Salt and Light
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick. And it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. [Matthew 5:13-16]
Two weeks ago, I was having breakfast in a local restaurant. While I was waiting for a table, the Lord led me to sit at the counter and next to a man who was wearing a Christian T-shirt. Printed on the back of this shirt was a quote from James 1:22: "Doers of the Word." Thinking the Lord was going to introduce me to a fellow passionate follower of Christ, I started up a conversation with him--asking about his shirt. The man told me that it was from missions' organization, of which he was a leader, where they travel to places to build houses and such. As the conversation progressed, I realized the Lord's true purpose for leading me to this man. He was a "Closet Christian," and these were his words, not mine.
I began to follow the Spirit's leading to minister to this man and soon discovered he was in bondage to religion. He didn't have a problem with going to church. From what I heard, this man loved God. His problem was that because of religious teachings, fear and apathy was preventing him from being the Church. The Lord then gave me this great truth: Religion allows you to wear the Christian jersey, but only true followers of Christ get to play in the game.
I thought about his T-shirt and how ironic he was representing something he truly didn't believe. Here I was speaking to a supposed leader in his church who plainly told me that he was a "Closet Christian." I had to wonder how one became such a leader. I remembered the Scripture: And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. [Matthew 15:14] As a leader, I wondered how many people he had led into the same closet he was in.
What does it mean to be a doer of the word? The entire passage in James 1:22 says: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
When I was born again, I was eager to tell the entire world. However, I was met with disappointment in the reactions from some of my so-called friends, whom after receiving the good news of my new birth in Christ, they chose to remove themselves from associating with me. I sent emails with inspirational messages I had received, and their only reply was a request for me to stop. Funny, these people claimed to be Christians, although even in my lost state, it wasn't evident to me they were. I guess they had their own Christian jerseys hiding in the closet, only to be worn on Sundays, Christmas, Easter, funerals, or when they were in dire need of deliverance from trouble.
What's troubling about this scenario is that it reflects much of what the world sees when it relates to Christians. I know this because it hasn't been very long ago when I was of the world. It's no wonder the world wants no part in the body of Christ when His so-called ambassadors are just as sick, depressed, and poor, don't live holy lives, refuse to forgive, engage in gossip and slander, and are generally no different than people of the world. If Christians were no different than anyone else, what was the purpose of being one--other than to ease their own consciences by "being a good person and going to church"?
Where was I going wrong? The truth is: I was blind; and instead of looking at Christ, I was looking at people who claimed they represented Him, but I was wrong about them as well. They were church people--not Christians--and believe me, there's a huge difference. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian. Being born again and following Christ makes you a Christian. True followers of Christ are different because their lights are always on.
Let Your Light Shine
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. [Matthew 5:16]
Does everyone you meet go away knowing you are a Christian? With each person you meet, do you seek to share your love for Christ with them? Do all your friends know you are a Christian? If not, then perhaps you've hidden your candle under the table instead of on it. Or rather, maybe your fire has been quenched, your heart starved from the lack of nourishment contained in the word. Are you hungry for the things of God? Jesus said: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness. For they shall be filled. [Matthew 5:6]
The Lord gave me this extraordinary truth: A sign that a person is dead is that he or she no longer hungers or thirsts. The same is true for your heart: If you aren't hungry or thirsty for God (spiritual things) then you are spiritually dead. I'm not talking about religious rituals either--I'm talking about living in and experiencing the presence of God through prayerful study and meditation of His word, assembly, and doing the works of Christ.
When Jesus commanded us in Mark 16:15 to Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, He wasn't just speaking to preachers in the pulpit. He was speaking to all of His disciples. Many Christians are good about going to church to learn the things of God, to be edified, comforted, and encouraged. However, they are only hearers of the word--not doers. Doers go, and hearers sit by the wayside, and like James wrote, "they are deceiving themselves." According to Ephesians 4:11-12, the offices of the church (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) were given for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. What is the work of the ministry? It's to equip you, the believer, to accomplish the commission of Christ. When a Christian doesn't desire to be a witness, or to minister to someone hurting, they aren't responding to their calling.
I heard a story the other day about a man named George. He received a phone call from his friend Bill who was having some problems and wanted to talk. Bill wasn't saved and thought George was a Christian because he was very active in his church. When the two met, Bill began disclosing many problems and struggles in his life and wanted to know more about a relationship with Christ. George's response? He took out his cell phone and said, "Let me call my pastor. He can help you."
Does this story seem familiar to you? Has someone approached you in search of answers, only for you to make a referral to the "man of God"? The world makes referrals--God doesn't expect His disciples to. The Bible in 1 Peter 3:15 says: Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Was George being a doer of the word? The Lord led Bill to George--not his pastor. Ask yourself this question: Am I prepared to lead someone to Christ?
Granted, some questions may be over your level of spiritual maturity and those should be referred to someone you trust to provide an answer supported by Scripture. But it is up to you to be able to provide someone seeking the hope you have in Christ. This is why it is so crucial for us to constantly be in God's word. This is our daily bread and it feeds our spirit man, renewing our minds so that we can be prepared to minister to others. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit in John 14:26: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
If you aren't being fed with the living word of God, then you cannot be taught, and therefore have no knowledge for the Holy Spirit to bring to remembrance.
