We Are Different, We Have Influence

Jesus began his sermon with the character qualities of his followers and the blessings they will experience when living the kingdom life. Now Jesus explains why this is so important. He explains the purpose of the kingdom living. You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world so that people will see your good works and glorify God.

We are different from the world in order to influence the world. We are called out of the world, set apart to be radically different from the world, to be holy, to live holy as God’s kingdom people. But we are not to be holy just to be different. We are to be holy so that we can influence the world. We live kingdom lives to proclaim God’s kingdom to the world so that people will glorify God. Ultimately it is all about God’s glory and the final end goal, eternal fellowship with God in his kingdom.

But two problems hinder this calling of ours in the world.

First, we have become so attached to the things of the world that we are used to and consumed by them. There is no difference between us and the world. We are not living holy, radically different, counter-cultural kingdom lives.

Second, it seems we have lost confidence in the power of the gospel of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. We have lost confidence in God, his mission, and his promises. Negativity, skepticism, cynicism, fear, anxiety, anger, outrage, hatred, hopelessness have overcome us and dominate our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions.

That cannot be, must not be. We are different. We are God’s kingdom people, and as kingdom people we have incredible power and worldwide influence. We must boldly live the kingdom life, calling people into the kingdom. Because there is no other way of living now, and no other future.

1. We Are Salt

We are the salt of the earth. Earth here means all the people living on earth. We are the salt of all humankind. In biblical times salt was valued and had many uses but two of its uses are relevant here — seasoning and preserving.

The world is tasteless. Life is hard filled with suffering, pain, hatred. The things of this world never satisfy. People are anxious, fearful, hopeless, searching for purpose and meaning.

We are the salt that flavors life. By living the kingdom lifestyle we give taste to the world. We show people that there is an alternative, better way to living this life in this world. That is the kingdom life that brings true freedom, love, joy, peace, and hope. We show them that there is more to life. That life has meaning. That salvation and the new life in Jesus Christ is real and possible. That there is life after death. And God’s kingdom is real.

The world is evil, bad, and decaying by its very nature. It cannot save itself. We cannot save the world. Only God can, and so he will when Jesus comes back and there will be a new world.

But in the mean time we are the salt that preserves. We hinder and slow down the decay. John Stott says this well, “God intends us to penetrate the world. Christian salt has no business to remain snugly in elegant little ecclesiastical salt cellars; our place is to be rubbed into the secular community, as salt is rubbed into meat, to stop it going bad.”

Since the 19th century God and the kingdom values have been gradually removed from Western society. Because of that the world has gone increasingly from bad to worse. But, we as Christians cannot “throw up our hands in pious horror” (Stott), rebuke and blame the world. You cannot blame meat for going bad without salt. You cannot blame an evil world for going from bad. The question we must ask is, “Where is the salt?” Or, “Has the salt lost its saltiness?”

True, pure salt cannot lose its saltiness. But just like today in ancient times there were scrupulous business men out to make quick and easy profit. The salt sold in the markets was not pure salt. It was mixed with other substances and impurities. Over time the real salt, the sodium chloride, would leach, drain out, and the salt lost its saltiness, and became useless. It looks like salt but it is not salt.

When we do not live the kingdom life, when we are not radically, counter-culturally different than the world we have lost our saltiness. When we become like the world, do as the world does, we become mixed, tainted with the impurities of the world. And we can make no difference in the world. We may go to church, talk the Christian talk, wear all kinds of Christian symbols. We may look like salt but we are not salt. We have nothing to bring to the world, show the world, tell the world. When we are just like the world, we have become good for nothing in God’s kingdom work.

2. We Are Light

We are the light of the world. The world here is the people who do not know God. The world without God is a dark place. Such a world has no light of its own to show it the way. It is lost in darkness.

When we live holy kingdom lives our light is visible, and it shows people the way to God and his kingdom. This has been the calling and mission of God’s people from Abraham to Israel to us today — to be a light and so be a blessing to the nations. “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles” (Is 42:6) “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Is 49:6).

