This follows the beatitudes that we are all well aware of and we are to be faithful to them as the light and salt of the earth. We are CALLED to be what we ARE. The virtues God has made us and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is about God's glory not just about us...you and I like we often think. Surprise! As we are what we are God is glorified as we are HIS workmanship and the salt of the earth!

The Lord has described us in the spiritual characteristics in the beatitudes and expects us to be as light and salt! "Rejoice when they persecute you for my sake." We are NOT to deny our characteristics when men revile us. Notice two very unique things about light and salt:

1. Both indistinguishable in their characteristics. You cannot stop light or change the affect of salt. You cannot destroy light and you have to dilute salt to alter its affect.

2. They are both distinct. Light exposes and dissipates darkness. Salt, when mixed even in small amounts one can taste its potency.

Now Christ says these characteristics are the child of God. Distinctive, different as light and darkness. The child of God seasons this world which is bland and corrupt! We know our difference and see it when we are in contact with our surroundings. We are made of light as Christ lights our hearts and we expose darkness as we are true to our character! Let your light shine!

You ARE made to shine. Light and salt indicts darkness and corruption. We indict the world! Christians are persecuted and killed because they indict the world around them. There is nothing but foolishness and horizontalness in the world in their "enlightened" state and they have no light in their hearts! Amidst darkness and corruption (evil continually in Noah's day) we are the salt of the earth. The more salt looses its pungency the more it looses its worth and oh how the child of God becomes so tasteless in compromise and in watered down compromises. He made us to shine. He made us light. Let it shine! Salt preserves. Let it preserve! God did not and does not destroy the world because the church is here. Be light! Be salt! A lowly damsel brought Peter down as he denied Jesus and it does not take much in this world for us to be just like Peter! We sometimes cover ourselves and our language becomes so tasteless and we adopt the world and run with them or excusing sin in those around us and we run with them constantly being sifted and covering ourselves and do NOT let our light shine just to blend in. Be light and salt and expose the darkness and bring seasoning to this earth!

God's glory is at stake here and it is very personal! "That your Father in heaven may be glorified." Insult a father on a playground once and see what happens. That's what happens and it's all about God's glory and NOT about you and I (contrary to our thinking.)