The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. [John 6:63]
In my own experience, the Lord has always brought His word to my recollection when ministering to someone. It's awesome to experience His work through me--even citing verses of Scripture I wasn't familiar at all with. While I was talking, the words were just flowing and I marveled at this. The Lord was actually speaking through me. I didn't even have my Bible open--it was simply flowing like water. His word is part of the river of living water that flows from our bellies (John 7:38).
I'm telling you this because He wants to operate in your lives the same way. I'm not any more anointed than any of you. I'm simply yielding myself to His will by feeding on His word, and by faith, releasing the power of the Holy Spirit inside me. Since the word is a seed, I am simply reaping the harvest of planting the word in my heart.
The World Hates the Light
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. [John 3:19-20]
Have you ever been rejected by so-called friends because of your relationship with Christ? Do worldly people avoid you like the plague? Has anyone disliked or even hated you for no good reason? Well, friends, these are indications that your light is shining brightly--and not that you have bad breath.
The Bible plainly says that men (and women) love sin (darkness) rather than righteousness (light) because their deeds are evil. People who aren't walking in the light of Christ feel conviction by simply being around you. The Spirit inside you is making the devil around them very uncomfortable and nervous--so uncomfortable that if you even uttered the name Jesus, they would probably start looking for the exit. Don't take this personally. These folks don't dislike you per se; they are simply responding to the Spirit of God that is inside you. Remember, it's not about you--it's about Jesus and He tells us: If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. [John 15:18]
I heard an interview with Mel Gibson on the radio the other day and the interviewer was asking about his thoughts concerning all the persecution and attacks leveled toward him. Unfortunately, Gibson chose to claim he was being treated unfairly and defend his film instead of realizing this wonderful truth and rejoicing in it. Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad. For great is your reward. For they so persecuted the prophets before you. [Matthew 5:11]
No one wants to be hated, but to be hated and persecuted for the sake of Christ and the gospel, I would rather be hated than loved. Think about the men and women of God who are hated and sternly criticized--even by the mainstream Christian world. Simply because the religious world hates them, does this make them false? When the church world loves you, is this is a curse or a blessing? Jesus said: Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets. [Luke 6:26] I don't know about you, but when the Lord says, "Woe" when referring to something, I do my best to avoid this behavior. Do you honestly think Christ was loved by the religious leaders in His day? The world hasn't change much since then. When people begin attacking someone whom they think is on the fringe, a nutcase, a false prophet, or even a minister of Satan, remember that our Lord and Savior was once accused of these very same things. It may very well happen to you, but friends, you are in good company.
A word of caution, however. Don't seek to be hated by people. Christ was not boastful and neither did He slap anyone in the head with His words. Everything He did was out of love and compassion. A follower of Christ shouldn't seek to divide and bring conflict to others. Rather, he allows the truth of Christ (the light) to do what it may. It is because of our walk in Christ that the world will either hate you or follow you--not because of an aspect of your personality. The light is not your light, but Christ's and when it is shone into a dark world, they will either shield their eyes to its brightness or turn away altogether. Some, however, may seek more of it. What happens when you enter a dark cave and turn on a light? All the rats and cockroaches begin to flee because they can't stand the light. This is the same principle with Christians living in a dark world. Once the light of Christ enlightens the darkness, then it's time for you to be salt. The salt of love, forgiveness, restoration, and encouragement.
Being Salt
Salt is good. But if the salt has lost his savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? [Luke 14:34]
What is the function of salt? Before refrigeration, salt was used as a preservative of food. Salt was also used for medicinal purposes as a cleanser of wounds. Salt also enhances the flavor of food--therefore, it makes food better. Christians, being salt, are all of these. In Christ, we preserve the gospel; we heal and cleanse wounds; we enhance and make things better. Another function of salt is to help melt away icy roads. The salt in you serves to melt the frozen hearts of people.
Does life get better for people when you're around? Do joy and optimism permeate from your eyes and smile? Are you a peacemaker? Do words of praise come from your lips or words of criticism? Do you speak life and health or death and sickness? Do you speak grace and forgiveness or judgment and condemnation? Do you speak faith and hope or fear and unbelief? Are you apt to just give someone a loving hug because you feel they need it? When you tell someone "I love you" do you really mean it? This is what salt does--and it's also what you should be doing.
Whenever Jesus entered a town, He always made things better--whether through healings, teaching, or ministering, things were always better as a result. Even when the Lord was asked to leave Gadara in Luke 8:26, He left a remnant of His goodness: the man who was delivered from the legion of devils. Do you leave such a legacy with people? When you leave the company of someone, do you leave them with a remnant of something special? This is what salt does--it leaves a legacy of goodness wherever it falls.
Words of Grace
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man. [Colossians 4:6]
Do you remember the old saying? "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." This may have worked to close the mouth of a playground bully, but like most solutions of the world, all it amounts to is being a band-aid. As I touched on in the message "Your Christian Identity" our words are very powerful. As Jesus described in His parables, His word is likened to a seed. As the word of God is like a seed, so is the word of the devil.
