Matthew 5:13 - "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men."
If you claim to be Christian, then you are claiming to be a disciple of Jesus Christ or in other words, you are declaring to the rest of the world that you follow Jesus Christ. Now there is no need for me to go into detailed explanation, but being a Christian involves a radical change from self to Christ. It's when a person shifts all his focus from self whether it's religious self, moral self, proud self, lustful self, prideful self...whatever it may be and shifting all your focus upon Christ who now is the central focus of everything in your life. When Christ becomes the focus of everything...then you will naturally do works that show this. You will bear good fruit which is your character. You receive Christ and with receiving Him you receive a new nature and with that new nature you begin to live in a different way.
Living in this new nature which results in living a completely different lifestyle is what results in a Christian being salty. Notice that Jesus said that if the salt becomes tasteless...it's no good. Salt has certain properties to it and if those certain properties are changed or altered then the salt will lose it's saltiness and will become useless. This is a very good analogy for the Christian life. There are people who claim to be Christian because they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet, it doesn't effect any other area in their life. They look like the world and act like the world. They laugh at the same things the world laughs at and they do the very same thing they do. When a person is like that...not only are they not the salt as referred to in Matthew 5:13, but they are also hypocrites because they profess to be something they are not and it can be clearly seen because there actions to do not match there professions of who they say they are. If you truly died to self and are now alive in Christ...you will be that salt folks...plain and simple, right? Your actions will support what you profess to be right? It's something to think about. Sure you can read the bible and study and look Christian...but looking Christian and being Christian are two very different things.
Matthew 5:14-16 - "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 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."
In case for some reason you couldn't understand what Jesus meant by the salt analogy, the lamp on the lamp stand analogy should make this crystal clear. One of the burdens on my heart today, is to get you all to realize what I have come to realize...even while writing this. So often we think of Christ as a man. We have to try and grasp who Christ is before He became incarnate. Isaiah 6 helps me to understand His glory and absolute sovereignty over everything. It gives my heart and mind the assurance that He truly is Lord of lords and King of kings. This is going off topic but if I can just share with you one of the burdens on my heart...
Isaiah 6:1 - In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
v2 - Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
v3 - And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
v4 - And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
v5 - Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
Brothers and Sisters...read through those five verses and realize the one whom you serve if you call yourself Christian. Look at the way Isaiah responded after seeing that even the Seraphim covered there feet and face...his response just said everything. We need to mature! We always like to esteem self above God and make ourselves out to be more important. You might think that isn't the case for you but the recent actions on this forum dictate otherwise. We are to be the salt that is salty through our works which includes all the overflow of being in Christ from the new character we have from this new nature that has been given to us upon receiving this Christ. We are to be the light of the WORLD...this includes a simple internet forum.
The recent immaturity that I have witnessed on this sight is far worse then some may realize. We are all in Christ and we are ALL to reflect this Christ of Isaiah 6. We represent Him!!! So when you make posts and act like children and act defensive and mostly just selfish with the way some of the members esteem themselves above others...it is wrongfully reflecting Christ. There are non Christians who come to this forum. What do you think they will say when they see all the child like behavior from all these "mature Christians"? You can throw all your theology and human understanding out the window because at the end of the day...Christ was not reflected through your actions and because of it...you are not helping those who are unbelievers. Not only are you diminishing the glory of Christ when you act like children but you are making others who view this who may have been considering coming to Christ turn AWAY!
Has the thought ever crossed anyone's mind here that your actions...EVEN YOUR ACTIONS OR POSTS ON A FORUM CAN BE THE REASON SOMEONE NEVER COMES TO CHRIST?!?!?!
So please, examine yourselves. Even if you have had nothing to do with the recent child like activity here at CB, just remember...no matter what you do and say, you are always reflecting Christ if you identify yourself with Him and it effects others...GREATLY. That is what Matthew 5:13-16 is all about! We effect what others think, say and do. We are the salt and light! We have a greater impact upon people than we may anticipate but if you are acting in a selfish, immature, child like way...no one will take Christ seriously.
This is why you have so many people that think Christianity is just some dumb religion. They know people who go to church that they think are Christian when in all reality they are not truly converted (bad evangelism) and they see that they are hypocrites because they profess Christ and at the same time deny him by their works. They go to party's and get smashed...they act the same way as the lost do and love it. Who is going to turn to Christ when you have "Christians" acting like that?
Examine yourselves! Please think on these things. Don't diminish Christ's glory or turn off others through your actions...
