The Steadfast Faith of a Christian - Matthew 7:24–27

 

Sermon . God's Silent Nature – The Steadfast Faith of a Christian

Matthew 7:24–27

Dear Beloved, you who are waiting for the coming of Christ the Lord! May the Lord, through today’s message, establish you on the rock-solid foundation of steadfast faith found in His Word. Amen!

In the Bible, there is a distinctive characteristic of God’s silence. As a result, a Christian’s faith may be deeply tested by God’s silence.

1. God's Silence:

Sometimes, a person may observe all the evil occurring in the world—Satan and his angels at work, sin multiplying, habitual sin increasing, consequences of sin growing worse, and ultimately, death—and yet feel as if God is passive or unresponsive. The person may say, “God is staying silent as if He doesn't even care.” This is a key aspect of God's silence, and for many, especially unbelievers who have built their foundation on sand, it becomes a stumbling block (Ecclesiastes 8:11). But it is not a stumbling block for the believer whose foundation is on the rock.

It is easy for people to blame God, especially since He does not appear visibly or speak audibly to confront them. His silence, rather than being understood as holy patience, is often misjudged.

Examples:

1. In one family, if someone dies, the grieving household may say, “God has been unjust to us. He took away our breath. He removed our support.”
2. In another case, when a son dies, his mother may say, “God couldn’t bear my son’s condition, so He killed him.”

Such statements are examples of blaming God. This attitude and such responses are like building on sand—faithless and unstable foundations.

However, the believer who builds on the rock-solid foundation of God’s Word will remain unmoved by God’s silence. To such a person, God's silence is not troubling—it is a mark of trust in God’s sovereignty. While the storms rage, and God's silence remains, the believer does not fall, because he is rooted in God's Word and character.

Illustration: There was a preacher’s wife who was known to a respected elder. She was often unwell and physically weak. Yet, she never grew weary of reading the Bible. Her mother, however, would often get annoyed and speak many discouraging words. Still, the preacher’s wife remained faithful in her Bible reading. This is what it means to have a foundation on the rock.

A Christian whose life is founded on the rock will say, “That person has fallen into sin, but perhaps God, in His wisdom, allowed it.”
On the other hand, someone whose foundation is on sand will question, “Why did God allow this person to fall sick? Couldn’t He have stopped it?”
A shallow believer might say, “If God had given him good health, why would He allow illness?” or “Why should someone die prematurely? Couldn’t God have extended their life?”

But the believer founded on the rock responds with quiet confidence, “If God took them, He had a reason. Why should we question it? It’s not for us to know.”

One of the marks of a rock-founded Christian is silence and calm trust. Just as God remains silent while witnessing all things, His true followers—who reflect His character—learn to be still and wait on Him.

If someone falls into sin, the rock-founded believer says, “Alas! You’ve fallen. Come, I will pray for you. Do not sin again.”
He does not accuse God, saying, “Why didn’t God intervene and pull him back? It’s God’s fault for not preventing this.”

But the sand-founded believer—like the countless grains of sand—is quick to grumble repeatedly. The rock-founded believer, however, remains steady. Why? Because he reads and abides in the Word of God.

Illustration: The Washerman and the Storm

In the village of Ramachandrapuram, there lived a humble washerman. One day, as he was walking with a bundle of clothes balanced on his head, it suddenly began to rain. Spotting a small shed nearby, he stepped inside to avoid getting wet. But unexpectedly, lightning struck the very shed he entered—and he died instantly.

A believer whose foundation is on sand would ask, “Why did God allow such an untimely death? Couldn’t He have spared that man’s life?” But a believer whose foundation is on the rock responds differently: “This was according to God’s righteous judgment. He permitted it as per His will, and we must be silent before Him.” When we carry guilt within but shift the blame onto God, we commit a greater sin. As Scripture says in James 1, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God.’” To accuse God while ignoring our own faults is itself a grave offense. Rain falls from the skies, and sometimes it turns into a flood. When such a flood strikes a house built on sand, it collapses—and the person suffers great loss. Just like that, God’s silence, though pure and divine like rain, can cause the faith of the sand-founded believer to erode, because it lacks depth and endurance. Slander, accusations, and criticism—like winds from the world or attacks from evil spirits—come rushing in like a torrent. And just as a muddy flood washes away loose soil, these verbal floods wash away the unstable faith of the believer who stands on sand. Yes, the rain is good—so is God’s silence. But when that rain becomes a flood—symbolizing the pressure of human reproach or spiritual attacks—those without a firm foundation are swept away. Even something as sacred as divine silence can appear harmful to a person whose faith is shallow. It is not because the silence is evil, but because the person lacks a steadfast foundation.

Even the criticisms of men can destroy someone with fragile faith. The muddy floodwater here is symbolic of human accusations—dirty, heavy, and destructive to those not built upon the rock.

Did the rain and the flood come with the intention to destroy the house that man built? No—they came as part of their natural course, not to bring destruction. However, the strength of each house depended on its foundation: some stood firm, while others fell. The rain, which comes from above, represents divine tests or the silence of God. The flood, rising from the earth, symbolizes the struggles, accusations, slander, and opposition we face from friends, enemies, and even family. The wind, blowing all around, represents the inner evil thoughts that arise from within. These three—rain, flood, and wind—strike the house, which symbolizes one’s doctrine, faith, religion, or spiritual walk. If the foundation is sand, the house collapses under pressure. If the foundation is rock, it stands unshaken. This rock foundation was considered very important by the elders. A strong spiritual life is like a well-built house, grounded on the following convictions: (1) I enter my prayer room, (2) kneel down, (3) confess my sins, (4) make a firm decision to turn from sin, (5) surrender to God, (6) offer focused prayer, (7) discern His will, (8) accept the Bible as my sole authority, (9) place Christ as my foundation, (10) fix my eyes on heaven as my destination, and (11) recognize the church as my spiritual family. These form the framework of true doctrine and committed faith. One who holds to these is a true believer and will peacefully receive eternal life. But the one who mocks and rejects these truths—saying, “It’s all meaningless”—is building on sand. Today, many from other religions, especially atheists, challenge Christians by saying, “The Bible is empty, Christ was never born, Christianity is false, there is no God, no demons, no salvation, no angels, and when a person dies, he becomes nothing.” Sadly, some Christians are beginning to agree with such statements. But this must never be so—this is the mark of a sand-based faith. Let our faith be rooted on the rock, unshaken by storms, trials, or accusations, and able to endure till the end.