Matthew 5:13 ( ESV )
13“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how
shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be
thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
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Salt has so many uses and I believe that Jesus
wanted us to think of its various uses when talking about what Christianity
should look like. First of all I don’t know about you but salt renders my food
to have a pleasant taste. Secondly, I think Jesus was reminding the people of
His time about how it preserved food from becoming bad. (In the Galilee area
salting their fish was the way they would be able to preserve it.) The Christian is to live a life that shows
forth to a corrupt and dying world that there is hope. We are to be a people
who should cause others to thirst after the things of God.
·
We are not used to salt that would lose its flavor
but coming from the Dead Sea quite often the salt would. It was often filled
with impurities and it would lose it saltiness. So also is the Christian who
allows sin within his walk and if not careful he will lose his effectiveness.
·
Our testimonies can be forever ruined. We must
be true to our convictions or be mocked at. Even sadder then our own testimonies
is how His name will be mocked as well because of our choices. Our testimony
becomes rejected and trampled under by the feet of others. “Who was this one
who claimed to know the Lord and His ways?” (Think about the preachers who have
fallen into grievous sins and how they are laughed at by the world today. May
God keep our hearts and testimonies pure before all men.)
Matthew 5:14 ( ESV )
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One Roman of this time said, “There is nothing
more useful in this life then salt and sunshine.”
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We are to shine forth like the rays of the sun.
The world is dead, dark and in need of the true Light of the world and we need
to shine with our lives his glory. Philippians 2:15 puts it best when it says, “That
you maybe blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst
of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the
world.”
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What a blessing! We are to be the ones who
dispel the darkness and bring forth light into a world where men love darkness
more then light.
·
Many of the cities of this region were placed on
high places and could be seen afar off. You could not easily hide them from
view. (Jesus may have been referring to Jerusalem as an example here as they
were considered to be the light of the world. Is. 2:2-5)
·
Brothers and sisters there were to be no “secret
lights,” but rather a beam in the midst of the storm.
Matthew 5:15 ( ESV )
15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a
stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
·
The purpose of the lamp was to illuminate all
that is around it. Are we offering hope to our neighbors and those who are
around us? When the light was put on its stand it served its purpose. The
application is simple here. Our purpose as believers is to shine the light of
Christ to all of those whom we come into contact with.
·
Why do we try to cover the light of His life in
us around others? By putting a lamp under a basket there will NEVER be a benefit
but rather only destruction. When we light a candle or a lamp we do not try to
conceal it but want it to reveal.
Matthew 5:16 ( ESV )
16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they
may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
·
In the same manner as the above shine with your
life before others. Don’t hide your walk before men but shine forth. Why? So
that when they see you living the Christian life before them they will know
that it is God working through you and they will give the Father the glory that
is due to His name.
·
Our motive is not to be seen but that others can
see God working in us. Through our lives we can draw others to Him. It is such
a simple question, “Are we shining forth for His glory or for ours?”
1 Peter 2:12 ( ESV )
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