Seeds of fear, sickness, hatred, poverty, and unbelief are planted into the hearts of people in a great way--and this is just in the evening news. The world is filled with newspapers, television shows, music, magazines, and even philosophies taught in public schools that promote sexual immorality, witchcraft, and worshipping of idols. To say that words have no power, one only has to look at the culture in America and see how far away we've separated ourselves from God.
Words aren't only spoken, but they're written, read, heard, and visualized in our minds and sealed in our hearts. Some scientists believe that the brain records everything the senses detect. This means that every song lyric you or your child hears, every movie or television show you see, every book you read, every speaker you hear, everything you touch, smell, and taste is recorded in your memory.
Often we can be more Christ-like when we don't open our mouths. The Lord Jesus was a man of few words, but when He spoke, His words were with authority and power. In various circumstances, we are better off remaining silent than speaking unnecessary or even confusing words. James 1:19 says: Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise. And he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. [Proverbs 17:28]
The woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:1-12) is a great example of the Lord being both light and salt. When the religious people sought to condemn and stone her, Jesus shed His great light on her accusers: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one. [John 8:7,9] After being light to the religious people, the Lord was salt to the woman. He didn't condone her sin, but instead of preaching to her about her sin, He extended grace and said: Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more. [John 8:11]
This woman didn't need a lecture on her immorality. Jesus saw that this woman was broken and needed forgiveness in order for His love to restore her.
God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. [James 4:6, 10]
Our words should be seeds of life, encouragement, praise, and love. By avoiding speaking and ingesting seeds of the devil, and feeding off the word of God, only words of life will come out of your mouth. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. [Matthew 12:34]
Don't Be a Stumbling-block of Salt
But if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. [Matthew 5:13]
As I mentioned before, salt preserves, not destroys. It heals and cleanses, not infects. Salt enhances flavor, not deadens it. If you are not acting as salt should act, the Lord said that you're good for nothing, but to be cast out. Being salt isn't only illustrated in what a person does, it reflects what a person doesn't do as well.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 8:9: But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. In this passage the apostle Paul is reminding Christians that despite the liberty (freedom from the curse of the law) we have in Christ Jesus, we are not to use this liberty in a manner that will cause another person to sin. As light, people are going to be watching you. The Pharisees and scribes constantly sought to trap Jesus into doing something that was contrary to their religion, and it always resulted in their own shame. People, even ones who claim to be Christians, will do the same. They will watch you like a hawk, looking to catch you doing something by which they can call you a hypocrite or use for gossip or slander. I believe people like this are the ones with the problem. They are faultfinders, heresy hunters, and modern-day Pharisees who do more to tear down the kingdom than build it.
However, the Bible commands us in 1 Thessalonians 5:22: Abstain from all appearance of evil. As men and women of God, we must strive to be Christ-like in our behavior, which is true holiness. The Christian man who still uses profanity isn't being Christ-like. The Christian woman who continues to criticize and gossip about others isn't being Christ-like. The Christian men and women who still frequent nightclubs and bars aren't being Christ-like. When people in the world see someone they know who wears the name of Christ and see them acting like the devil, this is a stumbling block.
Don't Bury Your Treasure
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. [2 Corinthians 4:7]
Another way to be good-for-nothing in the Lord's eyes is to bury your treasure. If the salt stays in the shaker, never to be used, then it will eventually waste away. We have been given the greatest treasure mankind could ever want--the Holy Spirit. What will happen if we fail to use this treasure to its fullest potential? Let's examine the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 to see.
In verse 18, we see that the man who was given one talent went and buried it in the earth. The reason this man hid his lord's money (treasure) was because of fear (v.25). However, the lord didn't give him the talent to bury, he had given it to him to use and bear fruit. Upon hearing his servant's lame excuse for hiding the talent, the lord said to him, "You wicked and slothful servant" (v. 26)
Because this wicked and unprofitable servant chose to hide the treasure given to him by the lord, the lord took it away from him and gave it to another servant. The Lord's words in verse 29 should speak to all of us: For unto every one that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that has not shall be taken away even that which he has. And cast you the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The two other servants had been profitable with what they had been given by the lord and were rewarded with the words, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. [Matthew 25:21]
The unprofitable servant is like being a "Closet Christian". The Lord Jesus has given us a gift in the Holy Spirit, and all the "Closet Christian" does is bury Him out of fear of being rejected, ridiculed, teased, mocked, or hated because of Him.
I heard a message several months ago that spoke about this. The preacher said, "Everyone else is coming out of the closet, I think it's time for Christians to do the same." If you're going to take His name and wear the jersey, the least you can do is honor Him by doing the entire Word--not just what makes you feel good about yourself. Let us commit ourselves to being salt and light in a bitter and darkened world. Below is the chorus from the song, "I Will Be" by Natalie Grant. These are great words to live by in Christ.
"I will be a candle in the darkness. I will be the hand of heaven above. I will be the mirror that reflects Your endless love. I will be the hope among the hopeless. Where there is conflict, I will be peace. Only by the power of Your Spirit's living in me. I will be."
