Together # 44
A Together of Involvement in the World
A Together of Involvement in the World
Be Salt Together in a Bland, Tasteless World
copyright by Dick Wulf, 2018
Make life better for those who do not believe. Go to secular society with God's demonstration of mercy. Alleviate human misery in God's power.
Matt 5:13; Luke 6:35; John 17:18; Heb 13:13-16; 1 Peter 2:12
In what is called the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13) He is not calling one of us the salt of the earth, but all of us together.
There are a number of reasons why we are not whisked away to heaven the moment we believe and become citizens of heaven. The main reason is that this sinful environment is necessary for God to mold us into the image of His Son.
God knew them before he made the world [For those whom he foreknew…], ·and he chose them […he also predestined/chose beforehand] to be ·like [molded to the pattern of; conformed to the image of] his Son . . . .
Romans 8:29a (Expanded Bible)
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Another reason is that God wants to love and help mankind. He generously shows grace to those who do not believe. And, often He does this through us. As such, we are to be the salt of the world.
To glorify God, Christians have a critical responsibility to positively impact secular society. It is tragic for the culture to be without Christian influence. Christians are to impact society together for the overall good. They are not to just watch out for their own good and get the reputation of being self-centered and self-serving. Those outside of the faith may live for themselves, but we are to live for God and His desires.
Furthermore, it is by being useful to those outside the faith that Christians earn the right to evangelize. If we do not prove ourselves useful on the turf of our non-Christian counterparts, why would they listen to our witness or think that we have anything to offer them? We have to at least outdistance nonbelievers in loving actions to gain their ear. Two or more people loving and serving in the Lord’s name by the power of the Holy Spirit can get some really good things done and catch the attention of non-Christians.
We are certainly called as individuals to be the salt of the earth. But, in the context of Scripture, the Lord’s wish is that we be salt together. This is our concern here. And, while we are to have the effect of salt in our churches and parachurch organizations, it is the unique and specific ways that we can be salt to the unbelieving society in our Christian friendships, families and marriages that is the focus of Jesus. We are to be very valuable and almost indispensable within secular situations. We are to make life better for those outside the faith. And, we are empowered by God to do this.
We are not talking about what one grain of salt can do, nor what a whole salt shaker can accomplish, but what a few salt crystals can do. And, it is not a coincidence that the way we use salt is not one crystal at a time and not the whole salt shaker either.
Salt preserves things. Salt makes things taste better. That is why it has been so cherished over the centuries. Salt was so valuable that it was once used as currency in Africa. Rome built roads just to transport it. And gold was traded in the 6th century for salt, weight for weight.
Being salt is different than being “the light of the world”. Being light relates to sharing the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ and is another of the 65 Togethers. However, being the salt of the earth often opens the opportunity for us to be the light of the world. Evangelism without service can be effective, but many people need to be impressed with the results of Christianity before they are interested in Christian truth.
Whenever and wherever we find ourselves the only Christian around, we are to be salt. One salt crystal can have quite an impact on a small portion of food. Realizing that I am to be the salt of the earth in my personal sphere, I took cookies and a thank-you note to the staff at the radiation center where I was being treated for cancer. I noticed the monotony of the work the staff had to do day after day. And, they were always rushed. The Lord wanted me to make their life a little better, and, while I could do little, I could express thanks for all of us who they helped each week.
If one of us is the only Christian on a team at work, we are to make life better for the others. Our most powerful tool to do so is the selfless love God provides through the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In this individual application of salt we each can be the one who cares the most for the welfare of the others on the work team, goes for coffee when all the others are too tired to do so, always compliments rather than discourages others - and the list could go on and on.
However, two Christians on that work team, of, say, eight people, can make team life and production much better than can a lone Christian. The synergy between two or three Christians on a team of eight makes them capable of truly improving the team environment, if not the company’s product.
One Christian can be very helpful because of that person’s relationship with the God of the universe. Yet, two or three with Jesus in the special presence He promises (Matthew 18:20) would be more helpful than that lone Christian or two or three non-Christians.
