Thursday, May 03,
2012, 7:11 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with the song, “I’m Not Ashamed,” playing in my mind.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV 1984):
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the
salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good
for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
“You are the light of the world. A city on
a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a
bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the
house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your
good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
My Understanding: We,
as followers of Christ, are the salt of the earth. Salt is used for a variety
of uses: It is a food seasoning and a food preservative. Salt is also used to
melt ice or to prevent ice from forming. If you are “worth your salt,” you are
efficient and doing the job well. Salt can also sting in an open wound, but is
also used as a healing agent in water, such as for sore throats. Salt water can
prevent bacteria from going to your wound. It is also perfect for healing cuts.
As well, it is used to soften hard water. Salt also kills slugs. A person who
is a sluggard is habitually idle, lazy, slothful, and indolent (lethargic;
apathetic).
Salt of the Earth
For the word of God is
living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes
of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is
uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. ~ Hebrews
4:12-13
The word of God is salt to the (sin) wound. It can sting
(convict) when applied, but it also brings much healing to the soul, mind and
body. Salt also preserves food (the word). God/Jesus preserves our lives, as
well as his word serves to preserve our lives (see Ps. 119), so God and his
word are salt. And, as we know, Jesus is the Word. As well, if we try to hold
on to our old lives of sin, we will lose our lives for eternity, but if we lose
our old lives of sin (die to sin), we (as salt) will preserve our lives for
eternity (see Lk. 17:33).
So, in spiritual terms, if we are the “salt of the earth,”
we bring out the flavor in spiritual food, i.e. we help people to see the truth,
richness, sweet aroma, the essence, the character, discernment, and judgment of
God’s word. We help people to know how to apply God’s word in all practicality
to their daily lives. We preserve (uphold; continue in; sustain; protect;
safeguard and defend) God’s word (not in an argumentative way, though). We die
to our old lives of sin, thus preserving our own lives for eternity, as well as
we teach this truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ to others in order to help preserve
their lives for eternity. We are to be Jesus to the world, and Jesus is the
Word, and the Word is truth, and thus it is salt, so to be salt to the earth
also means to be living representatives of Jesus Christ and his word to the
world around us.
In being salt to the world we thus can help prevent a “freeze”
in the spiritual lives of Christ’s followers to take place, i.e. we can help
prevent spiritual immobilization. It kills “slugs”, in other words. It encourages,
strengthens, counsels, guides, edifies, corrects error, etc. in order to help
others from falling into the trap of the devil and to fall back into a state of
spiritual complacency and apathy. Salt (truth; the word) can soften hard
hearts, as well.
Losing Saltiness
So, if we have lost our saltiness that means, first of all,
that we have lost connection with Jesus Christ due to unconfessed sin or
spiritual apathy or spiritual laziness in our own lives. We have allowed the
world and its desires to slowly and subtly creep their way into our hearts and
lives, and to replace our intimacy with and passion for Jesus Christ as our
only Lord. It also means that the word of God is not being preserved in our
hearts and lives through time spent in studying and applying its truths to our
lives, and time spent sharing those truths with others in a practical and
applicable way to their lives. We are not daily dying to our sins, and we are
not following Jesus Christ in full surrender and obedience to his will for our
lives and to his commands. We cease to be living representatives of Jesus and
his word to the world around us, and thus we can no longer serve as
encouragers, counselors and edifiers of the body of Christ, to help prevent spiritual
apathy in the church. That is why we are no longer good for anything in God’s
kingdom, if we lose our saltiness.
Light of the World
Not only are we the salt of the earth, but we are the light
of the world. Jesus is the Light just like he is the Word, so again this is
speaking about being Jesus Christ’s living representatives in the world around
us. Light is also truth and divine revelation, in opposition to darkness, which
is evil. And light is purity, in opposition to moral filth. So, if we are to be
light, and the Word is also light, then we are to live the truth of God’s word
in our lives, and we are to live lives of moral purity, truth, integrity, and
love, etc. There is no place for waywardness and worldliness in the life of one
who is to be light and salt to the earth/world. It does not mean we will live
perfect lives, but we also will not use that as an excuse to continue in
willful sin and rebellion against God. We are to live exemplary lives.
As well, we are to shine this light to the world around us
and not keep it hidden. We, as the body of Christ, are a city on a hill that
cannot be hidden. Things on hills are raised up to where all can see. This city
is a spiritual city – a city without walls (Ezek. 38:11; Zech. 2:4) – our heavenly
and spiritual Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22), the city of the living God.
We are not to hide our light under a bowl, but we are to put
it on a stand, so that it gives light to everyone. In other words, we have the
light of Christ in our lives, and we have the light (truth) of his word; the
light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only is this light to be lived out in
our daily lives as representatives of Jesus Christ to the world, but we are
also to be deliberate (put it on a stand) about letting our light shine. We are
to make it our practice to share the truths of God’s word, and the truth of the
gospel of Jesus Christ with the world and with the church, too, for many in the
church are not receiving the truth of the word. We need to warn the church of
the danger of compromise and conformity to the world, as well as we are to warn
them against hiding the light that speaks hope to a sin-darkened world.
We cannot be lights to the world if we are conforming our
lives to the world and the standards of the world. So many professing followers
of Christ today are just like the people of the world. It is hardly
distinguishable between the church and the world these days. Not only are believers
becoming like the world, but the world has engulfed the life of the church and
public worship, too. We are to stand out from the world and be different. We
are not to compromise with the world and to take pleasure in worldly things if
we want to have a testimony for Jesus Christ that makes a difference in other
people’s lives – that brings conviction to sin, that heals wounds, that
delivers those still bound in darkness out of their prisons of sin, and that brings
about spiritual freedom in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So, we need to live and
teach the word deliberately so that others can come to know Jesus Christ, too.
I’m Not Ashamed /
An Original Work / February 15, 2012
Based off Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Rom. 1:16-17
Go into all the world,
And tell them the Good
News,
Making disciples of
all the nations,
Baptizing them in the
name of the Father
And of the Holy Spirit,
And of the Son,
Teaching them to obey
Ev’rything I have
commanded you,
And surely I am with
you,
E’en to the end of the
age.
You will receive power
When the Holy Spirit
Comes on you;
My witnesses you will
be
In Samaria, Judea, and
Jerusalem,
And to the ends of the
earth, amen!
You will receive power
When the Holy Spirit
comes on you,
My witnesses you will
be
Unto the ends of the
earth.
I’m not ashamed of the
Gospel of my Jesus.
For salvation, it’s
the power of God.
For in the gospel a righteousness
From God is made
known,
A righteousness that
is by faith.
I’m not ashamed of the
Gospel of my Jesus.
For salvation, it’s
the power of God.
The righteous will
live by faith.
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