Red Letter Edition: Salt & Light - Becoming a Person of Influence (Part 2)
For the last several days, I’ve taught Principles of Counseling to a group of pastors in Uganda (where I live). It’s been an interesting and enlightening class. My goal for the class was simple: empower these pastors to minister the Word of God to help bring healing to their parishioners. These pastors are men and women of influence in their respective locales—they are salt.
Last week we began our exploration of Jesus’s teaching on being salt in Matthew 5:13-16. (You can read or listen to that study here). Salt, in my estimation, is about being an agent of change. God calls us to be people of influence for the gospel in our world. But what is light?
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). David Guzek comments:
“A key thought in both the pictures of salt and light is distinction. Salt is needed because the world is rotting and decaying and if our Christianity is also rotting and decaying, it won't be any good. Light is needed because the world is in darkness, and if our Christianity imitates the darkness, we have nothing to show the world. To be effective we must seek and display the Christian distinctive. We can never affect the world for Jesus by becoming like the world.”
When you profess faith in Christ, you become salt and light to a decaying and dark world. It’s not really an option. That radical transformation makes you unique—distinct from the world around you. Our goal from that point on is to “let [our] light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:18).
If you live in a relationship with Jesus, you possess this light spoken of by Matthew. But you are not the source of the light. Our salvation makes us a reflector of the light that emanates from Jesus Christ. His light reflecting from us gives us influence because it confronts the darkness of sin and offers a hope that no other light offers. Whether you are rich or poor; loved or hated; in charge or meek; you are a child of God. As such, you are empowered by the Spirit to live a life of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
Paul wrote to Titus:
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age (Titus 2:11-12).
Just because today’s culture calls wrong right does not mean it is. The heart of a Christian has been turned from stone to flesh (Ezekiel 11:19). We are distinct in our actions, activities, and attitudes from the world we live in. We are salt! We are light!
But why? What is the purpose of being agents of change (salt) and being reflectors of the light of God? It is to “…glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16b).
How do we glorify God? Jesus says this happens by letting others see your good deeds (Matthew 5:16b). Jesus is not saying we do good deeds so that others will notice us and give us praise. We do what is good and right so that others will see the light of God within us!
In our corrupted, decaying, and dark world, the distinctive nature of God’s children shining light should cause others to ask, “By what power do they do these works?” Our answer is, “The power that works in us comes from God through our relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Sure, we are thankful that others notice our good works. It’s great when people see that our presence and actions improve the world. However, without the Triune Godhead dwelling in us, we lack the power to do anything good. Paul makes this point clear when describing the congregation at Corinth:
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)
The early church was not made up of the rich and famous. It did not have powerful people, at least according to how the world views power. But God chose those who had no power to become people of influence for the Kingdom of God. The low and despised became God’s tools to change the world!
You might say, “Danny, I am just one person. What can I do? How can I be salt and light in this world?” I understand what you’re saying. In a big and dark world, how can just one person make any difference? Let me offer three ways for your consideration:
Authentic lives – where those around us see us living for God through struggles and victories.
Friendly lives – where we intentionally reach out to people to show them the love of Jesus.
Humble lives – where we allow others to observe our life as we seek to live it for Christ.
Imagine how many doors this kind of life would open for preaching the gospel!
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