Early in the sermon on the mount you find two profound statements from the Lord. 1- You ARE the salt of the earth and 2- a light of the world. He is speaking about the citizens of the Kingdom. Riches are found within and not in the outward in this world. Salt use to have preserving characteristics and was used to preserve food before our days of the refrigerator. The reference here is that the church preserves the earth. We, as the church are the light of the world...and Christ says you find among the church (the unknown) the lights of the world as the church of God move in this world! He goes even further and tells us and you not to bury the light as a city on a hill is seen and not hidden.

Source: The essential characteristics of salt is to preserve and as Christians we should be what and who we are! What we were created for. We understand the essential essence of light also which GUIDES after it first and foremost exposes and makes plain. The child of God again must be his very essence. The lights has a SOURCE (as our electric has the electric company, we have the sun, etc) and that source spiritually is God in our Lord Jesus Christ! Read John 1 verses 4&5. The life of our Lord Jesus Christ was the LIGHT of men! The wisdom of men is foolishness to God because they do not have the light and they "stumble" all around. BUT, we have the LIGHT...."You are the light of the world!" Ephesians 5:14. We are the workmanship of GOD..."created in Christ Jesus who has raised you from the darkness into the marvelous LIGHT!" He ILLUMINATES us (Spiritual Re-birth!) Therefore we are the light in the darkness of this world because we have been given HIS LIFE! Our source is God in Christ! In Christ, God "flicks on the switch" and we expose the darkness!

The Effulgence: The Lord know us and we are not always luminaries in this world as we are called to be. We are so susceptible to all the things around us and although a "city on a hill" that is prominent and can be seen from all around in the landscape we are NOT so prominent often times. Covering the light after you "flip the switch" DEFEATS its very purpose does it not?! And sometimes we betray our very character. ...."You are the SALT...you are the LIGHT! Do not look for the light in the mighty in this world either. You find the light in the child of God although we fight our flesh which likes the darkness and its surroundings not wanting the light that exposes our sin with the word of God often times! It exposes the darkness but it also GUIDES us so we do not fail! We put the lamp on a stand to give light to the entire room. You don't cover it up! Are we hiding?

Purpose: It is God who gives us the light to walk straight. Where others see and hear us we shine and are true to the character that God made us! We ARE CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT! A bright luminary "that your Father in Heaven may be glorified!" It is all and always about HIS GLORY and PRAISE as He pleases to raise His own glory and praise as Almighty God in and through us! It is not about us first and foremost.