How can we be salt and light to the world around us? Salt not only gives taste, but it preserves and slows the decay of something. Light illuminates darkness. In a world filled with moral decay and darkness, we are to do the opposite.
“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. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In 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.” Matthew 5:13-16
Do you truly want to preserve morality, shine light on darkness, and point others to Christ? It is God who equips us to be salt and light in our communities. It starts with a relationship with Christ and requires continual growth in our knowledge and obedience to Him and His Word. We do this when we actively seek God with all our hearts, abide in His Word, and live out His truth in our daily lives.
Seek God
We must always be growing in our knowledge of who God is through the study of His Word. It is essential to everything we do. I have a great love for God’s Word. It developed over several years through hours of studying Scripture alone and with other women. Not a minute of that time was wasted. The more I learn about God, the more I want to know Him.
It amazes me that I can read a passage twenty times and still learn something new. I love it when the Holy Spirit brings to mind certain verses when I need them. And so often I have studied a particular area of Scripture and needed it for some life event around the corner.
Seeking God with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13) requires regular time in God’s Word with a desire to know Him. All of Scripture is important (2 Timothy 3:16-17), so it’s important to read it regularly and thoroughly if we want to be salt and light.
Abide in Christ
In order to mature in our faith we can’t just know of God. To abide means to be in fellowship or union with. It’s a deep and personal connection that leads to dependence, trust, and obedience.
In John 8:31, Jesus says, If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciple. Then in John 15:5 He says, Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
From the time I confessed Christ as my Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit has given me a great desire to be obedient to God’s Word. Even when it hurts, causes loss, or seems irrational to others, I feel convicted to do what Scripture says is right.
Every time God calls out our sin in a sermon, passage of Scripture, or through a fellow believer, we should be brought to our knees in repentance and flee from that sin. We will not be salt and light if we ignore, make excuses for, or celebrate sin.
Live Truth
I love John 18:37-38 when Pilate asks Jesus if He is a king and He responds, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
The world we live in, like Pilate (and me the first half of my life), has no idea what truth is, and they are simply making it up as they go along. We have Christ – The Way, The Truth and The Life (John 14:6). This should encourage us to share, proclaim, and even defend truth without fear, guilt, or shame.
Be Salt
We are salt and light in a broken world when we stand firm on the truth of God’s Word by living out His design and will for our lives. It requires regular growth in our knowledge of God and our obedience to His Word. Our lives should bring glory to God and not to ourselves. We seek our own glory when we try to be salt and light any other way.
The good news is this is not something we do on our own. God has given us everything we need in His Word and through His Holy Spirit. So go, be salt, and shine your light for others to see and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
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