If you claim to be Christian, then you are claiming to be a disciple of Jesus Christ or in other words, you are declaring to the rest of the world that you follow Jesus Christ. Now there is no need for me to go into detailed explanation, but being a Christian involves a radical change from self to Christ. It's when a person shifts all his focus from self whether it's religious self, moral self, proud self, lustful self, prideful self...whatever it may be and shifting all your focus upon Christ who now is the central focus of everything in your life. When Christ becomes the focus of everything...then you will naturally do works that show this. You will bear good fruit which is your character. You receive Christ and with receiving Him you receive a new nature and with that new nature you begin to live in a different way.
Living in this new nature which results in living a completely different lifestyle is what results in a Christian being salty. Notice that Jesus said that if the salt becomes tasteless...it's no good. Salt has certain properties to it and if those certain properties are changed or altered then the salt will lose it's saltiness and will become useless. This is a very good analogy for the Christian life. There are people who claim to be Christian because they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet, it doesn't effect any other area in their life. They look like the world and act like the world. They laugh at the same things the world laughs at and they do the very same thing they do. When a person is like that...not only are they not the salt as referred to in Matthew 5:13, but they are also hypocrites because they profess to be something they are not and it can be clearly seen because there actions to do not match there professions of who they say they are. If you truly died to self and are now alive in Christ...you will be that salt folks...plain and simple, right? Your actions will support what you profess to be right? It's something to think about. Sure you can read the bible and study and look Christian...but looking Christian and being Christian are two very different things.
Matthew 5:14-16 - "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 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."
In case for some reason you couldn't understand what Jesus meant by the salt analogy, the lamp on the lamp stand analogy should make this crystal clear. One of the burdens on my heart today, is to get you all to realize what I have come to realize...even while writing this. So often we think of Christ as a man. We have to try and grasp who Christ is before He became incarnate. Isaiah 6 helps me to understand His glory and absolute sovereignty over everything. It gives my heart and mind the assurance that He truly is Lord of lords and King of kings. This is going off topic but if I can just share with you one of the burdens on my heart...
Isaiah 6:1 - In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
v2 - Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
v3 - And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
v4 - And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
v5 - Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
Brothers and Sisters...read through those five verses and realize the one whom you serve if you call yourself Christian. Look at the way Isaiah responded after seeing that even the Seraphim covered there feet and face...his response just said everything. We need to mature! We always like to esteem self above God and make ourselves out to be more important. You might think that isn't the case for you but the recent actions on this forum dictate otherwise. We are to be the salt that is salty through our works which includes all the overflow of being in Christ from the new character we have from this new nature that has been given to us upon receiving this Christ. We are to be the light of the WORLD...this includes a simple internet forum.
The recent immaturity that I have witnessed on this sight is far worse then some may realize. We are all in Christ and we are ALL to reflect this Christ of Isaiah 6. We represent Him!!! So when you make posts and act like children and act defensive and mostly just selfish with the way some of the members esteem themselves above others...it is wrongfully reflecting Christ. There are non Christians who come to this forum. What do you think they will say when they see all the child like behavior from all these "mature Christians"? You can throw all your theology and human understanding out the window because at the end of the day...Christ was not reflected through your actions and because of it...you are not helping those who are unbelievers. Not only are you diminishing the glory of Christ when you act like children but you are making others who view this who may have been considering coming to Christ turn AWAY!
Has the thought ever crossed anyone's mind here that your actions...EVEN YOUR ACTIONS OR POSTS ON A FORUM CAN BE THE REASON SOMEONE NEVER COMES TO CHRIST?!?!?!
So please, examine yourselves. Even if you have had nothing to do with the recent child like activity here at CB, just remember...no matter what you do and say, you are always reflecting Christ if you identify yourself with Him and it effects others...GREATLY. That is what Matthew 5:13-16 is all about! We effect what others think, say and do. We are the salt and light! We have a greater impact upon people than we may anticipate but if you are acting in a selfish, immature, child like way...no one will take Christ seriously.
This is why you have so many people that think Christianity is just some dumb religion. They know people who go to church that they think are Christian when in all reality they are not truly converted (bad evangelism) and they see that they are hypocrites because they profess Christ and at the same time deny him by their works. They go to party's and get smashed...they act the same way as the lost do and love it. Who is going to turn to Christ when you have "Christians" acting like that?
Examine yourselves! Please think on these things. Don't diminish Christ's glory or turn off others through your actions...
