If we allow the impurities of sin in our lives, our salt will be worth nothing.
In a sermon (Dr. Stanley) said that “back in time salt was gathered from sea water and sometimes impurities would be mixed in with the salt and collected with it. These impurities would impact the salt so that it would lose its taste and be good for nothing. It would be dumped out on the path and be trampled underfoot. Also, a kerosene lamp when it was turned up, sometimes that lamp would smoke and the smoke from the lamp would smudge the lamp and cloud the light.”
The light never smudges the lamp but a smudged lamp can dim the light. If this is allowed to continue the lamp will get continually darker until it is so black it will completely shut out the light. The light that is in us (Matthew 6:23) will appear to be darkness and we are responsible for that darkness. If we turn the light off, turn ourselves off to the light of Truth, we will only add to the darkness we invited.
As long as Jesus was on the earth (John 8:12) He was the Light of the world. But now we are to be (1 John 4:17) as He is in this world. Now we are to be (Matthew 5:13-14) salt and light witnesses for Him. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden because its lights shine down on everything below. Is our light high and bright enough to reveal Jesus? Does our salt retain the pure Truth so that (Psalms 34:8) those who taste that salt will be blessed with the light?
If we allow the impurities of sin in our lives, our salt will be worth nothing. If we are clean salt shakers, the salt within us will preserve and add flavour to other lives. If we are clean lamps, allowing no smudges of sin to dim the brightness, we will gladly share the Light within us to spread the good news of salvation at every opportunity and at any cost.
Jesus is the Light of the world and He also is (John 1:1) the Living Word of God. Now that He is no longer physically in the world, we are to be (1 John 4:17) as He is in the world. So as His witnesses and representatives, we are to be continually and in every way, salt and light in our world, wherever God places us. Then we will have (Colossians 1:24) fill up that which is behind in the afflictions of Christ. Jesus left nothing undone when He purchased Redemption but His finished work is unknown to many, because they have not heard they are still in darkness. We are (1 Thessalonians 5:5) the children of light and we do not belong to the darkness. We belong to God (1 John 1:5), Who is Light. Therefore, we will fill up what is lacking in their knowledge of Salvation, we will make known to them the Truth and Good News of the Gospel.
The written Word of God (Psalms 119:105) lights up the right path and directs our feet in the right way. The Word of God is a lamp (Proverbs 6:23) to highlight the reproofs of discipline which are the way of life.
(Oswald Chambers) “As long as we walk in the light as God is in the light, His Life is working out in every particular, not to my consciousness but deeper than my consciousness.”
Consider deeply Who Jesus is: He is (Revelation 19:16) King of Kings and Lord of lords, (Hebrews 7:2) King of righteousness and King of peace, (Jeremiah 10:7) King of nations, (1 Timothy 1:17) King of eternity (Jeremiah 10:10) Living and Everlasting King, (Psalms 24:7) King of Glory. Quite some time ago I asked a question in a previous meditation. “How can God be Who He is and love who I am?” The gulf between us is beyond measure with no way to come together. How could anything bridge that yawning gulf? But then something, Someone came Who could make it possible for a close relationship with the Who God is and the what I am. Who? What? How? WORTHY is the LAMB
The Holy Spirit always prays (Romans 8:26-27) in accordance with God’s will. When we pray along with the Holy Spirit, do we realize the glory, privilege, wonder of this personal relationship with the Transcendent God? My body is His temple where the Holy Spirit prays. When I pray, He focuses His attention on my requests and intercedes on my behalf. Then He edits my prayers, fills in the blanks of my ignorance and presents my prayers worthily at the Throne of Grace in accordance with God’s will. I know that the Holy Spirit indwells me constantly and forever, but when I pray, in a special way He comes to meet me at the Throne of Grace and I join in prayer with Him. I am never alone there before God in the place of prayer.
I marvel at the privilege, the companionship and the miracle of prayer which is beyond words. My every request is granted at once because I am a prayer partner with the Holy Spirit and He makes every request to be in accordance with God’s will. It will come into reality at God’s perfect timing. It is history just waiting for the right time to happen. Once in a while I fall asleep for a few minutes and wake up with a jolt. But even during those few minutes, the Holy Spirit continues to intercede for me and prays with greater emphasis.
It is sad in these days to see many so-called Christians and Christian churches choosing (Revelation 2:20, Revelation 2:28) Jezebel rather than the Morning Star. They want to be called (Isaiah 4:1) by the name of church but they will provide their own doctrine which is a false substitute for the truth of God. The False bride trying to pass herself off as part of the Bride of Christ. They copy Judas. Judas gambled, not Jesus, but himself for 30 pieces of silver and what he lost was himself.
When we were born into the human family, we all inherited from Adam a heredity, a disposition of sin (1 Corinthians 15:22) which leads to death. When we were born again into God’s family, we received an exchanged and totally new heredity (2 Corinthians 5:21) of righteousness and eternal life in Jesus Christ. On the Cross Jesus took all our sinful past and made it His past. In His victorious resurrection He made His righteous and holy past our past. This is how it became possible, the only way, for our humanity to clothe Divinity. Jesus did not endure suffering and shame and brutal death of the Cross just to save us from hell but also to restore us (Genesis 1:27) to the Divine Image.
I learned from (Oswald Chambers) that maturity is to have no consciousness of ourselves, no consciousness of how the Lord is using us but only to be conscious of our dependence on God. As I mature – lean – grow, I pray that more and more this will become my reality. I want such a close, loving, relationship and unbroken communion with the Lord that I will have growing oneness with my heavenly Father, deepening precious intimacy with Jesus and keen sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, so that instant unquestioning obedience will be the only option of my free will choice. Obedience is genuine success. The consequences and results of my obedience are God’s business. Mine is to obey and if I am obeying the Lord, then I am truly successful because obedience is my spiritual destiny.