Tag: light

(This is Part 4 in our series on Discipleship. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.)

Among the famous statements of Jesus, one of the most quotable things He ever said was, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). This, spoken to the multitudes of His followers was an amazing, identity-giving statement. As it should be! It is no small thing that Jesus viewed His church as the carriers of God’s revelation, which pointed the way to His salvation. We are all commissioned to go with the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to make Him known in the world!

Jesus went on to say, “you don’t light a lamp and hide it out of sight. It is meant to shine, and when lights shine together, as they do in a city, you cannot hide it from the world.” He then commands us, like a lamp on a stand, or a city on a hill, to let our lights shine in the world so that other people will see our good works, and turn to glorify our Father in Heaven (paraphrase of Matthew 5:15-16).

We Reveal What is Hidden

When we understand that we are the shining lights of Jesus, we will reveal what is true and real. That is what light does. You can hide a dirty room in darkness, but when the light is switched on, everyone will see the mess for themselves. The Christian is meant to be a revealer of the truth – both God’s truth in light, and also those truths that men desire to keep hidden in darkness.

As we go throughout our daily lives, we should be such a reflection of God’s glory, that people recognize Him in us, and want to see more of His reality. At the same time, they should also be confronted by the sin and dark places inside themselves, as the light of our lives brings those things into view. That is not to say we come with judgement on people, or live as self-righteous individuals by comparison. It is simply to say, in the words of Paul, that “we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.” 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

When we show up, those who know God are drawn more to Him, and those who are not believers have an encounter with the reality of their own sin as they see His glory in us. It’s just the nature of His presence through us.

If it isn’t obvious, the call to be light in the world, is definitely a call to do the work of evangelism, bringing God’s revelation to those who would be saved. What is interesting to me, however, is that before Jesus says we are agents of revelation (light), he first says we are salt.

We Preserve What is Good

Before Jesus said, “you are the light of the world,” He said, “you are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13).

Salt does a few things. Not only does it taste good, but it is a necessary substance for sustaining life itself. However, in the ancient world, salt had a different primary function. All throughout history, salt has been sought after and used as a preservative for food. 

If you lived in a society before refrigerators, and you had extra meat that you could not smoke, dry, or cook immediately, then you would pack it in salt in order to preserve it. If you didn’t it would spoil.

Regarding the verse in Matthew 5, The Pillar New Testament Commentary says:

“We should take salt as a metaphor and the earth as referring to people. Jesus is apparently thinking of the function of salt as a preservative, as the enemy of decay, and as giving taste to food. What is good in society his followers keep wholesome. What is corrupt they oppose; they penetrate society for good and act as a kind of moral antiseptic…”

The enemy is at work in the world bringing corruption and seeking to spoil the work of the Lord. We are called to prevent his efforts! Just as salt does for food, we are to enter the world, seeking out what is good and godly, and act to preserve it for the good of humanity and to the glory of God. The devil cannot steal or destroy what the believer is preserving for the Lord (see Matthew 16:18-19).

To bring this back in the context of evangelism and discipleship, this means that before we go into the field preaching the gospel and seeing people saved (shining our light), we must have a mindset that sees our responsibility is not just to harvest the fruit, but also to preserve the harvest which God gives to us.

When the enemy comes, like a bacteria, seeking to corrupt the good fruit of the Lord (see Matthew 13:19), we have the responsibility to block his efforts and preserve the harvest of God.

We Enhance What Can Be Better

Once we have taken the stand to preserve the fruit the Lord has given us, then we become like salt in other ways. As we mingle our lives together with other believers, we pull out what is good in them, and seek to make it even better. They do the same for us, and together, we enhance what is good in the world!

Just as salt enhances the flavor of food, we enhance the flavor of life through the gospel in personal discipleship and societal transformation. 

We call people into the light through salvation, preserve them from the corruption of the enemy, and then press each other onward to become more like Christ. As more people are discipled into Christ-likeness, communities are transformed; entire nations are renewed, and the cycle continues again and again! That is how we bring God’s restoration into the world: by being salt and light!

The church can no longer simply preach the gospel in our megaphones, hoping people will somehow get saved and mature on their own. We must engage on a deeper, more personal level. We must bring the revelation of truth. We must see them saved. And we must help them to become who they are meant to be in Christ.

Light shines in the darkness to bring people to Christ, but our job is to do more than just see people saved. Our job is to preserve the harvest from the corruption of the enemy, and to enhance the lives of believers as they become more like Christ. We are the light of the world, and we are the salt of the earth. If that is who Jesus says we are, then let’s act like it!

Click here to continue to Part 5, “Maturity in Christ: The Goal of Discipleship”

Photo by Edi Libedinsky on Unsplash