In The Word
Read: Matthew 5:1-16
The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes
5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.2 And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Disciples and the World
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Yahshua desires that we be the salt and light in the world so that the world may know that our Heavenly Father has sent His Son, as the hope of the world, to save it. If we are going to be the salt and light in the world, we must have more than just our words. We must live out what we preach, showing the world the power in our words. The reward of a Christ-centered life also shows the world the power of God. To be a blessing in the world, we must first be blessed; in these scriptures, our Lord is teaching us how to be blessed.
It all starts with realizing that we are doomed without God. Because of this, we repent and yield our lives to God. We hunger for the things of God and realize we are here to reach the world not condemn it. Our intent then becomes to build God’s kingdom by saving lives through Christ; we lead people to reconciliation with God. We know that many will reject this salvation and that we will suffer under their rejection, but we live and preach it anyway. Knowing that our reward is great, we are not ashamed of Christ before men. We are encouraged by the ones that lived before us to be the salt and light; we will gladly suffer for the Lord and for the people the Lord loves.
Are you living your life in such a way and with such a purpose? Are you blessed with the rewards in these scriptures? If the answer is yes, then you are being the salt and light in the world.