The world I see is dark with injustice, greed, sexual filth, racial hatred, corrupt leaders, and misery! I am full of uncertainty about the future, apart from my hope in God. Life, in general, is not getting better and better in every way! The Scripture says that with the passing of time, "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—" (2 Timothy 3:2-4, NIV) True, isn’t it? So, do we say to society, by our actions, if not our words, “Just go to Hell, I cannot be bothered with you as I make my way to Heaven.” Can we, in good conscience, abandon the sinful society to ever greater decadence?
If that is our choice, we fail in our primary God-given mission and we are fools to blame the world for state it is in! Should we curse the darkness when we stumble over the furniture in the house at night, or should we blame ourselves for failing to turn on the light? If we leave food on the table, should we be angry that it spoils, or accept responsibility for not taking steps to preserve it? In the same way, we (the Church) must accept some responsibility for not functioning as ‘salt and light’ in the world. Jesus Christ charges His disciples to bring light to dark places and to preserve our world from the decay of decadence. “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:13-16, NLT)
Our tendency as disciples is to gather together in the comforting warmth of the holy huddle of our churches and schools. It’s safe and sweet to stay around those who revere the Lord and love His truth in the same way that we do. But, that is not the will of our Lord. He makes us all ministers and sends us all out to live ‘in the world’ even as we maintain a distinct quality of life that spreads the influence of the Kingdom! The all too frequent tragedy is that the society in which we live swallows us up as we compromise our faith in a vain effort to get along or as we allow ourselves to fall in love with the world, making it our home.
The Spirit-filled Christian lives with a constant tension of permeating his world and remaining distinct from it! Peter’s challenge captures that tension perfectly. "I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans (those who do not know God) that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Peter 2:11-12, NIV)
Disciple, we have the amazing privilege of sharing the Light and being preservative Salt until our Savior returns as King to fully restore all of Creation to the Creator’s intentions. Prayer, witness to the Truth, love, compassionate concern that compels us to get involved, and willingness to endure persecution are all part of our calling as we ‘go into all the world.’ We must never forget how our Lord finished that commission, ‘and I will be with you always!’
Here’s a word from the Word. I pray it stirs a new desire in us, not to curse the world around us for what it has become, but to stir ourselves to the work of being salt and light.
"Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:17-20, NLT)
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I invite you to pray with me....
Father in Heaven, sin is rampant.
Self and Satan are having a party, destroying lives
That are lived in a headlong pursuit of hedonistic pleasure.
Lord, sometimes what I see makes me angry.
Sometimes I grow afraid for I feel a strong pull of attraction,
a desire to join the party, forgetting You.
Hold me close to Your heart.
Help me to love You more, and break my heart
for those who have yet to come to know
peace with You, through Christ Jesus.
Make me wise with the discernment of the Spirit.
Fill me with the Love of Jesus Christ.
Set Heaven in my heart.
Then, I will live as a fearless ambassador,
who takes a message of reconciliation and redemption
into my world.
All this I ask in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
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