The world has a great number of wonderful people, each of them making things better for others. It is prideful to consider Christians better than non-Christians. Unless Christians are in real fellowship with Jesus and letting the Holy Spirit evidence His fruit (Gal 5:23-23), two or three devout Muslims or Hindus or Buddhists are probably as good as we are. They are good-hearted people who can run food banks as well as we can. Let’s not fool ourselves in this.
It is Jesus who makes our “two or three” great salt. A Christian friendship without conscious awareness of Jesus’ presence will be slightly more helpful to a hurting world than a Muslim friendship because Jesus will be there but not much considered. But a Christian friendship consciously and obediently aware that Jesus is there and in charge (Jesus is Lord) is far more helpful to secular situations than any other friendship. Jesus can tell that friendship what is most needed and provide the Holy Spirit to empower the required action.
The small relationships of Christian friendships, Christian families and Christian marriages with Jesus can make the situations of the world and its secular people really better. But, to do so, we need to make sure that we do not isolate ourselves from nonbelievers. We can avoid them. And, we can also ignore secular people when we are in the midst of them. But, then we cannot be the salt of the earth.
And, if we bring our faith into these relationships only superficially, our Christian friendships, families and marriages will be tragically indistinguishable from secular counterparts. When this is so, we are not making life better for others in the way only God can. We may be helpful, but we are not being the salt of the earth desired by Jesus.
We need to constantly consider that two or more of us are to be together in the name, authority, and power of Jesus and aware that He is with us as Savior and Lord. Then, from time to time that should make a huge difference in how we make this world a better place.
For example, if we are in a restaurant, is the only thing Jesus would have us do is pray before the meal? Often that is all, but we need to be listening to hear His silent voice tell us that the server needs kindness, a compliment, or encouragement. We can keep an upbeat countenance because Jesus is with us and His presence makes the fellowship and the witness of a redeemed life more important than bad food or poor food. In all such situations, we can notice if we can be of any help to someone as directed by Jesus.
Jesus with us and the Holy Spirit empowering us gives us all we need to see opportunities to be salt to a world that needs different values, different solutions, and biblical directions.
To glorify God, Christians have a critical responsibility to positively impact secular society. It is tragic for the culture to be without Christian influence. Christians are to impact society together for the overall good. They are not to just watch out for their own good and get the reputation of being self-centered and self-serving. Those outside of the faith may live for themselves, but we are to live for God and His desires.
Furthermore, it is by being useful to those outside the faith that Christians earn the right to evangelize. If we do not prove ourselves useful on the turf of our non-Christian counterparts, why would they listen to our witness or think that we have anything to offer them? We have to at least outdistance nonbelievers in loving actions to gain their ear. Two or more people loving and serving in the Lord’s name by the power of the Holy Spirit can get some really good things done and catch the attention of non-Christians.
We are certainly called as individuals to be the salt of the earth. But, in the context of Scripture, the Lord’s wish is that we be salt together. This is our concern here. And, while we are to have the effect of salt in our churches and parachurch organizations, it is the unique and specific ways that we can be salt to the unbelieving society in our Christian friendships, families and marriages that is the focus of Jesus. We are to be very valuable and almost indispensable within secular situations. We are to make life better for those outside the faith. And, we are empowered by God to do this.
We are not talking about what one grain of salt can do, nor what a whole salt shaker can accomplish, but what a few salt crystals can do. And, it is not a coincidence that the way we use salt is not one crystal at a time and not the whole salt shaker either.
Salt preserves things. Salt makes things taste better. That is why it has been so cherished over the centuries. Salt was so valuable that it was once used as currency in Africa. Rome built roads just to transport it. And gold was traded in the 6th century for salt, weight for weight.
Being salt is different than being “the light of the world”. Being light relates to sharing the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ and is another of the 65 Togethers. However, being the salt of the earth often opens the opportunity for us to be the light of the world. Evangelism without service can be effective, but many people need to be impressed with the results of Christianity before they are interested in Christian truth.
