We’ve all heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” I think we’d all easily agree on to that saying. If I say I love my wife but I don’t spend time with her, or show her affection, or remember her birthday, or go on bike rides together, then do I truly love her? My actions speak louder than my words.

The same is true with our relationship with God. We can say we love God but be insincere. We might call ourselves Christians but not follow Jesus. The danger is that we might think we are secure relationship with Jesus but we really don’t. We might assume God’s protection but not have it.

The question we’ve got to ask ourselves is this: Do my actions back up my claim to know Jesus?

In today’s Scripture, we will discover how to test our lives for sincerity. We will hear Jesus teach that actions speak louder than words. In other words, true followers are revealed by their actions.

We’re the Gospel of Luke chapter six, verses 46-49.

In this part of Luke’s Gospel, we are in what is known as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has been ministering to crowds and performing miracles, garnering a significant following. But now, He calls the crowds to consider the cost of truly following Him. He challenges them to evaluate their lives for sincerity. His teaching reveals that sincere followers do what He says.

Let’s listen now to God’s Word for us today:

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great.”

Luke 6:46-49

The main idea of this passage is this: True followers are revealed by their actions. We can say one thing with our lips, but our actions reveal the truth. If we sincerely are following Jesus, then there should be evidence in our actions.

See the question Jesus asks the crowds and us in verse 46. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?

Notice the double “Lord, Lord.” In the Bible, when someone uses a name twice, it signals emphasis and emotion. Sometimes, God uses the double name to signal his relationship with his people, as in “Abraham, Abraham” or “Jacob, Jacob.” But here, Jesus describes someone who thinks they have a saving relationship with Him, but it is a charade. The person talks about Jesus as if he were important to them, but they don’t truly know Him.

We see this today in people who attend church simply for the emotional experience. Emotions are essential to a genuine spiritual experience, and following Jesus includes experiencing His joy and peace. However, some people attend church seeking a feeling, an experience, more than the Lord. They want the show but not the Savior. They will act passionately in church but not obey Jesus outside Sunday mornings. That’s the type of hypocrisy Jesus is addressing here.

Hadley and I have been watching the TV show Young Sheldon recently. In a recent episode a young teenage boy named Georgie Cooper decides to become a devoted follower of Jesus. But the reason he decides to become a Christian is so that he can impress Veronica Duncan, a girl he likes who has also recently become a sincere believer. In his pursuit of Veronica, Georgie starts showing up at all the Bible studies and all the prayer gatherings. He even follows Veronica in her decision to be baptized. But its there in the baptismal pool in front of the whole church that he is exposed for his true motives. To Veronica’s shock, Georgie confesses his love for her and kisses her. She responds by punching him in the face.

Some people claim to follow Jesus, but their motivations aren’t pure and sincere. It’s a all a show.

Notice the second half of Verse 46. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? Jesus is referring to putting into practice His teachings. What are some of the things that He taught? Jesus called people to repent of sins and trust in Him for forgiveness. Jesus called people to follow Him. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught people to love their enemies and be merciful. He called them to holiness and to avoid evil speech and evil thoughts. So, Jesus challenges those who claim to have a relationship with Him, but don’t do what he taught them to do.

Why would someone do this? Why would someone claim to know Jesus but not follow Him? They do this because they want the benefits of Jesus without the commandments of Jesus. They want the blessings without the Blesser. They want happiness but not holiness. They don’t want Jesus; they want what Jesus can do for them.

This is like when we had a friend growing up who had a toy we wanted to play with. We all did this at some point. We became “friends” with that neighbor to play with their toys. It might have been their PlayStation or trampoline, but our friendship was not genuine. It was based on utility. In the same way, some people act like followers of Jesus to gain blessings, but don’t follow His teachings.

We see this hypocrisy in many liberal, progressive Christians who claim to love Jesus but don’t acknowledge all of Jesus’ teachings. They pick and choose what they like from the Bible. They may claim Jesus’ teachings about loving your neighbor but they ignore his teachings on purity and righteousness, especially in sexual ethics. They water down the Bible to fit their views and opinions. They claim to know Jesus but don’t actually obey His full teachings. Jesus would ask this question of them, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?“

Equally, we see this hypocrisy in many conservatives who claim the name of Jesus to support their political agendas, but don’t practice what Jesus taught. Their lives and their words reveal that they don’t embrace Jesus’ teachings on meekness, humility, gentleness, respect, and love for our enemies. Jesus would ask this question of them, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?“

But the focus today isn’t on others religious hypocrisy. We should put ourselves in the hot seat. Do we sincerely follow Jesus? What do our actions reveal about our relationship with Jesus? Are we faithfully following Him and His teachings–the easy ones and the hard ones–with full obedience? Where do we sin by picking and choosing what teachings we obey and ignore?

Jesus doesn’t allow us to use Him without following Him. He calls us to put into practice what He teaches. He seeks a relationship with us based on sincerity and true devotion. So, if we call Jesus “Lord, Lord,” our actions should back that up. Our actions should speak louder than our words.

To be clear, Jesus is not saying in this passage that our actions save us. Actions don’t earn our salvation, they confirm our salvation. Scripture teaches that we are saved by trusting Jesus, not our performance. We trust in what He did through the cross and the resurrection for salvation. Salvation is a gift from God received by faith alone. But, if our faith is sincere, then our actions will follow. If we truly repent of our sins and believe in Him, then we will see signs of spiritual life and obedience. It’s not that we will be perfect in our actions, but our actions will be sincerely striving to follow Jesus.

