Salt and Light

Intro

Read Matthew 5:13-16

Matthew 5:13–16 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. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 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.

Christians are marked by the beattitudes

Christians are marked by these descriptions

They are blessed because they are

Poor in spirit

Meek

Merciful

Pure in heart

etc…

In our Christian life we will all be one of these at some time

And we should know that as Jesus says at the we are blessed when our lives are marked by these things

Then he says this

You are to be salt and light to the world

He will start by telling these believers the things that will mark their life then he will call them to action

They are to be salt and light

in other words what Christians bring to the World is preservation and illumination

Preservation

Read Matthew 5:13

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.

You are the salt of the earth

Christian believer you are the perserving agent of this earth

you are the thing that will stand aganst the rot and decay that the world faces

Jesus understands that the world is in a perpetual state of decay

But he call the believers we would say now the church to be the perserving agent

How are they to do this

How can we be salty?

Well understand what the preservation process requires

Salt has to cover the meat to keep it from rotting

its not enough to just hit this section

Rather it must be rubbed in throughout the meat

Jesus knew this when he gave the metaphor

He knows that the rot and decay sin has produced in this world is persavisve and everywhere

Therefore the believer should be everywhere in the world

Christians will need to be perserving agents at

The grocery store

The post office

their neighborhood

their campuses

their social media platforms

etc…

Salt is also a spice

Necessary to make anything good

For salt to be effective it has to be used right

Too much ruins the food

Too little makes bland food

but the right amount brings food to life

Christians should do this

They should bring life a spice to life

They should be alive

Jesus alludes to this in his question about what happens to salt that looses

Illumination

Read Matthew 5:14-16

Matthew 5:14–16 ESV

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 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.

Christian should be light

There ligth should be able to be hid

They exsist like a city on the hill

you cant hid this light

Nor should you

Who puts a light on the floor

We should let our light shine because of what God has done for us

Show that we are believers with our actions with our lives