Introduction

Good morning, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. It's a joy to gather with you today, as we continue to bask in the unfathomable grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We come to this place, not as mere spectators, but as partakers of the divine mystery of faith. We are not here by accident, but by divine appointment, drawn together by the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead.

As we open the Word of God today, we find ourselves in the book of Matthew, chapter 5, verses 13 through 16. The words of our Savior, spoken on a mountainside, echo down through the centuries to us today. They are as relevant now as they were then, reminding us of our identity and calling as His followers. Let’s read those verses together:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Christ-Centered Identification

As we consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 5, we're confronted with a powerful image. We are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. These aren't just nice metaphors. They're declarations of our identity in Christ. When we come to faith in Jesus, we're not just adding a new label to our lives. We're undergoing a radical transformation. We're being redefined at the very core of our being.

Salt, as we know, serves a dual purpose. It enhances flavor and it preserves. In the ancient world, salt was even more valuable than it is today. It was a symbol of purity, a vital commodity, and a means of preservation. When Jesus calls us the salt of the earth, He's saying something profound about our identity. We're not just passive observers in the world. We're active agents of influence. We're called to bring out the God-flavors of this earth, to enhance and preserve the world with the purity and love of Christ.

Light, too, has a dual role. It dispels darkness and it illuminates. When Jesus calls us the light of the world, He's telling us that we're not meant to blend into the darkness. We're meant to stand out. We're meant to shine. We're meant to illuminate the world with the truth and love of Christ. We're not just called to live differently. We're called to live visibly, to let our light shine before others.

But there's a challenge here. Salt can lose its saltiness. Light can be hidden under a bowl. In other words, we can lose sight of our identity. We can forget who we are and whose we are. We can blend into the world instead of standing out. We can hide our light instead of letting it shine. We can become tasteless salt and hidden light. That's the danger of compromise. That's the risk of forgetting our Christ-centered identification.

Called to Influence

In the words of Jesus, we find a compelling metaphor that speaks to our role in the world ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO