Being Different- Salt and Light

Written By Andrey and Rebecca Prishchepov

“Being Different”

In the Bible, Jesus calls his followers the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world" in Matthew 5:13-16. As salt, Christians should act as a positive influence, preserving truth and goodness, preventing decay, and adding value to the world. As light, Christians should illuminate the darkness by letting their good deeds be seen, guiding others to God's love and truth. The metaphor emphasizes the importance of followers living out their faith authentically, serving as examples that glorify God.

 

Salt

  • Preservation and Goodness:Like salt, Christians are called to preserve God's truth and prevent evil or corruption in the world. 

  • Flavor and Influence:Salt adds flavor to food, and Christians are meant to bring a positive influence and goodness to the world. 

  • Lost Saltiness:The metaphor warns that if Christians lose their spiritual "saltiness" (their authentic commitment to God), they become useless to God's purposes. 

Light

  • Illumination:Just as a light illuminates a dark room, Christians should shine their "light" to show others the path to righteousness and God's love. 

  • Visibility and Example:A city on a hill or a lamp on a stand cannot be hidden; similarly, Christians are not to hide their faith but let their good actions be seen. 

  • Glory to God:When people see the good deeds of Christians, they should be led to "glorify your Father in heaven," the ultimate goal of their testimony. 

Application for Disciples

  • Live Out Your Identity:The call to be salt and light is to live out who God has made believers to be in Jesus. 

  • Engage Culture: Christians are to live out their faith within the cultures they are in, making a positive impact and influencing society. 

  • Authentic Witness: The core message is for Christians to be their authentic selves in Jesus, guided by the Holy Spirit, and to let their lives clearly reflect God's goodness. 

Children’s Message:

Clear water in the bottle represents God’s sinless world. Pouring dye into the water pollutes the world with sin. Salt is pure, just as we try to be as Christians. We try to be different from the sinful culture that we tend to live in. By having faith in Jesus Christ, we can use the purebred of Christianity to counteract some of the sin that pollutes the world. Through prayer, faith, and good deeds, we can remove/absorb/counteract some sin from this world, clarifying it once again! We help God’s light to shine through the sin of the world!

Andrey and Rebecca Prishchepov
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Tale of Two Mountains