Verse 16 is a command, “Let your light shine before the people that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Our good deeds are the kingdom life we live. It is the life that Jesus teaches in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount. Our good deeds are the practical, visible deeds of love and compassion. Our good deeds are our spoken words of the truth of the gospel. Our good deeds proclaim the kingdom in word and in deed. By living the kingdom life before the world we are the light that drives away the darkness so that people will see Jesus Christ in us and through us. His light shines through us, and people will come to know him, and glorify God.

3. No Retreat, No Hiding

We ARE the salt and the light of the world. Jesus did not say, you will be, or you should be, or you ought to be, or try to be salt and light. Jesus did not say some of you. No, “You are.” All followers of Jesus. This is our our God-given identity. This is our God-given calling and mission in this life and in this world. This is not optional.

We cannot flee, retreat or hide from the world and this calling. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Flight into the invisible is a denial of the call. A community of Jesus which seeks to hide itself has ceased to follow him” (118).

No, we have a double calling. We are the salt. We must speak out and act against sin, decay, injustice and oppression. We are the light. We must proclaim the truth of God’s kingdom.

4. Be Different, Impact the World

As salt and light we must be different than the world to impact, influence the world. Now here is a paradox, a mystery. On the one hand, our calling is not to change the world or society into the kingdom. We cannot. Throughout history many Christian leaders, Christian governments, and churches have tried. Time and time again they failed. They became as broken, as sinful, as oppressive as secular governments. Neither the White House, nor senate, nor congress, nor the Supreme Court, can legislate the kingdom and make it a reality. It will be flawed, broken, and sinful because it’s done by broken and sinful people, and therefore it will not be the kingdom.

Bringing about the kingdom, changing the world into the kingdom is God’s work. He is doing that now and will fulfill his mission. Our calling is to live holy as God’s kingdom people, to call people into the kingdom, and to make disciples of all peoples.

On the other hand, as we live holy, kingdom lives, we influence, impact, and change the world. Wherever God has placed us, whatever God has called us to do in this life, there we are the salt and light.

As salt we must speak out and act against any sinful structures, systems, and practices. We must work for structures, systems, policies, and practices that reflect the values, the love, justice, righteousness and peace of the kingdom. By doing this we prevent the world from becoming as bad as they could be. But fallen human beings need more. They need the new life through Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as light of the world we must shine the light of the truth of Christ, of the gospel, and the kingdom into the world, into the lives of peoples. We must proclaim the truth in word and deeds, so that they can see the new life, see the kingdom, see Jesus, and glorify God.

It does not matter how big or small it is. Whatever you do as the salt and light, there through your actions and words God’s kingdom becomes visible. There as salt you are stopping the bad with good. There, Jesus’ light shines through you into the world, and God is glorified.

Conclusion

We as kingdom people have worldwide influence and incredible power. We are the revolutionaries of Jesus (Stott). As the salt and light of the world we are called and sent into the world to be different, and by being different we spread his revolution of love, joy, and peace. John Stott says, “this peaceful revolution is more radical than any program of violence, both because its standards are incorruptible and because it changes people as well as structures” ( 64). It changes hearts and minds, and culture.

Warning—For kingdom people the end never justifies the means. We must never sacrifice the values of the kingdom, biblical truths and principles to achieve the kingdom goals. When we do that, we are no different than the world. We are no longer salt and light. We become useless and powerless.

Back to the problems I mentioned in the beginning. What things have you become so attached that it prevents you from being salt and light? Have you lost confidence in the power of the living God? Have you lost faith and hope? Are you afraid?

We are not helpless and powerless. We have Jesus Christ. We have the Holy Spirit. We are children of God the Father. The all-powerful Lord, the great I AM, is in control. We know how this story ends. No, this is not a story. We know how history ends. The kingdom is the future. We know the future!

So let us be different by living the kingdom life, proclaim the kingdom and influence the world. It is hard, difficult. The world will reject us, persecute us, even kill us. Whatever the world does to us and throws at us, our response must always be love, truth, joy, peace and hope. Do not become hopeless. Do not give up. Do not become tired of living the kingdom life, of being the salt and light of the world. As kingdom people you have incredible power. “Be strong and very courageous…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Jos 1:7,9).

Take this promise of God seriously, and live by it.