Kingdom Mindset: Matthew 5:13-16

CIT: Citizens of the Kingdom of God are called to demonstrate the character of God through the character of their lives.

In the world, not of it.

Let your light shine!

The purpose of our good works

In the world, not of it

This passage flows out of the Beatitudes

The Beatitudes give us a way to live that is very controversial to our surrounding culture. A temptation that can arise out of this, in order to preserve our holy living with the Beatitudes, is to separate ourselves form the world and live in a Christian bubble. Jesus knew that this temptation would arise in us, that is why he has told us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We have to engage in our surrounding culture!

You have a purpose

In the first century, and even still today, salt had many purposes. It was used to preserve food, since refrigeration didn’t exist. It was used as fertilizer in farming. And it was also used to flavor foods. Salt had very specific purposes in the 1st century, but the most important one back then, and today, is that beautiful salt flavor.

By telling us to be the salt of the earth Jesus is giving us a very specific purpose. We are to have a specific flavor about us. The flavor of Christ, or as Paul states in 2 Corinthians 2:15 “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,”

We are to be different, set apart from the world that we are living in, and just like salt makes our food better, we are to make this world a better place.

How do we make the world a better place?

Love your neighbor as yourself

Preach the good news of Jesus Christ

Fight oppression - stop the bully and befriend the bullied

You need to remain pure

Jesus does give a warning that we, as the salt of the earth, must not lose our saltiness, or distinct taste.

What happens when salt loses its taste? It becomes worthless. When you dilute salt with impurities it’s good for nothing and needs to be thrown out.

The same goes for us in our lives, if we become diluted with all different impurities then our witness as Christians is worthless.

We see both extremes in Christian culture today.

First, in the culture I was raised in we see that many Christians, through an attempt to remain “pure and unstained from the world” will isolate themselves to only only the church. Yes they are living obviously different lives, therefore they have a salty taste, but what good is salt if it is not used? If we are so scared to go into the world because we may become stained with impurities then we are worthless because we are not being used.

Second, in the more liberal circles of Christianity, we see that, in an attempt to reach the world, churches will become so like the world that their message is good for nothing because there is no difference between the church and the world. They become so mixed with impurities that they are as useful for flavoring your food as mud.

Jesus is not calling us to be monks, nor is he calling us to be mud, he is calling us to be salt!

Let your light shine!

The light of God is how the lost are found

A city in the ANE would be made from stones that would reflect light, in order to remain cool, but this ended up making cities very easy to see. Especially the city on a hill, which is Jerusalem, is very easy to see from a distance because everything shines so brightly. When is it dark out and people have lights on it is even easier to see because the city literally becomes a giant torch lighting the whole area up so people can find their way to the city.

how can people find their way to the gates of the Kingdom of God if we don’t have the lights on?

We are the light of God in this world

It doesn’t make sense for a light to be hidden under a basket when its sole purpose is to provide light. The same goes for you, it does not make sense for you to hide your Christianity when your sole purpose is to show your Christianity so others may see the Kingdom of God!

Let your light shine!

The application is simple here, live out your faith in front of others. Do not hide the fact that you are a Christian. you will be acting differently than everyone around you. You will be looked at as strange. You will be made fun of. But that’s why you’re here, to let the light of Christ shine before others.

If you had a beautiful diamond necklace would you hide it for no one to see? Would you hear a turtle neck to cover it up? NO! you would let the world see the beauty of the light reflecting off the diamond. Do not hide your faith, the world needs to see it!

The purpose of our good works

For unbelievers to see them

This does not go against Matthew 6:1 ““Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” Because that is about the individual receiving the glory. We do our good works, like being honest with our school work, befriending those who are left out, obeying your parents, and respecting your teachers, so that others may see the difference between the life of a Christian and a non-Christian. What then should happen when someone sees this difference?

For unbelievers to glorify God

When someone tastes food that is salted they recognize that it tastes good. When someone sees a light in the darkness the run towards it. When unbelievers see our good works they should glorify God by placing their faith in the God who saves them. Our good works should lead to God receiving glory!

Are your works causing others to glorify God?

Let us examine ourselves however. Are our good works causing others to give glory of God, or do they cause unbelief like Paul says in Romans 2:24 “For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.””

Are we being salt or mud?

Are we giving off light or darkness?

Are we showing people the treasure of Christ in our lives?