With this idea firmly in view, I want to discuss two Scriptures today. The first comes to us as part of the famous Sermon on the Mount section of the Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 5, verses 14-16 says, "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."
Similarly, in Luke 11:33, we get the curious statement: "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light."
I believe that it can be plainly said, that the light of this world we inhabit comes from Jesus Christ. But what about the darkness? What about all of the sin that transpires on our planet every day? This is a more difficult question to think about.
In order for sin to exist and thrive, it must be kept in the dark. You may have noticed in your own life, that keeping secrets is a great way to build up animosity. Nothing deflates trust between two people more than finding out that you have been lied to, or that someone withheld information from you longer than they should have. It makes it that much harder to trust again.
Keeping sin a secret can erode a marriage, harm a friendship, and destroy your personal integrity. But knowing all this, why is it still so hard to come clean sometimes? I believe that when it comes to these difficult situations, there is an almost irresistible temptation to keep sin hidden. It is embarrassing for others to know about our weaknesses. We want them to just go away ... to fade into time, and then vanish on their own. Less fuss that way, or so we think.
The catch, however, comes from the fact that in order to purge ourselves of sin and begin our journey down the path of righteousness - we must bring that thing we regret into the light. Evil cannot stand or survive in the light, much less the light of Christ. In this glow, there is only room for confession, repentance, and healing. Secret keeping goes out the window. You will note that in this way, the light of Jesus will edge out sin (both yours and mine). It's painful at first - I'm not saying it isn't - but ultimately it is the only way to permanently kick a bad habit. There is something about illumination and confession that resets the spirit I think.
In this same way, I am imploring the reader not to hide away your faith. Resist the urge to shelve away your personal belief system into the darkness. Do not buy into the way of the nominal Christian, which says you can praise God one day a week at church, and then act like nothing is different Monday through Saturday. Instead, let others see your faith in plain sight. Let the light of Jesus shine through you, and because of that, into others as well. This same light that quenches sin and offers salvation will hold you up when the need arises.
If we look at the sentence immediately preceding Matthew 5:14, it says "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."
There are a handful of different interpretations when it comes to this passage. One of my favorites is the notion that salt both enhances flavor and preserves food. In other words, trust in the very spirit of God to enhance the faith which God has given you, and trust also in His ability to uphold and preserve you in times of trouble. Times where it may seem embarrassing to admit that you go to church, or that you are part of a small group, etc. Times where it may be downright detrimental to admit your faith publicly. God will often give you the right words to say.
The Bible tells us to be salt and light. Allow your faith to shine ... it will be okay. Don't treat your religion as a forty-hour-per-week job, where you act one way at the office and another way at home. Christianity asks more than that from us (and we should be grateful for that I think). Otherwise it would be just another social club or mundane organization.
Unfortunately, I have been to a number of funerals in my time. I have been to funerals for both family members and friends. And I think we can all relate to attending a funeral now and then, where we simply cannot be certain of the deceased person's eternal state. We hope always that the person is in heaven of course, but we know from the Bible that the 'narrow gate to salvation' is difficult to enter, and there are many who don't make it. I realize that this idea is very unpopular - maybe even more so today than in the past. Popular culture tells us that it is okay to do whatever we feel like doing, and okay to live however we see fit. And so we have to wonder: is this person we loved with God or not? They never mentioned their faith when they were living; never talked about Jesus. It's hard to say ... very uncertain.
By grace of God, the funeral for the true believer is an entirely different thing. Oh there is grieving that occurs, don't get me wrong. But there is also hope, faith, and a certainty that this person is now with God forever. We can have assurance of this because they were a light in the world while they were living. They talked about Jesus, they went to church, and they glorified their Father in heaven on a regular basis. My grandmother was like this. No doubt about it - everyone knows that lady is in heaven today. We miss her of course, but there is an assurance. She was salt and light. Anyone she talked to could tell she loved God within the first five minutes of the conversation. It was never in question.
Jesus is ultimately the judge, and we must be careful also that we don't become arrogant in our spiritual assessment of others. Someone's eternal salvation isn't secured by what we think of them, but rather by whether or not they are born again. So often it is human nature to forget that fact, I think.
And so much more comes from the way in which we live, not just how we die. Are we living for God now? Do others around us sense and see our faith? Does the Spirit preserve us and enhance us like salt? Do we reflect the light of Christ with our actions, our language, and our hearts?
Christianity is not a silent faith; it is too important for that. If you are loved by God, and you love God back, then good luck containing the light that abides inside of you! It will spill out. If others don't see this light, then it's time to take stock and examine your walk with God. Don't keep the things that God has done in your life quiet. And if you boast about it, then boast for His glory, not your own. For it is Jesus that saves each of us, and who lights the flame which can never be extinguished.
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