What Kind of House Are You Building? A House Built On A Shaky Foundation
- Elijah McSwain
- May 12
- 12 min read
4/26/2025
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Matthew 7:26-27 NKJV — “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.”
A structure that is built on the right foundation is crucial to its stability. A building that is constructed on a firm foundation provides any structure with what is called structural integrity. Structural integrity allows a building to be preserved in its functionality and constructed framework to withstand structural collapse and destruction. When a building lacks structural integrity in its construction, then it will eventually lead to the building being disintegrated. This catastrophic event is a result of a building not being built on the right foundation. Matthew 7:26-27 presents this reality of a house being built on an unstable infrastructure.
A house that is not structurally sound is destined for a great fall.
Within the context of a house being built on a shaky foundation, the text first addresses the nature of how a person hears and response.
The Disobedient Hearer
Jesus declared “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” (v. 26). This clearly expresses Jesus’ concern over what people do with what they hear in relation to hearing the word of life. The word hear insinuates Christ’s desire for the hearer to be attentive to His words by perceiving with the ear that which He speaks.
What a person does with what he or she hears will either be followed by an act of obedience or an act of disobedience.
The means by which a person chooses to obey or disobey reveals his or her inward nature spiritually in relation to their relationship with Christ. The disobedient hearer is akin to the type of person that the Lord describes in Matthew 7:21, a few verses before what is found in Matthew 7:26-27. Matthew 7:21 (NKJV) is written “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Apparently, as Jesus was teaching His disciples during His disclosure known as the Sermon on the Mount, there were unregenerate people among their presence who had a form of godliness but denied the power thereof.
John MacArthur penned “the faith that says but does not do is really unbelief.” 1
This is what the biblical writer highlighted in Matthew 7:21-23 and Matthew 7:26-27. The connection between Matthew 7:21-23 and Matthew 7:26-27, makes the connection of those who have made a false profession of faith. This is demonstrated in their inability to apply the teachings of Jesus in the frame of their lives. Individuals that lack conformity to God’s Word display rebellion toward Him, fail to submit to His authority, and lives are not governed by His teachings. The Holman KJV Study Bible attributed the thought “true disciples affirm Jesus’ lordship, submit to His authority, and obey His commands. Jesus insisted that a person is confirmed as a true disciple not by prophecy, exorcism, or working miracles but by living a transformed life made possible by God. The disobedient lifestyles of evildoers are inconsistent with genuine discipleship.” 2
The disobedient hearer does not align themselves with God’s Word. Otherwise, Christ would have omitted the statement, he who hears my sayings and does not do them is foolish and unwise. John 8:47 (ESV) mentions “whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” Hearing in this passage correlates to the hearer not making application or living in accordance with what the Lord has declared. It is a demonstration of willful ignorance to the truth of God and as a result, it involves dismissal of His Word and authority. As the two houses are surveyed, the houses are similar from an external appearance. However, the person who is typified by dismissing the Lord’s sayings is deemed as one who only hears externally without an inward desire to be transformed, converted, or changed internally, nor live out what is heard. John Gill expressed that a person of this magnitude only hears externally, but has no understanding of the words of Jesus; do not believe them, nor like and approve of them, but hates and despises them; or if not, depends upon his external hearing of them, and contents himself with a speculative knowledge, without the practice of them, and doth them not; does not yield the obedience of faith to the doctrines of the Gospel, nor submits to the ordinances of it, but neglects them, and if he does obey, it is only outwardly, not from the heart; nor from a principle of love; nor in faith; nor in the name and strength of Christ; nor for the glory of God, but in order to obtain life for himself. 3
External conformity or external attempts to blend in does not advocate internal change. Any person of this nature is unchanged and deemed unwise in how they have elected to build their lives on another foundation. The sole means of building on another foundation is done at the exclusion of Christ dismissing Christ.
A Sandy and Shaky Foundation
Jesus likens a person who hears His says but determines not to do them as a foolish man that builds his house upon sand (v. 26). Sand is a natural element that is known to have a shifty nature. It has a shifty nature as sand is made up of individual grains. When each individual grain comes into contact with wind or water, it has the ability to shift. This sentiment is true regarding a person that chooses to construct his or her life on any foundation other than Christ. The foundational grounds on which a person builds upon is unsettled, weak, and wobbly outside of Christ.
