Jesus calls Believers the Salt of the earth and the Light of the world in Matthew 5. When we ponder about this, we can realise a common effect that salt and light have: The ability to reveal taste and colour in the substances and spaces they permeate. Salt reveals taste in edible substances. Light also provides clarity in a situation or place. Salt is useful when it adds taste just as light is useful when it provides illumination for those who need it.
So the focus of God’s administration of salt and light is not to bring attention to themselves, but to bring an awareness to the flavours obscured and unseen elements in this world. So Jesus calls us to preserve our saltiness and avoid putting a lit candle under a basket. He then tells us believers to let (permit, allow) our lights to so shine so men would see our good works and give glory to God.
Our influence of light brings illumination to the God-ordained good works we walk in and the evil works of darkness. Good works exposed bring God glory, while evil works are exposed so that they are reproved (done away with and tested as unfruitful). When evil works keep on, it is a sign that such men love the darkness rather than light.
Jesus teaches that that the candle is lit and put on a stand. It is from a point of elevation that light is more effective at illuminating a wider radius of items in focus. So the Prophet Isaiah calls us in Chapter 60 to "Arise, Shine, for your light has come..." When we shine, we must do so from an elevated position. Remember the City is set on a Hill and cannot be hidden.
When the city is set in a valley, it is obscure or irrelevant. Valleys are representative of death: in Psalm 23, "the valley of the shadow of death" and "fear of evil" are mentioned. In Ezekiel's vision, he saw a valley full of bones. Though God walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death yet still David tells us that we are to "dwell in His House forever". God's House is on an elevated position.
We shine brighter in light when we grow and reign in life. In him is life, and that life is the light of men. God gives us His life in Jesus, and that life is expressed as light. Remember God dwells in light unapproachable, as there is also no shadow or variableness (change in quality) in Him.
From Romans 5:17, the way to reign in this life is by becoming more dependent on God (receiving the abundance of His grace). This life expands as we yield to His ability and inner work in us and abandon our strength and efforts.
The believer's life is full of sowing and reaping. Where we sow in our lives determines the harvest. When you sow to the spirit, walking in Love, you will reap life and peace. If you sow to the flesh (your own self-effort and capability), you will reap death and corruption. When you sow to the spirit, you reap life.
In similar thought, the bible teaches us to be spiritually minded rather than carnally minded. The barometer for the spiritual minded individual is their ability to receive the things of the spirit. On the other hand, the carnally minded person can only receive and digest the basic/elementary truths in Christ and is unable to take care of themselves.
Walking as a believer growing in life and light is seen in how we walk in Love. Love must be without pretence (1 Corinthians 12:9). In fact, the phrase "speaking the truth in love" doesn't do the interpretation in (Ephesians 4:15) justice. This may better be translated as holding love truthfully (without pretence) as what leads to growth and maturity in Christ. Verse 16 should provide more context. Love is the anchor of our Christian life, not the number of hours you pray nor the number of scriptures you hold mentally. Both are important if they lead you to more Love.
Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Thus, true perfection in God comes when we love like God loves the world. Until we love the world like our friends, our love is not perfect. And "perfect love will cast out fear because fear has punishment but love gives what is undeserved."
When believers start to love like this, there will be a bright light in our families, our communities, nations and in the world. That light will reveal our good works and expose evil works of darkness. Love is not weak, love is not naïve or stupid, love is powerful and sound in mind. When we love like this, the bondages that several spirits of fear inspired in humanity would be broken. There is a lot of greed in the nations because greedy people have a deep-rooted fear of lack. This is because in truth, they hold the mindset of lack no matter what their banking statements say. However, love will deliver abundance beyond any limited resources. Love will illuminate what we as ordinary men have missed all this while.
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