Jesus ended his Sermon on the Mount by telling the crowd that a wise person will build his life, his “house,” on the solid foundation of faith his sermon had taught. Some have said that every lesson Jesus taught can be traced back to the foundational truth of his most famous sermon.

If we want to be like the wise man who lived with the biblical truth Jesus preached that day by the Sea of Galilee, we need to build our lives on the rock of his truth. The question isn’t “Do you know the Sermon on the Mount?” Rather, it’s “Do you live it?” We can’t just hear these words; we must do them.

Matthew 5–7 contains the foundational truth of the Christian faith. So often we read and study those chapters in sections. How long has it been since you sat down and read the entire sermon in one sitting? 

You can evaluate your walk with God by this question: How much of your life have you built upon the rock, the foundational truths of Jesus’ key sermon? 

The Beatitudes:

—Are you living a life God is able to bless?

—Are you living as salt and light in a world that needs both?

—Do you understand Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Law and God’s new and final covenant with the world?

—Do you understand the high standards Jesus set for your earthly life?

—Do you pray as Jesus taught you to pray?

—Do you live for heaven’s treasures or the world’s rewards?

—Do you live with faith or worry?

—Do you love and treat others as Jesus would?

—Do you believe there is a heaven and a hell and everyone will go to one or the other after this life?

Is your life built on the truth of Jesus’ teaching or on a weak foundation?

The Sermon on the Mount is crucial teaching for our walk with God and wisdom for our witness. Good advice and careful instruction provide wisdom. Jesus began his earthly ministry by the Sea of Galilee and gave us all we needed to live with his perfect wisdom. Read Matthew 5–7 from start to finish and you will gain the best advice and instruction you could receive for your life now and your life eternal.