Whenever and wherever we find ourselves the only Christian around, we are to be salt. One salt crystal can have quite an impact on a small portion of food. Realizing that I am to be the salt of the earth in my personal sphere, I took cookies and a thank-you note to the staff at the radiation center where I was being treated for cancer. I noticed the monotony of the work the staff had to do day after day. And, they were always rushed. The Lord wanted me to make their life a little better, and, while I could do little, I could express thanks for all of us who they helped each week.
If one of us is the only Christian on a team at work, we are to make life better for the others. Our most powerful tool to do so is the selfless love God provides through the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In this individual application of salt we each can be the one who cares the most for the welfare of the others on the work team, goes for coffee when all the others are too tired to do so, always compliments rather than discourages others - and the list could go on and on.
However, two Christians on that work team, of, say, eight people, can make team life and production much better than can a lone Christian. The synergy between two or three Christians on a team of eight makes them capable of truly improving the team environment, if not the company’s product.
One Christian can be very helpful because of that person’s relationship with the God of the universe. Yet, two or three with Jesus in the special presence He promises (Matthew 18:20) would be more helpful than that lone Christian or two or three non-Christians.
The world has a great number of wonderful people, each of them making things better for others. It is prideful to consider Christians better than non-Christians. Unless Christians are in real fellowship with Jesus and letting the Holy Spirit evidence His fruit (Gal 5:23-23), two or three devout Muslims or Hindus or Buddhists are probably as good as we are. They are good-hearted people who can run food banks as well as we can. Let’s not fool ourselves in this.
It is Jesus who makes our “two or three” great salt. A Christian friendship without conscious awareness of Jesus’ presence will be slightly more helpful to a hurting world than a Muslim friendship because Jesus will be there but not much considered. But a Christian friendship consciously and obediently aware that Jesus is there and in charge (Jesus is Lord) is far more helpful to secular situations than any other friendship. Jesus can tell that friendship what is most needed and provide the Holy Spirit to empower the required action.
The small relationships of Christian friendships, Christian families and Christian marriages with Jesus can make the situations of the world and its secular people really better. But, to do so, we need to make sure that we do not isolate ourselves from nonbelievers. We can avoid them. And, we can also ignore secular people when we are in the midst of them. But, then we cannot be the salt of the earth.
And, if we bring our faith into these relationships only superficially, our Christian friendships, families and marriages will be tragically indistinguishable from secular counterparts. When this is so, we are not making life better for others in the way only God can. We may be helpful, but we are not being the salt of the earth desired by Jesus.
We need to constantly consider that two or more of us are to be together in the name, authority, and power of Jesus and aware that He is with us as Savior and Lord. Then, from time to time that should make a huge difference in how we make this world a better place.
For example, if we are in a restaurant, is the only thing Jesus would have us do is pray before the meal? Often that is all, but we need to be listening to hear His silent voice tell us that the server needs kindness, a compliment, or encouragement. We can keep an upbeat countenance because Jesus is with us and His presence makes the fellowship and the witness of a redeemed life more important than bad food or poor food. In all such situations, we can notice if we can be of any help to someone as directed by Jesus.
Jesus with us and the Holy Spirit empowering us gives us all we need to see opportunities to be salt to a world that needs different values, different solutions, and biblical directions.
For we are God’s handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Eph 2:10
created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Eph 2:10
Wherever we are, and especially in secular situations, we are the ones who have been created in Christ Jesus to not be selfishly competitive, stingy, gossipy, exclusive, slanderous, untruthful, self-focused, overly private, sneaky, vengeful – and the list could go on and on. Instead, we are to be the peacemakers, the ones who stay calm when attacked because of our security in God, the ones who return curses with blessings, the ones quick to forgive and start over with those who have hurt us, the ones who live for the values of heaven – and this list could also o on and on.
When a small group of Christian friends, a Christian family or a Christian marriage goes out of its way to make the life of an unbeliever or an unbelieving family or some aspect of secular society better, and they do it consistently, they will be powerful seasoning for a hurting and destructive culture.
However, when Jesus called us the “salt of the earth”, He did so with a warning that we can lose our saltiness and be good for nothing.
