by David Scott Robertson
"'[Jesus speaking] You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven'" (Matthew 5:13-1)
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1. Have you ever heard of a bird that's afraid of heights?
2. Have you ever heard of a cheetah that preferred walking to its prey instead of running?
3. Have you ever heard of a fish that didn't like swimming?
4. Have you ever heard of a Christian that was afraid to share their faith?
Why is it that first three statements seem abnormal to most of us while the fourth seems perfectly acceptable? How odd is must appear to God, who made birds, cheetahs, fish, and man, to see them acting contrary to His design for their lives!
Should not a Christian person sharing their faith in God with a friend be as natural as a fish in water? Why is it, then, that a zealous Christian who is outspoken about his or her faith intimidates the daylights out of most of us?
Are we under conviction or are we just lazy? Are we more afraid of offending someone than concerned for where they will spend eternity? If we feel ill prepared then why don't we prepare since we know that every day we will encounter lost people who need Jesus? Are we stuck in a mindset that it's the pastor's job to save the lost and not ours? Do we buy the lie the enemy sows into so many hearts that we can deal with this issue later, at a more convenient time?
Sharing the love of God with others should be the natural by-product of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It should also be an act of obedience to God's Great Commission:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).
If God has spoken to your heart is it only because He wants you to be encouraged? Or is it so that you can strengthen the faith of others by passing along an encouraging word?
If God has blessed you financially, is it so that you can invest and store up (for a time you may never see) or is it to release desperately needed funding into the kingdom of God?
If God has revealed a truth to you from the Bible, is it so you can hoard the pearl of wisdom for yourself or spread the wealth of revelation liberally to others?
If God has saved you, is it so that you can feel good about your "fire insurance policy" or could it be that you are the very worker that Jesus was referring to when He exhorted His disciples to pray for more laborers to be released into the harvest field?
"Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:37-38).
May I exhort you to be all that God has made you to be? He has made you to be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), a city set on a hill (Matthew 5:14), and a beacon of truth to a world darkened by sin (Matthew 5:16). The Holy Spirit will help you to share you faith in appropriate, respectful, caring, and loving way. God gave us the Law, the Ten Commandments, as a key to help sinners comprehend how miserably they have missed the mark of God's righteous standard. Bypassing intellectual arguments, the Law can be a tool to help the pre-saved see their great sin, their great death sentence, and their great destruction in a place the Bible calls hell.
At that time, it can be your privilege and mine to share the gloriously good news of the gospel that "…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Let's determine in our hearts to allow our very lives to become our statement of faith.
DSR
11/15/04