Introduction to Salt and Light
Last time we went over Matthew Chapter 5 verses 1 through 12. We saw the character of a blessed man or a blessed woman. Blessed are the poor in spirit, they that mourn, the meek, they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. For they shall be comforted. For they shall inherit the earth. For they shall be filled. For they shall obtain mercy. For they shall see God. For they shall be called the children of God. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
So, we know what we should be like. We should be poor in spirit. We should mourn. Be meek and humble. We should hunger and thirst to do good each day. We should have mercy on others. Be pure in heart. Stay away from evil and darkness. Be a peace maker and not one who stirs up trouble. And we should be ready for persecution as we do good.
Now we are transitioning from the type of character we should have to the influence we should have on this world. The blessed man and blessed woman now has the character of Jesus Christ. Now we’re going to see that we are to become salt and light. We are agents of change in a dying and dark world.
Part 1: Ye Are The Salt of the Earth
Matthew 5:13
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
The Bible, Jesus Christ, tells us directly that we are the salt of the earth. What does this mean?
Leviticus 2:13 says, “And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.”
A. What Does Salt Do?
What does salt do? Who here likes salt on their food? Why? Salt gives everything flavor. Salt preserves, purifies, and gives flavor.
Salt is used to preserve meat from corruption. As Christians, we are meant to slow down the moral decay of this world.
Genesis 18:23-24
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
Abraham was interceding for Sodom. God would have spared the city for 10 righteous people. Abraham was the salt trying to preserve the people. Righteous people preserve nations. But, as you know, 10 righteous people were not found there and Sodom was destroyed.
If we can spread the number of righteous people throughout our city by being the salt, then God will spare this city.
Jeremiah 5:1
Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
By having people that love the Lord around you, you might just be spared. Salt preserves. We are to be the salt of the earth.
Salt purifies. It has cleansing properties. Elisha healed the waters of Jericho with salt. Salt is a picture of God’s power to cleanse and to purify.
2 Kings 2:19-20
And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. 20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
2 Kings 2:21-22
And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. 22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
Salt purifies. And salt flavors. It can enhance the flavor of anything. Christians, you, bring joy, purpose, and truth to a bland and a lost world. Without Christians, the world would be so much worse.
Colossians 4:5-6
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Know who you are now. You are a new creation in Jesus Christ. Have joy, peace, love, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Be different than the world. Be the salt of the earth. Salt preserves, salt purifies, and salt brings out flavor just like the Spirit of God works through us.
B. Losing Our Savour
Matthew 5:13
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Listen, you don’t want to lose your savour or your taste. Get a greater savour. Put yourself out there even more. Don’t be shy. Don’t be afraid. Let all that go and just let yourself shine out in this world. Let it go. Show that you are the salt of the earth.
Do not lose your savour. If so, it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Do not lose your savour for the Lord God Almighty. When you stop coming to church, you’ll lose that savour. Don’t lose it. And when you lose it, this world will stomp all over you. “And to be trodden under foot of men.” You don’t lose salvation. You lose savour.
But this church is here to prevent that.
Do good out there always. If you don’t, people will see that and they won’t listen to your warnings. For example, Lot’s testimony was damaged. His sons in law mocked him when he warned them of judgment. He had lost his savour. He was supposed to be the salt of the world. Remember Lot’s wife. She turned into a pillar of salt.
As a saved man, Lot was supposed to be leading his family according to God’s word. He wasn’t. And his wife lost her life. Don’t lose the savour for God. Hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Part 2: Ye Are the Light of the World
In Part 1, we saw that you are to be the salt of the earth. You are to be different from the rest of this world and a good different. There aren’t many people out there like you and I. We are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and have everlasting life.
Matthew 5:14-15
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
A. Light Reveals and Exposes
Light exposes darkness. Truth reveals sin. Salt is good. Light is good. Truth is good. Jesus says you are the light of the world. Your light cannot be hidden. Don’t hide it. Use it.
We are here to expose the darkness so that you know light from dark. Sometimes those things get blurred because of deception. For example, having a sexual relationship outside of marriage is darkness. It is not good. You might think it’s okay. But it’s not. It’s darkness. Get it fixed.
