Author: mary

You are the light of the world! We have heard Jesus referred to as the light of the world, but have you ever given serious thought that YOU are also the light of the world? Matthew 5:14-16 says, “ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” If you have found salvation in Jesus Christ, then you are part of that light!

What a beautiful thought. This should be encouraging for a few reasons. First, you have the light living inside of you and it has lit up your entire life. This means you no longer need to walk in darkness. You always have the light of Christ within you- this is why he calls you the light of the world! If you always walk around with a flashlight, then you are always able to light up any room. Christ and his message is that light. The other reason this is encouraging is because it means you are able to witness to others. You can live as though you have the light to light up their darkness. Your light will never go out because it is connected to the Father.

Why would the Bible compare Christians to salt and say that we are the salt of the earth in Matthew 5:13 ( “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless”). Salt is a compound that is “abundant in nature, and is used especially to season or preserve food or in industry” as merriam-webster.com states. This definition says two significant things that can be linked to Christians. It says it is “abundant in nature,” and it is used to “season or preserve.” There are many who profess to know the salvation of Christ, so you could say that they are “abundant in nature.” The purpose of Christians is to bring season to a dark and lost world- to add life to a dying world, or “preserve” those who are lost.

How do we do this? We bring the gospel of Christ to the lost world. His message preserves those who do not know him. We bring life, joy, love, and hope to the world, just as salt brings flavor to otherwise bland food. As this verse states, though, what good are we if we have lost the flavor (or lost the life, joy, love, and hope he gives)? We must live as though we bear the greatest flavor to this world!

“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs,” Matthew 5:10 promises. Persecution is one of the most difficult ways to show your devotion to the Lord and his Word. You probably never thought about what you would do or say if persecuted when you came to know the Lord, but it is something that happens to every Christian at some point in their spiritual relationship with God. Most of us will only experience persecution in the form of words or feelings that others have. But some will experience it in greater and more difficult forms: the loss of a relationship, imprisonment or even the loss of life as some Christians in persecuted countries have experienced. When you are living by the righteousness of God, you will experience some form of persecution.

However, there is great reward in persecution. The greatest blessing or reward is the kingdom of heaven! Salvation in its fullness is yours in the midst of persecution. The other blessing is knowing you are pleasing the Lord and living a righteous life. You will experience him and his blessings when you strive to live a righteous life no matter what the cost or persecution. Take comfort and glad knowing that you are not alone as Matthew 5:11-12 says, “ “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”

Peace is a popular word in today’s world. The peace of God means something different than society’s version of peace. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:9, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” I love the version of this verse because it says those who work for peace. Peace does not always come easy. Neither does it come quickly. Sometimes it is difficult and takes time. True, biblical peace is different than “keeping the peace” as the world tends to think.

Merriam-webster defines peace in several ways. One way is, “a state of tranquility or quiet: such as freedom from civil disturbance, a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom.” This would be a way that the world would define peace: “freedom from civil disturbance,” the opposite of war, arguments, or discord. Think about it in terms of the church. If the church body is in agreement and there is no discord, then there is peace within the body. This is not necessarily biblical peace. The next definition that Merriam-webster offers is much closer to how the Bible defines peace, “freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.” Peace begins in the mind. The enemy loves to attack your mind with thoughts of worry, fear, or hatred. He wants to disrupt the peace that God gave you when he saved you. If someone has a peaceful mind, then their actions will be peaceful. This leads to the peace defined in the first definition. For the Christian, it begins with the mind.

“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God,” Matthew 5:8 states. The purity of heart will inherit the kingdom of God. According to biblestudytool dictionary the word purity means: “Purity is related to guiltless, blameless, or innocent behavior. In Exodus 23:7, an innocent person is portrayed as someone who is righteous as measured by the demands of the law.” The law was meant to show someone how to live a pure life. It also exposed the struggling man who continuously had to live a pure life. Purity shows the need for man to have a Savior. Only by the salvation of Christ could one strive to live a pure life. Christ was completely pure with the same struggles man encountered on a daily basis. Yet, he remained pure.

It is possible for a man to live a pure life when connected to the Savior Jesus Christ. That is the purpose of the Holy Spirit, to lead the sinner into a pure, right relationship with God, to teach him how to live and lead him in the way he should go. When you are living according to his word and the Holy Spirit, you will have a pure heart and mind. It is because of that purity that you are promised eternity. You are blessed because the purity of Christ has impacted you to also live a pure life. That does not mean we will not struggle sometimes, but with Christ in your life, you will know what is pure.