The first article introduced the topic of ground truth and showed that this serves as the foundation of life. Without truth being grounded in reality, life as we know it wouldn’t exist. Without truth the sciences could not exist since they are dependent upon truth that can be studied and described. Truth is necessary in mathematics, for without it deductive theorems would not hold, programmatic algorithms could not be relied upon, and the very fabric of life would unravel. In fact there would be no fabric!
This article is foundational in this series since it will often be referred to in subsequent ones. It cuts right to the chase and answers the “so what?” of ultimate reality.
Truth Beneath the Surface
Jesus Christ had just taught what is commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. He taught many things related to the kingdom of heaven from the attitude that should mark people (Matthew 5:1-12) to the truth of what is in the inward person that really counts (Matthew 5:21–30; 6:1–4). In fact inward reality may be the common thread weaving its way through His sermon.
When Fear Treats Possibility as Fact
An extremely practical section about not worrying is presented in Matthew 6:25-34. Worry and anxiety are at historically high levels in North America[1] which is ironic given that North Americans may have the highest standard of living in the world. Clearly affluence doesn’t result in a worry-free life. Money certainly helps in life to pay the bills and to provide for our families, but money in itself doesn’t lead to happiness and fulfillment.
One of the things that leads to anxiety is an occupation of things that aren’t true. We may make ourselves sick anticipating possible problems that we will face tomorrow. We may create a host of worst-case scenarios in our minds, only for them to never materialize. In the end, our worry is for nothing, serving only to generate needless anxiety.
In fact the Bible tells us to think or meditate on things that are “true” (Philippians 4:8). This means thinking about things that are factual, real, and not “imagined”. Someone has once said “Your greatest fears are created by your imagination. Don’t give in to them”. This agrees with biblical teaching that says to think (amongst the other things listed in Philippians 4:8) on things that are true (not imagined, not assumed to be true, not a fad, but are based on reality).
The Way That Leads to Life
In Matthew 7:13–14 the Lord Jesus taught that many people go down a broad way that leads to destruction. This is the popular path to take, the path that has lots of company and makes a person feel at ease. People can feel comfortable when on this way. It is the way of parties and materialism.
However, the critical thing is that it leads to destruction. It leads to death. It does not lead to God.
In contrast, the narrow way leads to life. It may not be popular, it may not always be comfortable, but it is the way that leads to life. The Lord Jesus said in John 17:3 that eternal life is based on the ground truth of knowing God and Jesus Christ. The New Testament enlarges on this and describes this life in different ways, but always the foundation of Christianity comes down to the bedrock truth of knowing God.
Could I ask you if you know God? Not knowing about God, but having a deep-down experiential knowledge of Christ, a knowledge based on the ground truth of a saving power of Christ. Being saved means knowing Christ. It means having a relationship with God.
Hearing Is Not the Same as Building
The Lord Jesus ended his Sermon on the Mount with a parable. It was meant to drive home the practical impact and outworking of His teaching. It was meant to resonate in the hearts of those who heard Him that hearing was not sufficient. What was needed was to hear and to do what He taught.
People who hear and do what He taught were likened to a person who built his house on bedrock. This foundation was not necessarily visible, but the critical thing was that it was there. Life was built upon ground truth that was rock solid.
In contrast only hearing but never doing what Jesus taught is likened to building a house on shifting sand. Both houses may look the same externally but when the storms of life come, shifting sand will crumble under the weight of trials and problems.
Truth Demands a Response
I would encourage you to read the Sermon on the Mount, and then answer the “so what?” question.
- So how does this affect my life?
- So what am I going to do with what Jesus taught?
- So what impact will I allow this to have on my life?
Which of the two builders will you be like – the one who built his house on a firm foundation, or the one who took the easy path and based his life on sand-like “truths”?
What Is Your Life Based On?
Friend, what is your life based on? What foundational principles are your decisions based on? What is anchoring your life? Is it the shifting sands of societal popularity or the fads trending in social media? The trends of today will be in the garbage pile tomorrow.
One thing will never expire. One thing will always be relevant. One truth will never pass away. The Lord Jesus said “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31).
The Bible is ground truth that you can not only base your life on, it is bedrock you can base your afterlife on. In fact, it is the only thing you should base your eternity on.
1 National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder