Counting & Paying by: Bro. Ezekiel Panela

Matthew (8:18-22) NKJV

¹⁸ And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. ¹⁹ Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” ²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” ²¹ Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ²² But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

In Jesus’ early earthly ministry, He was often followed by large multitudes drawn by His teachings & response to His sermon (Matthew 7:28-8:1) and were attracted by His miracles (Matthew 8:16-18). Jesus would later command His apostles to make disciples of all the nations (Mt 28:19-20). Clearly Jesus wanted people to become His disciples.

In our text for today's study (Mt 8:18-22), we find Jesus responding to two individuals regarding the matter of discipleship.

REQUIREMENTS TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST:

I. COUNT THE COST

THE SCRIBE'S OFFER...

¹⁹ Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

JESUS’ ANSWER...

²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Two things we can conclude here:

      1. Jesus informed the scribe that He will be homeless as a disciple

      2. To follow Jesus at that time would mean to leave all as was necessary for Peter, Andrew, James, and John (Mt 4:18-22) Another example was the rich young ruler(Matthew 19:21)

COUNT THE COST BEFORE BECOMING A DISCIPLE...

      1. As Jesus told the multitudes that followed Him

Luke 14:25-33 (CEV)

Large crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said:  ⁽²⁶⁾  You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life.  ⁽²⁷⁾  You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me.  ⁽²⁸⁾  Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it?  ⁽²⁹⁾  Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you.  ⁽³⁰⁾  They will say, "You started building, but could not finish the job."  ⁽³¹⁾  What will a king do if he has only ten thousand soldiers to defend himself against a king who is about to attack him with twenty thousand soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and decide if he can win?  ⁽³²⁾  If he thinks he won't be able to defend himself, he will send messengers and ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off.  ⁽³³⁾  So then, you cannot be my disciple unless you give away everything you own.

The true followers of Christ must at once build and fight, and therefore be ready and prepared to endure all types of hardships.

      2. One does not have to become homeless to follow Jesus today, but we must still:

         a. Love Him more than family and life (First Priority)

         b. Forsake all by making Him the Lord and Ruler of our lives

      3.  We need to tell people the cost of becoming a disciple of Jesus

a.      The cost of observing or holding fast to all that Jesus commands

Mat 28:20 (NIV)

“…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

                b.   A cost that might require a radical change in one's life

2 Corinthians 5:17

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

This would at times require

            1) Quitting jobs that interfere with holy living

            2) Leaving friends who seek to lead one astray

            3) Changing lifestyles, or getting out of unlawful relationships

c. Need of repentance in our lives & be baptized in the name of our Jesus Christ

Acts 2:38 NKJV

³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

II. PAY THE PRICE

THE DISCIPLE'S REQUEST...

²¹ Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

1.       He desires to forego following Jesus in order to bury his father first

JESUS’ ANSWER...

Matthew 8:22 (NKJV)    ²² But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

a.      Jesus often made it clear...to follow Him meant putting Him before family as we saw earlier

Luke 4:26 NKJV

²⁶ You cannot be My disciple, unless you love Me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with Me unless you love Me more than you love your own life. 

     

b.      As He taught His disciples in preparing them for The Limited Commission – (Limited to the Jews)

Matthew 10:34-37 (NKJV)

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Without exception, nothing is to be preferred before our duty to God.

         c. As He set a pattern on one occasion when His family was seeking Him

Mat 12:46-50 (NKJV) 

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  ⁽⁴⁷⁾  Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” ⁽⁴⁸⁾  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”  ⁽⁴⁹⁾  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!  ⁽⁵⁰⁾ For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Christ teaches by his own example that all things ought to be set aside in respect of God's glory.

III. WE NEED TO PAY THE PRICE OF BEING DISCIPLES...

1.       As disciples, we are taught there may be a price to pay to remain faithful

A.      As Paul taught the new disciples on his first journey…

Acts 14:20-22 (NIV)

But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.  ⁽²¹⁾  They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch^{, (22)} strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.

B.      As Paul wrote to Timothy at the end of his life…

2Timothy 3:10-12 (NIV)

You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,  ⁽¹¹⁾  persecutions, sufferings--what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.  ⁽¹²⁾  In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

      2. Far too often, disciples today want to first "bury the dead" such as:

        

a. Putting family responsibilities before the Lord

            1) E.g., missing services to entertain visiting family or friends

            2) Did not Jesus tell Martha some things take precedent over the desire to be a gracious host?

Luke 10:38-42 (NKJV)

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  ⁽³⁹⁾  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.  ⁽⁴⁰⁾  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” ⁽⁴¹⁾ And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  ⁽⁴²⁾ But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

b.      You might think them necessary to support family, but did not Jesus promise that God will provide if you put the kingdom first?

            1) E.g., occupations that are so demanding, one has little time or energy left

            2) Accepting jobs when they know it will hinder their service to the Lord

Mat 6:31-34 (NKJV)

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  ⁽³²⁾  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  ⁽³³⁾  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  ⁽³⁴⁾  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

      3. In our passion to provide for our families, do we forget that we are disciples of Christ?

There are many good and noble things that can be done in relation to kin and occupation but as disciples of Christ, we have a higher and nobler calling.

1Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

CONCLUSION:

My Commitment As A Christian: (Source: ddick@wlgore.com)

I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me—my banner will be clear!

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PARTIAL COMMITMENT.

We either committed to Christ or we are not. We either trust Him or not. When we do, then we will have greater perspective on the everyday affairs of our life. We will be prompted by what He asks for us. This passage isn't so much speaking about a lack of care Jesus has for honoring our parents. Clearly that's not what Jesus is trying to say. I don't believe He is against burying our parents when they die. HE IS HOWEVER EMPHASISING THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY OF PUTTING CHRIST FIRST IN MY LIFE.

Putting Christ first is urgent, not just a possible option for our life! It is to be immediate, not just when we feel like it! It is to be our total commitment not our half hearted loyalty! All our excuses are inadequate! Even a trial or tragedy in our life is not an excuse, but actually a reason and opportunity to trust God more completely!

Luke 14: 28-33(CEV)

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it?  ⁽²⁹⁾  Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you.  ⁽³⁰⁾  They will say, "You started building, but could not finish the job."  ⁽³¹⁾  What will a king do if he has only ten thousand soldiers to defend himself against a king who is about to attack him with twenty thousand soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and decide if he can win?  ⁽³²⁾  If he thinks he won't be able to defend himself, he will send messengers and ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off.  ⁽³³⁾  So then, you cannot be my disciple unless you give away everything you own.

When a person wants to follow Jesus, this is wonderful!  But we should remind people there is a cost involved, one they need to consider before they commit. For those who are already disciples, we must not forget "The Challenge of Following Jesus". Salvation that Jesus offers is a free gift, but it comes at a high cost.  Jesus truly "paid it all", so one cannot earn their salvation; but as our Savior and Lord, He requires that we have the servant mentality: He should rules over our life.

2 John 1:8 (NIV) Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.

Have you counted the cost?  Are you willing to pay the price?

Salt and Light by: Bro. Melvin Laru-an

(Matthew 5:13-16)

In this passage of Scripture, the Lord Jesus likens the effect of His disciples in the world with these two figures: the figure of salt and the figure of light. I confess that for years I took this for granted. But during our Bible Study I found out the beauty and balance of the Christian life in this world through the use of these two pictures. I am going to share with you the basic function of a Christian in the world we live using these passages of Mathew 5:13 – 16. As I was doing my study I found some basic things about a Christian as salt of the earth and light of the world.

Basic things about a Christian

Christians are basically different from other people. Just as salt is different to the thing that which it purifies, preserves and flavors, so is the Christian who is basically different from the world in which he lives. As light in any room is basically different from the things that they throw light unto, the Christian is basically different from the world in which he lives as he gives light for the sake of Jesus Christ.

A Christian is always in contact with the world. Salt is of no use if it does not touch the meat to flavor it, preserve it or purify it. Light does no good unless it illuminates something.

A Christian should continue to do good even if the world doesn’t know and appreciate it. Salt checks the process of putrefaction and decay. So a Christian by his mere presence in society is a check for the inherited tendency of corruption. He is the light concerning truth and God’s standard of ethics, morality and living.

Basic things about the World

When Jesus said to His disciples in verse 13 that they are the salt of the earth, He is actually saying that the world is a falling, decayed and corrupted world. If the world is corrupted it needs salt to check its corruption. If the world is decaying, it needs salt to check it. If the world is flavorless, it needs salt for flavor.

Secondly, it tells us that the world is spiritually dark and ignorant. Jesus said in verse 14 that we are the light of the world. Because the world is in spiritual darkness, it needs light. Jesus said to His disciples “you are the light of the world.” It indicates that the world is in darkness and we are supposed to be its light.

Thirdly, we found out that the world desperately needs the influence of true Christianity. If the meat is about to decay it desperately needs the influence of salt. If a man who is stumbling in darkness and about to fall, he desperately needs light. The world desperately needs more Christians. This is the basic solution to most problems in our society. This is the basic solution to moral decay in our generation if more Christians, more men and women filled with the Spirit, will become salt of the earth and light of the world.

JESUS WARNS US AGAINST LOSING OUR SALTINESS

Jesus said in Matthew 5:13,

“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, with what shall it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be thrown out and to be trodden underfoot by men.”

Do you notice what the Lord Jesus is saying in both passages? He is warning us about losing our saltiness. He says that “As my followers, you are salt, but there is a terrible possibility that you may lose your capacity to flavor and to preserve.” But when the salt has no longer have the capacity to purify, flavor and preserve, it has already lost its saltiness. Jesus said from that point on, “it is good for nothing but to be cast out and trampled under the foot of men.”

How do we lose our saltiness according to this passage? By prolonged contact with impurities!

In our present day technology we can buy purified salt and we can store it for many years and it will not change its saltiness. But during Jesus’ day, the salt was mined in certain areas wherein salt mingled with dirt, with clay and forms of earth and it was stored in a certain place, sometimes with the prolonged contact with the impurities which will mingle with salt. The salt, over a period of time. will actually lose its entire savor and saltiness. And when it does, no one could take this salt pile neither as fertilizer nor for flavoring. It is actually good for nothing; he will find a path and just throw it on the ground so that the ground will be firm. This is the exact picture Jesus is telling us in this passage.

Salt, with its prolonged contact with the impurities will gradually lose it capacity to function as salt. For me this is the most horrible possibility which faces me as a Christian, which faces you as Christians, which faces us as a Church. The terrible possibility that, through a gradual process, we can lose our capacity to purify, flavor, and preserve society: the shops, the schools, the places of our work, the neighborhood in which we live. In essence the Lord Jesus is saying, “As my people, you must avoid all contact with all that absorbs your capacity to function as salt. Don’t do anything that can lose your capacity to be savoring.”

There is a very clear illustration in the Old Testament we don’t have to go in details because most of us know the life story of Lot. In 2 Peter 2, Lot is called “righteous Lot.” He was a saved man. When he separated from Abraham his uncle in Genesis 13, he went down to Sodom and Gomorrah. In those wicked cities, he should had acted as salt in those cities. His life should be an influence to his neighbors. But during that long period of association with the wickedness of the people of those cities, Lot lost most of his saltiness. When the time came for God to judge those cities and in answer to Abraham’s prayer, He sent angels to take Lot and his family out of those cities. But they were reluctant to leave because they were so attached and so accustomed to the filth and corruption of those cities that they were no longer able to be the preserving influence. Lot’s wife had such an attachment. Do you know what happened to her when they were fleeing? She turned around and turned into a pillar of salt! (Gen 19:26)”

As children of God, this is a crucial issue. Sometimes we are so attached to this world that we gradually adopt its pattern. We adopt the attitude of the world! We do what other worldly people do until we lose our preserving influence in the world. Salt functions only as a salt when it is qualitatively different from what they preserve and flavor.

Dear brothers and sisters, I relay to you the warning of our lord Jesus Christ that it is possible for you and me to come into a place of being good for nothing, but to be cast out and trampled underfoot by men. How is this going to happen? Salt never losses it saltiness overnight, it is a slow gradual process. As it is mingling with dirt and the clay in the salt pile, there is a gradual seepage of its saltiness until it no longer functions as salt.

This is going to happen with God’s people, unless they are determined by the grace of God not to lose their saltiness. What shall we do then?

Things we should do to preserve our saltiness

1) We must be fed daily with the Word of God.

We should study the Bible. We should hear always the Word of God. Neglecting to obey the Word of God is the first step in absorbing the ways of the world.

When we are feeding on the Word of God, it is the Holy Spirit, through the Scriptures, that exposes the impurities that we have allowed into our lives. It is the Holy Spirit who will convict us so that we will be able to remove the wrong influences in our lives that suck our saltiness. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “Father, purify them, sanctify them through Your Word, Your word is truth.” Jesus said in John 15, “they are cleansed through the word which I have spoken unto them.”

As a reminder, that if we neglect the daily reading of the Word of God, we are denying ourselves the basic instrument which the Holy Spirit is using to keep us salty. When we are too busy for the Word, when we have no time for Bible studies, then we are going to absorb the impurities that make us lose our saltiness.

2) We must spend time in the secret place with God. We must pray always.

We must pray that, by His sufficient grace, God will give us the strength to endure the trials and temptations that lead us to commit sin in our lives. In Psalm 139:23, it says…

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there is any wicked ways is in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.

If you want to preserve your saltiness there must be a feeding on the Word. And there must be a time in the secret place with God.

3) We must Fellowship.

We must be obedient to the command of God not to forsake the assembling of God’s people (Hebrews 10:25).There must be a blessed influence in communing with God’s people. For as salt is in contact with other pure salt, it will maintain its purity.

When salt is too long in contact with those other impurities of earth, it loses its capacity to be salt. You and I are always in contact with impurities in our places of work, in our accommodations, etc. Wherever we are, we are always surrounded with impurities. That is why we need to fellowship together with God’s people to preserve our saltiness.

Perhaps some of us have already lost some of our saltiness. We are too busy during Mondays or Fridays. Or life is too comfortable Monday nights or Fridays sitting at home, doing nothing. We are going to lose our saltiness if we do this regularly and habitually. Jesus said that if salt loses its savor, it is good for nothing. Maybe some of us have already reached that point, as far as being instruments in God’s hand to preserve, to purify, to flavor those lives we touch, that we are good for nothing because we lost our saltiness by failure in contact with other godly people.

Now we move to the next figure….being the light of the world. Notice Jesus’s contrasting concepts of detachment from the world and being a light to the world.

On one hand with the figure of salt, Jesus said that it is possible for the Christian to be so absorbed, so attached to the world that surrounds him that he loses all his saltiness. So in essence He is saying that we must remain distinct from the world in which we live, in our attitudes, in our patterns of thought throughout our lives. Don’t become too absorbed into this world. You must separate from it, for the salt does no good unless it is different from what it is flavoring. Some of us would say, “let us run away from this world so that we will not be defiled with it. But, on the other hand, Jesus said in this next illustration that lead us to my next point … The Function of a Christian being the Light of the World.

Mat 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

When we light a candle what do we do? Jesus said that we are not going to put it under a basket, but we must put it on top of a lampstand so that everybody can see it. So the whole emphasis here is that light does not do any good unless it can be seen, observed, or illuminating others.

So here is the balancing truth that if we are Christians and we are living in a corrupt world, we must remain by the grace of God undefiled by the world in which we live but we must remain in contact with it in order to give it light, we must not put ourselves under a basket of mere Christian association so afraid that the world may defile us.

The Function of a Christian being the Light of the World

1) They must be visible Jesus expects His disciples to do good works, the changes in their lives to be seen by the world.

Daniel is a wonderful illustration of this. Here Daniel was in exile in a heathen society in Babylon filled with wickedness. There Daniel lived for the Lord. Every day he went to his place of prayer with windows opened to Jerusalem where he knelt down and prayed. Why was he doing this? He did it because he loved God, and he wanted men to know that he belongs to Jehovah God of Israel. When the decree came that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except the king, shall be cast into the den of lions (Dan 6:7). But it did not bother Daniel. He went back to his place of prayer in an open window and bow unto God, knowing that people can see him. He doesn’t care about this. He is willing to let his light shine before men.

Maybe some of you during lunch or break time may be too embarrassed to thank God for your food in your places of work or in restaurants. People might think that you are trying to show off! No, but Jesus said, “let your light shine before men.” Even if you know that they are looking, let them know that you are thankful for the food God gives you. Why are you are doing this? Not to tell people that you are wonderful, but you do it so that they will see that your father in heaven is working in your heart and you are not ashamed to let others know that you are grateful for His provision.

Never be ashamed to bow your head to pray during lunch time, in restaurants or in fast-food courts. Never be embarrassed because you are giving glory to our God.

2) They must radiate or illuminate (Give light)

As a Christian, don’t isolate yourself from unsaved people. They need the light in our lives. Unless we get next to them, they will not be illuminated. If you have a friend at work that is not saved, and you know that he has an interest in sports like basketball or tennis, go play with him. Let him know that you are different from the world so that you could show them that you never cheat or never speak foul words. Perhaps you could invite your unsaved friends at work for dinner.

Even if you never speak anything about Christianity, your home is a Christian home. Your home is a light to them. Let them come into your home that is free from the stench of tobacco, free from the influence of pornography, free from cursing. Let them come in to our homes that are filled with real love between a husband and wife, and a family that gathers around the table thanking God for everything. You may never say a word to them about the Lord in a direct way, but let the light of your Christian home shine before them. Invite them into your homes; you will not fall as a Christian if you have unsaved man in your home. You are just being a light, a light to the world. Let your light illuminate them.

3) They give glory to our Father

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

I know some of you have a problem with this passage. You might ask, “Brother Melvin! Didn’t Jesus say somewhere in the Bible that our good works should not to be seen by men? That right! That’s in the next chapter (Matthew 6). Notice what He says in verse 1:

Take heed that you do not do your merciful deeds before men, to be seen by them.

There seems to be a contradiction when He said in Mat 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men” then he said “don’t let your merciful deeds be seen before men.” What does He mean? So let’s read on…

Mat 6:1 says, “Take heed that you do not do your merciful deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in Heaven.”

Now notice verse 2…

Mat 6:2 Therefore when you do your merciful deeds, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.

Now notice the phrase “that they have glory from men.” but in Mathew 5:16 said that they may glorify what? “Your Father who is in Heaven.” See the difference? It’s a difference in motives!

In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were admired as great leaders. And Jesus said that the Pharisees walked in the street in the market place looking so pious, so spiritual and made sure that everyone was watching them. Somebody even blew a trumpet for them so that everybody knew that they were coming. They would pray and looked unto heaven with their faces looking so spiritual. But Jesus said that deep inside their hearts, they had only one motive: to give glory unto themselves. They did things to get glory from men.

What is the desire of a true Christian?

Jesus said that “let your light shine before men.” You let them know that you are a Christian by doing things that a Christian should do. Let your light shine not in the absence of men, but before the very face of men. And what’s your motive? That they might see the change and difference in your life! That they may not glorify you but acknowledge that the God in heaven who is your Father has made this changes possible.

If you and I are saved, God’s light in us deserves to radiate to others. So if somebody comes to you and says that if you are a follower of Jesus, you must not be talking about it in our workplaces and remain quiet about it. No. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, in the presence of men. The difference lies not in the activity but in the motive. TO GLORIFY OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN!

Conclusion

As salt, never be absorbed in the lost society of men and women that we lose our saltiness. But as light we will never be separated from them, so that we will never fail to illuminate them. We are to be the “light of the world!”

As Christians, do not withdraw in isolation from unsaved people. Some of us in our desire to hide from the world because of the first warning “don’t lose your saltiness,” so we withdraw from the company of unsaved people thus hiding our light in a basket of Christian fellowship. And all our contacts, all our friends, our social lives are limited only within the basket or bushel of our Christian associations, we never associate with unsaved people, neighbors, colleagues, etc.

Don’t isolate yourself from the unsaved people. They need the light in our lives. Unless we get next to them, they will not be illuminated. We are not going to radiate. Our Lord Jesus is the perfect example for this when He passed by Samaria on His way to Jerusalem. He stopped by the well. Do you remember what He did? He used His normal social contact skill. He stopped by the well and asked the woman to pour Him some water to drink in spite of the fact that He knew what kind of woman she was. Jesus knew what her life was. Later on He began to tell her that she had 5 husbands and the one she was living with at that time was not her husband (John 4:18). But the Lord did not run from her, even though she was an immoral woman. But most of us would have.

If you think that you are too weak to talk and you are going to fall, then you’d better run! That’s what Joseph did with Potiphar’s wife. He did not witness to her when she made him know her intension. When she grabbed hold of Joseph, he ran away and that’s why you better do the same. If you have any doubt of your ability to stand for Christ, don’t associate! But if you are walking with Him in the power of His Spirit in your heart filled with compassion for sinners, you will not be defiled. If we will not go near them and gain their confidence, we will not be able let our light shine before them.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. Amen!