A Little Salt Goes a Long Way

Titus 3:2,3,4,5a

"[Remind them] to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us..."

There may be times in the Christian life when we begin to look down on the unbelievers around us. We can be judgmental and sometimes speak harshly about them. But we must remember this very important truth - we ourselves were once in darkness and foolishly followed the sinful ways of the flesh. Only by God's mercy and forgiveness do we now clearly see the beauty of His truth as opposed to the ruin of the world's desires. Therefore, God commands that we be respectful towards all men. This does not mean that we must agree with all they say and do, and this does not mean that we accept their sin, but this does mean that we should be gracious, patient, kind, and respectful towards them, always remembering that we were once in the same place they are now before the grace of God came into our lives. Every man that is on this earth was put here for a purpose, so we must try to see them from God's perspective. 

We may not be praised, rewarded, or acknowledged while we are on this earth for our efforts of humbleness before all men, but if an unbeliever ever peers closely into our lives, our testimony will shine with purity and goodwill. If one day an unbeliever is searching for God and he remembers your testimony, he will see a life lived in peace, kindness, and humility, all for the glory of God. We should never be known as Christians full of disrespect and anger, but as those who try to make peace with all, no matter the situation. Remember what your purpose in life is - to be a shining light and salt in this world as a testimony of your Saviour. Pattern your life after the example set by Christ! This world is in complete darkness, but throughout the vast emptiness there are small points of light from each believer's life that pierce the night. A light of hope and a light of forgiveness.

Matthew 5:13,14,16

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? ... You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

A Light in the Darkness

Hebrews 12:14

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord."

 As Christians, our lives are to demonstrate peace and holiness to those who are yet unsaved. In this epistle, holiness is described as: drawing near to God with complete faith in Him, a pure conscience free of guilt and shame, and genuinely accepting Christ as our Saviour from sin so that we may be free to come into God's presence through the righteousness provided to us by Christ's blood. 

The world is in turmoil and vainly seeks satisfaction in earthly pleasures. With these sinful pursuits, however, comes much unrest and emptiness, and often an unbeliever will begin to desperately search and desire for meaning in his life. If a believer is also filled with unrest and falls away from living uprightly before God, his testimony to the unsaved is severely injured. Without the peace and holiness of God gained by faithfulness to His word, a believer's life can greatly resemble that of an unbeliever's. Therefore, we ought to live our lives faithfully before God so that any unbeliever can clearly see the joy and peace we have in our salvation and the satisfaction we have in our Lord. Our lives can be and should be our greatest testimony for God. Let us, therefore, strive to live purely so that the unsaved can see the shining light of Christ's love and the joy of His salvation!

Matthew 5:16 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

His Strength in Our Weakness

Hebrews 12:12,13

"Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed." 

Since the journey through this life can appear long to our eyes and is frequently filled with trials, our obedience and faithful service to God are often tested. At times we may become greatly discouraged, weary, and frustrated in the continual battle we face with the world and with our own sinful nature, so it is vital to remain focused on God, for He will give us the endurance to persevere and will be beside us in every battle.

Therefore, concentrate on the cross of Christ and the salvation that we have received through Him! We must look to our Saviour's redeeming work and be encouraged that our sinful nature will soon be cast aside. He has given us life eternal and complete redemption and asks only for our complete devotion to Him in faith, so let us take up our cross daily for His sake and run on the road to glory in willing obedience to His Word! Be assured that when we fall He will catch us, when we falter He will carry us, and when we fail He will strengthen us. Although it is true that if we are obedient to His Word, the world will be against us and at times it may even overwhelm us, but NEVER can the world defeat us, for we are in the hands of the all-powerful God who is ruler over all that is in the world and in the heavens. Therefore be encouraged and strengthened according to His might, for He will never let you go.

John 10:28,29

"And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand."

Carry His Cross

Hebrews 12:3

"For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."

Christ is the ultimate example of obedience to God. He was willing to suffer the severest persecution and the cruelest death for the sake of His Father. So although we may grow weary in our hearts because of our own personal sorrows, none of us has ever faced the pain and contempt that our Saviour did while on this earth, and the rejection that He still endures. When we are persecuted, we are being persecuted for His sake. When we are hated by the world, it is because it hates Him who is in us. (John 15:18,20b) Sinful humanity is rejecting Christ as much now as when He first came, but since He is no longer on this earth, the world persecutes His faithful followers. 

During our fleeting time on this earth we may face much sorrow and rejection for our faith, but God is not blind to our earthly sufferings! As He has glorified Christ, so He will also glorify His faithful children, and when Christ comes back to earth in all of His glory, the world will fail, and He will will have complete victory over all of His enemies both present and past! Every knee shall bow before Him, and both He and His people will claim eternal victory over the power of sin, Satan, and those who rejected the Son of God.

1 Corinthians 15:58

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

The Amazing Race - Upward Bound!

Hebrews 12:1,2

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

As Christians, we have been preceded by great men of faith who have lived for God with strong perseverance! They have lived lives full of persecution and rejection, but through the grace of God they have finished the race. Let their lives encourage us in the knowledge that those who remain faithful to God will receive a crown of victory, for pain on earth is temporal and defeated by the blood of Christ!

Therefore, let us lay aside every ritual, law, and deed which have no use in salvation. Let us also lay aside every personal sin which hinders our growth in Christ. Instead let us determine to keep pressing onward in our Christian walk no matter the temptation or trial. Let us agonize with effort as we strive to serve God every day through our faith and dedication to Him alone.

We cannot do this on our own strength, however, so we must keep an upward focus. By Christ's death, we have victory over death. By His resurrection unto glory, we have the promise of future glory! As we go through the trials and persecutions of this world, we are urged to keep our eyes fixed on Christ. For when the glorious day comes when we are called to God, let it be a day of triumph and victory from running a faithful race for the glory of our Father and King! When we reach the end of our toils and struggles, we shall receive imperishable rewards - Complete glorification and renewal of our bodies, a pure and righteous nature, a crown displaying our faithful service, a position of favor before our God, riches eternal and immeasurable, and life everlasting full of joy and peace as we worship our Saviour and have fellowship with Him daily. 

Our present sufferings may appear significant and never ending at times, but they pale in comparison with the weight of our heavenly prize if we remain faithful in our service to our God - Eternal glory in the presence of our Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:17

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."