In drawing out the differences of the foundations in Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus pressed upon His disciples that His foundation was lasting and secure. Whereas a sandy foundation is constructed on the lack of firmness. The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes that Christ is a firm foundation that is not subject to change or shift. His foundation is concrete, permanent, and fixated for all eternity. The Lord has an immutable nature, character, will, and divine as well as an immovable standard.
Therefore, the foundation of the Lord will not shift.
Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV) affirms that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." His foundation is firmly established and is not subject to change, shifting, or possessing instability. If a person does not build his or her life on the Solid Rock which is Jesus Christ, then a shaky foundation is what they will stand on. A shaky foundation is fashioned and assembled on worldly pursuits, secular values, and ungodly desires. An individual that manufactures their life on this sort of foundation builds their life on wealth, fame, success, prestige, privilege, creature comforts, education, position, power, economic influence, investments, earthly kingdoms, religiosity, human rationale, independence, self-reliance, and much more.
The danger of attempting to fortify a house upon these concepts gives way for the foundation to shift as things centered around these notions are subject to change.
For example, if you build your life upon economic status and wealth that can shift in an instance when money is depleted, assets are lost, and there is a drastic change in your financial portfolio. If you build your life on prestige, recognition, power and more, that is subject to change when the culture wants to cancel you. A foundation that is built on the world can be altered at any time when there are shifts in culture, the stock market, job layoffs, status change among the elite, cultural trends that affect you and so forth.
These things are equated to a foundation that shifts as its firmness is equivalent to sand. The firmness of sand is soft and does not have a lasting durability. Materialism is temporal. Success is temporal. This is the result of living in a fleeting and fading world.
Thus, Jesus declared that anyone who builds on a foundation as such is a man who has formed his life on a shaky foundation. Jesus stressed the contrast of a firm foundation to that of an unstable infrastructure so that every hearer would give the proper attention to His Word. In doing so, they have the opportunity to wisely choose the foundational grounds on which their lives will be framed. John Walvoord and Roy Zuck gave an assessment, “Jesus presented two options open to listeners. They were now responsible for what they had heard and must make a choice. They could build on one of two foundations. One foundation was like a big rock and the other like sand. The foundation determines the ability of a structure to withstand the elements (rain and winds). The rock foundation represented the Lord Himself and the truths He had been presenting, especially the truth concerning inner transformation. The sand spoke of Pharisaic righteousness which the people knew and on which many were basing their hopes. In the storms the first would give stability; the second would result in destruction. Thus hearing and heeding Jesus’ words is wise; one who does not is foolish. Only two courses of action are possible- two kinds of roads and gates (Matt. 7:13-14), two kinds of trees and fruits (vv. 15-20, and two kinds of foundations and builders (vv. 24-27).” 4
Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV) advises “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” As people, we are either going to structure our lives according to God’s blueprint or overlook His divine instructions and build according to other specifications.
It behooves every person to choose wisely in relation to how they build.
The Presence of Storms
Jesus instructed that the rain would descend, the floods will arise, and the winds will blow and beat on any house that is built regardless of the foundation (vv. 25 and 27). Notice from an external perspective, both houses looked similar in nature, each structure was built on a different foundation, yet both houses experienced the same climatic elements of the storms. The parallel of both houses undergoing drastic weather conditions asserts that life is comprised of trials, hardships and difficult circumstances whether you build your life according to Christ’s standard or by the world’s standard.
Life will test our foundation, and it will reveal what we are grounded.
The reality of life will expose the nature of spiritual material that we have built upon. The Book of Job states that the impending issues of life will rise to the forefront just by being born and living in this world. Job 5:6-7 (NKJV) is documented “for affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble spring from the ground; yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.” Our very existence in the world is an appointment to be contacted by trouble. Trouble does not hand out a free pass for anyone to escape it gripping power. In this life humanity will be troubled by trouble. Undergoing difficulties in life are inescapable. The righteous will have trouble, and the wicked will have trouble. The wicked are not able to avoid problems just as the godly are not exempt from problems. Burdens will confront the unsaved as well as the saved.
