God at one time destroyed the whole world with a catastrophic flood that killed all of mankind and most of the animal life of this planet. God has promised that He will not destroy the earth with water again and has given us a rainbow to remind us and Him of this promise (Genesis 9:12-17). Metaphorically, however, we are still inundated with a flood that threatens to overtake us spiritually.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-27: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

This is a great parable that tells us how to fortify our lives against the inevitable rain that will fall and threaten to destroy us again with flood waters. In a spiritual sense we are surrounded by the flood of wickedness and ungodliness every day and in order to withstand it we must have a firm foundation in Christ and practice what He tells us in our lives every day. This is how we may be wise and not fall prey to the wiles of Satan.

If we are unwise we will pay no attention to the words of Jesus and attempt to build our lives on the sand, without the foundation provided by the rock and our house will not stand in times of trial and temptation. Great will be the fall of that house, if not in this life than in the life to come.

The flood of Noah, although it will not happen again, teaches us that if we obey God as Noah did in the building of the ark, we can be saved from the flood of wickedness that envelops this world and ultimately be saved when God again destroys the world at the end of time. This is the same principle that Jesus is teaching in the parable we have considered.

In the same way that eight souls (Noah and his family) passed through water and were saved, we are to pass through the waters of baptism that we may be saved (1 Peter 3:18-22). It is by obeying Jesus in baptism that we are saved from our sins (Mark 16:16) and able to withstand all that is thrown at us in this life. If, after baptism,  we remain faithful till death (Revelation 2:10), we will be saved come the judgment day also (see “plan of salvation” above and under categories).

So, will we be wise and build our house on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ, the one by whom the world will be judged (Acts 17:30,31), or will we be foolish and ignore the gospel and be subject to the ruin that comes to all who will not obey Him. The choice is ours, as God has given us the right to choose whether we will serve Him or not. Obey Jesus today, you only have this life in which to do so. Once it is over, it will be too late.

May God bless and keep you until next time.