The question is how does one know what is The Truth?
This is the question that Pontius Pilate asked Jesus during His 'trial' just before he sentenced Jesus to the cross. Jesus did not answer him. If he only knew that The Truth was standing before him.
The Apostle Paul states in Hebrews 6:1: - (CJB)*
"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God," So Paul says that to go on "to perfection" one needs to be sure of the correct foundation.
Jesus in The Sermon on the Mount talks about having the correct foundation. At the very end, He shares about the two builders. One had a good foundation and the other had a bad foundation. Let's revisit the story.
Each builder is compared to someone who heard and did something, or heard and didn't do something. Remember: Matthew Ch 7 verse 24 & verse 26. Now consider what these two 'builders' were doing. Both of them heard. So we can say that both of them were building, being builders and hearers. What were they building with, what they heard? They both heard the same 'words' so their houses must have looked the same.
From the outside, you could not tell the difference between them by the way they acted, the form or shape of their building. There was certainly something different in the way they responded to their environment. What was the difference? The foundation that they were depending on.
Let's take this a little further. What was the foundation that each was trusting in? One was sand -- always shifting, always needing to be held up by one's own efforts; The other was a solid rock -- trusting in all that the rock could offer, not relying on how to perform. So how does this apply to life and how to conduct oneself?
Firstly we need to understand that the two builders had received
'The Word'. To put it plainly, accepted The Time Traveller i.e., Jesus as their Saviour.
Secondly, we need to see how each went about following the instruction they received from the teacher or the person that is skilled in presenting that
'Word', i.e., The Bible.
So how does this affect the way we live our Christian life? If you have received the 'Gift of Salvation' that has been offered by God through His Son, Jesus, then you need come to a place of rest (on the 'The Rock').
We need to look into what it means to 'Rest on The Rock'. Paul talks about this in Hebrews.
Let's look at Hebrews 4:1: - (CJB)*
"Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it." So what is this 'Rest' that Paul is referring to? It is the 'Rest' referred to in Verse 10: -
"For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His". So what is the 'Rest' we are to have? We need to cease from trying to live the life that we believe a follower of Christ should live.
Rather allow the Life of Christ that is now in us to shine outwards. The Rest is focusing on HIM, allowing His Nature to come through us as we draw on His Power to let go the 'old nature' that ties to rise up again. Really this takes the stress out of living for Christ or to say that another way, living life as a Christian.
Is it all really that simple? Well yes, but there is more that needs to said that makes this all possible. The pages that follow will help to fill in the colour that portrays the complete picture.
The Rest of the Story Begins Here
Why I use The Complete Jewish Bible
(CJB)* The Complete Jewish Bible" used with permission.