pressing down on the church to prevent certain topics of discussion and at worst softening the gospel message
- Dealing with the Lord with lesser importance
- God desires the believer’s heart. Whatever else we try to offer (often considered our best in our own eyes) is not what God truly wants.
- How do we know we have given heart to the Lord? Matt. 22:37
Those that are not self-deceived possess genuine faith which produces obedience. The obedient man demonstrates their action based on the Word. And the start of an obedient life hinges on true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. What Jesus implies in the text is that everyone builds their house (i.e., building their religious life), and by digging deeper implying true repentance (Luke 13:8). It is by repentance we believe and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, without repentance, obedience is not possible. This is the only way to avoid becoming like those that say, “Lord, Lord” whom Jesus never knew when divine judgment comes.
The rain and flood will come to all; that is, death and God’s divine judgment. The only thing that will allow one to stand and fall is if one possesses genuine faith or if one remains in unbelief. The illustration given by Jesus paints a stark contrast between believers and unbelievers. Believers have built their life on the solid foundation of Christ that will withstand the flood of death and judgment. Whereas unbelievers have self-deceivingly built their life on no foundation that will come to ruin at the flood of death and judgment.
As death and judgment come to both the obedient and disobedient, the only flood insurance anyone needs is obedience brought by true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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