How Well Do You Know God's Kingdom? [5]: SALT AND LIGHT

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Salt and Light

Few things are important in the Kingdom---like being salt and light. On these two depends your effectiveness in the Kingdom. You may look so good and effective in ministry, but if you lose your saltiness and don't shine properly as light, you're nothing in the Kingdom. In fact, being salt and light of the world is more important than any church "ministry" or activity.

Being salt and light is what keeps us from ending up like the Pharisees and religious law teachers---salt that had lost its saltiness and light that was kept under the bed or a bowl. They were experts when it came to the Word of God but they never lived it out. They lacked character results. They lacked fruit. If you live out the Word, you live the Beatitude Life. As long as the Beatitudes is seen in you, you are salt and light. You are effective in the Kingdom.

Salt

Salt is good as long as it keeps its saltiness. "Saltiness" is when you are poor in spirit, you mourn for God's comfort (always desperate for God, knowing your extreme dependence on him), meek, always hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaker, persecuted for Jesus but rejoicing in it.

If people see you live simply like this everyday and yet happy, they see meaning and flavor in life. They see what life is really worth living. Sometimes, they're even "convicted" by your life. They are reminded about what is right and wrong---or, their value system gets "preserved." But the moment you live outside the Beatitudes, you lose your saltiness and people trample on you like useless salt on the street. You've become just like other religious, church-going and church-active folks.

Light

It should be a lighted lamp. A lighted lamp should be put on its stand to lend light to everyone in the house. But sometimes, we put our lamps on the stand even if it has no light. We showoff our elaborately designed and costly lamps while the house remains dark because there is no light. Lighted lamps are "good deeds," says Jesus, that glorify the Father.

But the "good deeds" by the Pharisees were done for showoff, promoting themselves in public for recognition. Outside they looked good and whitewashed but inside they were full of the dead. Light naturally shines. You just have to "let" it do so without effort. "Let your light shine." It doesn't say, "Make your light shine." Religious deeds do not shine naturally. You have to showoff to be noticed.

Most ministries today aim to popularize their church denomination by showing off their "good deeds." They do it so people would know about their church and become familiarized with it. It's not for God's glory. Jesus did his good deeds without "trapping" people into attending his local church. He performed the deeds, pointed people to the Father, and left. He didn't invite them to come back again next Sunday.

But people "came to him" in multitudes, pursuing him because "they have seen a great light."

The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. [Matthew 4]

That light is the Jesus LIFE, the light that naturally emits from the Beatitude Life. And this light also naturally produces good deeds that glorify the Father, not anyone or anything else. People see the deeds and see God. If they respond to God, they live a radically transformed life, a life that is out of this world.

And mind you, you have to put your lighted lamp on its "stand." The aim is to "give light to everyone in the house." You have to keep visible and relate to everyone in the house. You cannot live a secret Christian life or hide a secret identity. You cannot be neutral. You will be known as a radical follower of Jesus. 

You take risks relating with people while you live the Beatitude Life and expose yourself to persecution, insults, false or evil accusations and other harsh treatments, all for Jesus. Believe me, good deeds that are genuinely of the Kingdom will divide people around you---some will believe, some will listen, some will hate you and others mock you---even those in church.

Real Kingdom LIFE and Ministry

So many church people are used to their denominations. They live up to their denominational standards, and that often simply means being active in church, taking part in all its programs and ministries. If you keep up with this, you're in good standing, even if you don't manifest the fruit of the Kingdom.

It's totally different in the Kingdom. You may look so good in your church but stink in the Kingdom, smelling of dead, rotting flesh while outwardly you look shining white and spotless. God's will is that the church produces disciples who are salt and light, keeping their saltiness and naturally shining with light. Unless a church is producing this, everything is in vain.

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