September 29 Good Enough

Luke 6:45-48 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. 46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
 
IF you ever need convincing that living into Jesus’ teaching is vital to your Christian life, then dwell on these words. You are as you live. Wrong thinking floods out into wrong speaking and living. Right thinking flows out into right words and living.
   The question for you, though, may not be, “Should I live into God’s Word, to do and be good in Jesus?” But your bigger question may be, “How much doing Jesus’ teachings is good enough?” As in every other question related to our relationship with Jesus, the answer to this question comes in the lordship of Jesus in your life. To do Jesus’ words, you first seek the Spirit’s power to live as he did: 1) Jesus knew the Scriptures. 2) The Savior taught the Scriptures [Know that we all teach in some way.]. 3) The Lord lived the Scriptures. 4) Our High Priest rested in the Scriptures’ authority.
   Another way to see Jesus’ life as a man in light of this passage is to say, “Jesus built his house on the Father’s foundation in the power of the Spirit.”
   Live as the Lord lived. Be built into his “Kingdom and the power and the glory forever” (Matthew 6:13 KJV) Then you will be able to answer, “How much good is good enough?”
 
Prayer: Teach me to live in you, Lord Jesus. Amen.