Living on the Rock
He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. – Luke 6:48 NKJV.
As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” – Romans 9:33 NKJV.
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea…and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. – 1 Corinthians 10:1; 4 NKJV.
Vicki Luhrs appeared on Fox News yesterday, and told about her battle to protect her dream home on Puget Sound in Washington State. Her dream home was built next to, and overlooking Puget Sound. Over the years, one third of her property has been eroded threatening the destruction of the home if the erosion is allowed to continue.
Vicki knows what is needed to protect the home, and what is needed is a rock revetment. Dictionary dot com defines revetment as, “a facing of masonry or the like, especially for protecting an embankment.” However, Whatcom County, Washington officials have blocked her from building that revetment; and will only allow the planting of vegetation to slow the erosion, which would be completely ineffective. Vicki has found help through Pacific Legal Foundation, and has succeeded in forcing a new trial; where unlike the first trial, she will be allowed to present evidence of the need for that rock revetment. (Update: Pacific Legal Foundation issued a press release 03.29.11 announcing that Whatcom County finally allowed Vicki Luhrs to install the rock revetment, and that the revetment installation has been completed.)
The apostle John makes it clear that worldliness is a spiritual enemy of Christians when he writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world (1 John 2:15-16).” The world continually attempts to draw us away from our Lord, to erode our faith, and fervor.
The apostle Paul tells us of another enemy. As Christians we do have a new nature as we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17; however, we are still clothed in human flesh and Paul says in Romans 8:5-6, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” The flesh wars with our spiritual nature to draw us away from our Lord, to erode our faith, and our fervor. We are told this in 1 Peter 2:11, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.”
The apostle Peter advises that we have one additional spiritual enemy when he writes, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).” That old devil seeks to draw us away from our Lord, to erode our faith, and our fervor. The devil wants to destroy you, to “devour” your spiritual life.
How can we as Christians stand up against the constant spiritual pressure, constant spiritual erosion of the world, the flesh, and the devil? We need to do in the spiritual what Vicki Luhrs wants to do physically to protect her home. We need a spiritual rock revetment. Jesus is that rock, and the more of Jesus we have in our lives, the greater our resistance will be to the spiritual erosion.
You can counter the big three spiritual enemies with the big three spiritual resources of the Bible, prayer, and church. The more input of Scripture (Matthew 4:4), the more you pray (Luke 18:1), and the more you are faithful in assembling with other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25), the larger your spiritual rock revetment will become. Begin now; determine now, that your spiritual shoreline will be eroded no more! Live your life on the Rock!
(How can we as Christians stand up against the constant spiritual pressure, constant spiritual erosion of the world, the flesh, and the devil?)