Trials are part of our human experience and condition whether or not a person is affiliated with Christ as a disciple or not. It is certain that once a person enters the realm of time, space and matter that problems are destined to be in their path. Charles Spurgeon wrote “even if you live to the world, or live unto Satan, you will not live without trial. The ungodly, who have their portion in this life, have to eat some bitter herbs with it, and have to dip their morsel in vinegar quite as much as believers do.” 5 The fact of living in a fallen world brings about it share of pains, frustrations, woes, heartaches, concerns, and challenges for all of humanity. Troubling times can make life bitter but the goodness of Jesus as your foundation can make life sweet.
Notice that the winds blew and beat against both houses, the rain fell on both houses, and the flood waters came to both houses. The major difference between those who build on a sandy foundation and a firm foundation is that those who construct their lives apart from Christ are attempting to handle life in their own power and might. A person under the spiritual influence of self and worldliness will crumble under the weight of life.
However, they have every opportunity to establish their house upon the Rock so that they will be safe and secure in this life as well as the life to come.
As mentioned earlier, the essence of what we do with what we hear is of upmost importance. What we hear and do with what we hear not only has an effect on human life here and now, but it has an impact on the eternal state of the soul. The establishment of life on a firm foundation or a flimsy foundation is a matter of prevailing or not at the final stage of testing or inspection.
The Great Fall
A feeble and weak foundation is not built to last. A life that is ultimately lived apart from Christ ends in ruin as it is not secured by the Rock. Ruin comes in the form of eternal condemnation as the great storm of judgment brings about the great fall of the lost apart from Christ. The house that is constructed on sand shifts throughout the years and eventually drifts away into an eternity of punishment upon their continuous rejection of Christ.
Christ is the cornerstone that these builders have rejected.
In Matthew 21:42-44 (NKJV) Jesus avowed “have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? “Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” 1 Peter 2:6-8 (NKJV) reiterates this truth by the declaration “therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” and “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
People who are offended at the teachings of Christ are disobedient and they stand in danger of eternal judgment for willingly ignoring Him and His Word. Judgment will ensure that the house that is built upon sand will fall as a result of their rejection of Christ. In the end, the Lord will reject those who have ultimately rejected Him.
The Holy One that was rejected will perform the final inspection and reject those who have not built their lives by the inspection codes of God’s Holy Word.
Albert Barnes insisted “the house built upon the sand is beat upon by the floods and rains; its foundation gradually is worn away; it falls and is borne down the stream and is destroyed. So falls the sinner. The floods are wearing away his sandy foundation; and soon one tremendous storm shall beat upon him, and he and his hopes shall fall, forever.” 6 Without Christ as the anchor of their souls, they will be swept away by the climatic elements of the storms in the sea of eternal punishment and destruction. Matthew Henry acclaimed “that those hopes which foolish builders ground upon anything but Christ, will certainly fail them on a stormy day; will yield them no true comfort and satisfaction in trouble, in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment; will be no fence against temptations to apostasy, in a time of persecution. When God takes away the soul, where is the hope of the hypocrite?(Job 27:8). He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand (Job 8:14-15). It fell in the storm, when the builder had most need of it, and expected it would be a shelter to him. It fell when it was too late to build another: when a wicked man dies, his expectation perishes; then, when he thought it would have been turned into fruition, it fell, and great was the fall of it. It was a great disappointment to the builder; the shame and loss were great. The higher men’s hopes have been raised, the lower they fall.” 7
As the Gospel of Matthew reveals the great calamity of those who live separated from Christ, by building their lives on sinking sand; the good news is that there is hope while you are yet alive. Composer Ruth Jones wrote the sing entitled, In Times Like These.
In times like these you need a Savior,
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid rock!
This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One;
This Rock is Jesus, The only One!
Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid rock!
In times like these you need the Bible,
In times like these O be not idle;
Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid rock!
This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One;
This Rock is Jesus, The only One!
Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid rock! 8
Jesus is the world’s only hope to stand during the judgment. Build your life you Him.
Resources
The MacArthur Study Bible
The Holman KJV Study Bible
Gill, John. “Commentary on Matthew 7:26”. “Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/matthew-7.html. 1999.
John Walvoord and Roy Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1983. Pages 34-36.
Barnes, Albert. “Commentary on Matthew 7:26”. “Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/matthew-7.html. 1870.
Henry, Matthew. “Complete Commentary on Matthew 7:26”. “Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mhm/matthew-7.html. 1706.
The New National Baptist Hymnal. Page 187.
