Matthew 5.13-16 [Salt and Light of the World...]

R&R Devotional Bible Study
Matthew 5.13-16
'Salt and Light of the Earth...'
'13-You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again?It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out to be trampled under foot by men.14-You are the light of the world. A city set on an hill cannot be hidden; 14-nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under the basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16-Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.'

Here we move from being called 'Peacemakers' to being related to 'Salt and Light' for the world...
-We must note that it has nothing to do with who we personally are, or what kind of work we do...
-Rather, it has to do with the fact that we are of Yahweh through Christ under the gracious indwelling of The Holy Spirit...
-The whole purpose of being of Yahweh is that we might reflect the glory of Yahweh in order that all focus and attention turns back to Him, and never upon us...

'13-You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again?It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out to be trampled under foot by men.

Sat is a preservative, and a seasoning
-People are not saved by those who are truly of God, rather it is God who saves through His work in those who are truly His, specifically in that those who are truly of God are ministers of the gospel which is to be proclaimed...
-Thus it is through the proclamation of the gospel where the preservation comes from. After all, faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of Christ; and the gospel is the power of God unto salvation...
-Ultimately it is The Holy Spirit who saves through the proclamation of the gospel, and it is none other than The Holy Spirit who opens the hearts of those whom The Father wills through the proclamation of the Word of Yahweh...

If salt has lost its function, or does not function in the manner in which it is supposed to, then can we actually call it salt?
-No, if salt loses its abilities as a preservative [or seasoning], then it is useless...
-The Lord Christ Jesus says that if it is good for nothing, then the best use for it would be to throw it out to be tramped under foot...
-If a Christian does not act in obedience to God, if a Christian does not make disciples of others, what good is that Christian [or is said person even a Christian to begin with?]
-If a 'Christian' acts as the world acts, does as the word does, and is not renewed in the mind...is said 'Christian' useful, or useless?

As the MacArthur study Bible points out:
'Pure salt cannot lose its flavor or effectiveness...'

As salt here is an illustration of one who is a Christian, a true Christian will act in the manner in which he/she are supposed to...
-Not perfectly here on earth, but it will be a pattern of life...
-The Lord Christ Jesus says 'Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord' and not do as I say?'
-If we are truly of Yahweh, our desire will be to obey, and we will struggle and yearn to obey, and to cry out to Yahweh...

If we look at the parable of the 4 soils, the first three are representations of those who are not Christians'...
-The first one is one who does not even claim to be a Christian...
-The second and third soils are those who claim to be Christian, with the third soil fully believing he/she is a Christian...
-But the second and third soil are not true Christians, or pure salt [as described here in Matthew 5.13], rather they are corrupted salt that does lose its taste and effectiveness, which ultimately does prove that they are not truly Christian...

-A word of caution here, we can only compare a persons actions to what the Bible says, we cannot judge a persons heart...

Continuing on in this section, we read: [Matthew 5.14-16]
'14-You are the light of the world. A city set on an hill cannot be hidden; 14-nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under the basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16-Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.'

Here we are told that those who are truly of Yahweh are likened unto lights of the world....
-A lights purpose is to illuminate...
-What we are told here really ties in with what we are told in John 1.7-8:
'7-He [John the Baptist] came as a witness, to bear witness about The Light, so that all might believe through him. 8-He was not The Light, but he came to bear witness about The Light.'
-C.H. Spurgeon says:
'Wherever there is faith in Christ, there is light, for Jesus Himself said that those who follow after Him would not walk in darkness [John 8.12]. Genuine faith in Christ turns a person from darkness to marvelous light and transforms him into light in The Lord so that the light pours forth from the windows so as to be seen by others. The believer is appointed to be a lighthouse to others, a cheering lamp, and a guiding star. His light will be increased as he learns more of Christ. He will be able to impart more instruction to others when he has received more. But even whilst he is a beginner, his faith in Jesus is, in itself, a light.'

Light cannot [and should not] be hidden...
-This ties in with how pure salt cannot lose its efficacy, light cannot be hidden...
-In our natural state, on our own accord, we are devoid of light [we are without light]...
-If we are truly of Yahweh, we have imputed light in us from The Lord Christ Jesus, thus we are to do everything as unto The Lord...
-If we try to hide said light, we should ask 'Why are we trying to hide it?' or even wonder if the true Light resides in us...

The works that we do ought to be governed by the light...
-If we are truly of Yahweh, we are told in Ephesians 2.8-10:
'8-For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; 9-not of works so that no one can boast. 10-For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.'
-Good works do not save, good works show salvation being worked in and through us...
-The MacArthur study Bible states:
A Godly life gives convincing testimony of the saving power of God. That brings Him glory.'

Our obedience, our walking in the good works is not that people would look at us, but look to God The Father who is in heaven...
-This is why there has to be a proclamation of faith accompanied by good works. Otherwise, actions on their own are merely humanitarian efforts with no merit, and no pointing people to The Lord Christ Jesus...
-Furthermore, the obedience to Yahweh in The Lord Christ Jesus is not grandstanding and doing humanitarian efforts. Obedience to Yahweh starts inwardly, between ones self and Yahweh, then flows into the most minuscule daily activities, which then leads to our interactions with others in our daily interactions, primarily.

John 17.15-16:
'15-I [The Lord Christ Jesus] do not ask You [God The Father] to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16-They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.'

Everything that we do is supposed to glorify Yahweh...Everything...
-The very purpose of mankind even existing is cause we are created in the image of Yahweh, which means that we are glorify Yahweh in every single thing that we do...

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