It’s similar to what is written in 1 John 1:6-7:

“If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

True followers are revealed by their actions. Those actions don’t earn our salvation, but they do confirm our salvation. If we walk in darkness, then we are deceived. If we walk in the light, then we have true fellowship with Jesus and are in a saving relationship with Him.

Jesus uses a metaphor to teach the crowds the difference between true followers versus false followers. There is no middle ground here. Everyone fits into one of these two groups. Only true followers are secure on the day of God’s judgment and the false followers will experience a terrible end.

First, look at the metaphor of the diligent builder, who represents true followers. In verses 47-48, Jesus said, “I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built.”

Notice the emphasis on action. A real follower “hears my words and acts on them.” He didn’t just hear the word but responded by applying the word to his life. Also, the first builder “dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock”. The expression “dug deep” is two verbs in Greek. A literal translation of the Greek would say the builder dug and dug deep to lay the foundation. Jesus uses two verbs to emphasize the effort of the builder to lay the strong foundation for the house. Similarly, true followers work diligently to build a strong foundation by applying the teachings of Jesus to their lives. They don’t merely hear His words, but they obey Him.

The result is that the diligent builder is secure during the storm. Verse 48 says, “When the flood came, the river crashed against the house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built.” The builder’s house stands up in the storm because it was well built on a solid foundation. For those that sincerely apply Jesus teachings, they can take confidence that their lives are secure on the day of judgment. We will be saved because of our sincere faith in Jesus that is confirmed through our actions.

Conversely, the second type of builder is lazy and skips working hard to lay the proper foundation. This second type of builder represents false followers of Jesus. Verse 49 says, “But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great.”

The second builder represents those who hear Jesus’ teachings but don’t apply them to their lives. They don’t repent of their sins. They don’t trust in Jesus. They don’t commit to following Him. They lack a foundation and are not secure, and they will perish in the flood (Cf. Matthew 7:21-23).

This is heavy stuff. But see this as a merciful warning. Jesus doesn’t want people to perish but to be saved. He died on the cross to absorb the punishment and judgment that we deserve. We don’t have to experience destruction, because Jesus was destroyed on the cross in our place. So, He calls sinners to sincere repentance so that they can be saved. He offers this teaching as a loving warning to those insincerely following Him. Knowing that God is not fooled by their hypocritical lives is a wake-up call. He gives this warning so that they might acknowledge their error and truly be saved. There is still time for the crowds to turn from their false ways.

The main idea of this teaching is that true followers are revealed by their actions. Actions speak louder than words. If we claim to follow Jesus, we should do what He told us to do. Our actions should confirm we truly have a saving relationship with the Lord.

So, how do we apply this teaching to our lives? Here are a few ways:

First, build your life on the foundation of Jesus.

How do you build your life on the foundation of Jesus? This includes three foundational steps: 1. We confess our sins and need for forgiveness. 2. We trust Jesus’ work on the cross and the resurrection for salvation. 3. We commit to following Him in obedience. Those three things are how we know Jesus in a saving relationship. They are also how we build our lives on the solid foundation of Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11 says: “For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.” When we hear the Gospel and apply it to our lives through repentance and faith, we are like the diligent worker who builds his home on a solid foundation.

Have you built your life on the foundation of Jesus? Do you know Him personally through repenting of sins, trusting in Him, and committing to following Him?

Second, check for signs of spiritual life.

Actions don’t earn our salvation, but they should confirm it. If we genuinely believe in Jesus, there will be signs of life.

It’s like checking shrubs in the yard. I have some bushes that are questionable. So, I check them to ensure they are alive. If there is even a little green bud, I don’t pull it up because there is life there. Similarly, if we want assurance that we are truly in a saving relationship with Jesus, we look for signs of life.

In your life, what signs of life are there of a genuine relationship with Jesus? Do you see yourself growing and changing over time? Do you see ways that you are growing in love for God and love for people? Do you spend time with Jesus in prayer and the Word? Are you growing in humility and serving others? Are there any sinful habits that you’ve seen progress in stopping? These are good signs of life that can encourage you in the genuineness of your faith.

Personally, putting my faith into actions has looked like committing to praying more consistently and intentionally. Jesus teaches us to be devoted in prayer. But I found myself being too casual. So, I’ve recently committed myself to being more intentional with when and how I pray. I write down prayers and I pray specifically for needs with faith that God hears and answers prayers. Jesus taught us to pray, and I want to put my faith into action by being committed to a thriving prayer life.

Check your life for evidence of sincerity and respond accordingly. Take encouragement from signs of life and commit to faithfully growing in Him.

Lastly, worship the One whose actions spoke louder than words. Jesus didn’t just talk, He walked the walk. Jesus was full of integrity in how He lived. His actions spoke to His character. He was obedient to His Father’s commands. Also, Jesus didn’t merely say He loved us. His actions backed that up. He demonstrated His great love for us that while we were still sinners, He died for us. On the cross, His actions spoke louder than words.

Do you truly know Him? Are you sincerely following Him? May all of us hear His call today and come to Him truly and fully. May our lives worship the One whose actions spoke louder than words. Amen.