Ephesians 5:8-11
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Ephesians 5:12-13
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
Listen, you were darkness but now you are the light. God commands us to walk as children of the light because it’s possible for us to go back to the darkness. It’s possible. I’ve seen it before many times. Don’t do it. Reprove or rebuke the darkness. Expose the darkness.
Light guides you.
Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Just like a light house, Christians, you and I, should be guiding others to safety. That safety is the Lord Jesus Christ. He saves and protects forever. We are to bring the light. For example, Philip brought the light to the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts Chapter 8.
Acts 8:30-31
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
There’s a lot of people out there in darkness. Our job is to guide them to the Savior.
Acts 8:35
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Philip brought the light to a man searching for truth.
B. A City on a Hill Cannot Be Hid
You cannot hide a truly Godly life. Your life will stand out to others. You will be different.
And you don’t want to hide the goodness. Sometimes people will make you want to hide, but don’t hide. Don’t let them stop you.
In the Book of Daniel, you’ll see that Daniel’s consistent prayer life and godliness were visible even in Babylon. He didn’t hide his faith.
C. Don’t Hide the Light
We are not to hide the light. We aren’t called to secret discipleship. Some people may sneak off to church. They don’t want others to know they are at church.
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
That’s what you need to be like. Don’t be ashamed. I promise you that if you start going soul winning with us, you will learn to be bold. We go to anyone, at any time, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Don’t be ashamed.
John 19:38
And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
Joseph of Arimathaea was afraid of the Jews. He was a secret disciple of Jesus Christ. Do not be ashamed. God will take care of you.
Part 3: Let Your Light Shine
Matthew 5:15-16
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Hey, let your light shine! Let your light so shine before men! For example, when we go out preaching the Gospel, many people will thank us for being faithful to God. They see our good works and this glorifies our Father in heaven.
A. Our Light is Meant to Point to God
People should glorify God, not us.
John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.
John the Baptist pointed people to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to do the same at all times. Follow us as we follow Christ. Jesus is going to always increase. We are going to always decrease. Our life shows us that we decrease. Our life ends in death because we’re sinners.
But we receive everlasting life only through the Lord Jesus Christ. He should be praised. He should be worshipped. He should be glorified.
Acts 14:8-10
And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked: 9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
After this, the people tried to worship Paul and Barnabas. They gave Barnabas the name Jupiter and Paul the name Mercurius.
Acts 14:15
And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
Paul and Barnabas stopped them from worshipping them and said that we are me just like you. Instead, they pointed them to God and not to themselves. There’s a cult out there in Vancouver, Washington where the pastor likes to teach everyone that he’s the Lord’s anointed. A man even thought that because he ran into him during flag football that he was going to die.
Did that lifted up man stop that kind of thing? No. He enjoys it and loves to be lifted up. We are not to be like that. That’s wickedness. We point people to the Lord Jesus Christ.
B. Good Works Matter
We are not saved by our works at all. We are only saved by God’s grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Good works don’t prove you’re saved either.
But, once you’re saved, God wants you to walk in good works, not to prove anything, but to be a blessing, to help others, and to glorify him.
Titus 3:8
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Good works are good works. They are profitable to others. When I do something good, someone else profits. When you do something good, someone else profits.
We are to be careful to maintain good works. Not to get to heaven. But to glorify God. Tabitha, in Acts Chapter 9, was full of good works and alms deeds which she did. She died. Everyone was weeping for her because she did good with her life. That’s what you want to be like.
Her light shone so bright that people wept over her when she died. Let your light shine by doing good works.
Conclusion: Are You Salt? Are You Shining?
Jesus didn’t say for you to become the salt of the earth. He said, “Ye are the salt of the earth.” Jesus didn’t say for you to become the light of the world. He said, “Ye are the light of the world.” How? You’re saved. You have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God is with you.
We cannot lose that influence that we have on this world by sinning, compromising, or being silent. It’s possible for us to fall back and not do what God has asked us to do.
Let us be the salt that preserves truth and adds Godly flavor to this world. Let us be the light that reveals the Lord Jesus Christ in our words and in our actions.
Let our lives shine so brightly that others can’t help but see Jesus Christ and glorify God. Walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
Let’s pray.
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