When a small group of Christian friends, a Christian family or a Christian marriage goes out of its way to make the life of an unbeliever or an unbelieving family or some aspect of secular society better, and they do it consistently, they will be powerful seasoning for a hurting and destructive culture.
However, when Jesus called us the “salt of the earth”, He did so with a warning that we can lose our saltiness and be good for nothing.
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
Matt 5:13 (ESV)
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We lose saltiness by watering down or drowning its impact by adding too many other things to the recipe. God’s people need to not dilute their saltiness, which means their love, their availability, their perspective of things from God’ frame of reference, and their message. In making things better, we need to be single-minded, doing things for the good of others and not for what we can get out of our effort.
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
Trish and Barbara were Christian neighbors in the apartment complex. They often saw Geraldine with her two kids coming and going. The language this mom used with her kids would make paint peel off walls. Geraldine was obviously a single mother who was struggling to keep her head above water. Her life appeared very, very busy and unpleasant.
At first, the two Christian friends avoided Geraldine and talked about her critically. They prayed for her but then agreed that Geraldine brought her problems on herself and asked for what she got. Then the Holy Spirit took hold of them. They realized that Jesus would not be so judgmental. He would not distance Himself from Geraldine, but would try to make her life easier. Slowly, but eventually, Trish and Barbara realized that they were to be the salt of the earth for Geraldine. With a renewed desire to become more like Jesus, they asked God how they could be of help and make Geraldine’s life easier. Both of them spent silent times listening for the Lord’s answer, speaking often with each other about what they were or were not hearing from Him. At first, the two friends were less than excited about what they heard Jesus saying to them. Jesus seemed to be saying to their spirits, “Geraldine has more on her plate than I want her to handle alone. I want the two of you to be friendly, but not necessarily close friends. Speak to her and carefully find out what burdens her the most. Then, as I have invited you to put your burdens on Me, offer to help her with her workload. It may be that you can regularly watch her kids and give her a break from 24-7 duty. One of her daughters is approaching teenage years and needs to have a different model of coping with life. Perhaps the two of you will be able to take her under your wings. For now, just get to know Geraldine and keep asking Me how you can do what I would do. By the way, I am delighted that you want to become more like Me.” |
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are full of examples of Jesus making life better for people in ways other than spiritual. He primarily healed people and occasionally fed them. He provided wine for a wedding when it ran out prematurely. But, it was the teachings and example of Jesus that paved the way for improvements in society and relationships with people. From the day He walked in sandals on Judean and Galilean roads until now, Jesus has changed societies. Even other religions teach His principles.
Remember that Jesus healed ten lepers but only one came back to thank Him. It was a shame, but let’s not overlook the fact that Jesus was glad to heal those who would not believe in him.
Remember that Jesus healed ten lepers but only one came back to thank Him. It was a shame, but let’s not overlook the fact that Jesus was glad to heal those who would not believe in him.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them
without expecting to get anything back.
Then your reward will be great,
and you will be children of the Most High,
because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Luke 6:35
without expecting to get anything back.
Then your reward will be great,
and you will be children of the Most High,
because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Luke 6:35
We can be like Jesus in being the salt of the earth. We can do loving things for people and be glad that we did, even if they are not appreciative. And, even if we cannot do miracles like Jesus did, we can reflect His heart and actions in helping others.
Ever appreciate how good it feels when a store clerk treats you pleasantly? Ever notice how unpleasant it is when a sales person treats you impersonally, like you are being served reluctantly? Fortunately, we have the opportunity to treat everyone tenderly without reluctance. We should be able to make encounters with us more pleasant and hopeful than most others. We have a future that is all good. Therefore, from that perspective we can be upbeat and cheerful with everyone, even the person in line with us in the busy grocery store. Everywhere we go, especially when we are with a few other Christians, we should be looking for opportunities to help other people and make their lives better.
In making life better for unbelievers, it helps to remember that this is the best life they will ever experience. On the other hand, this is the worst life we will ever experience. With this in mind, it should be easy to treat all others with kindness and God’s love.
Recently my wife Jean and I were visiting our daughter in New York City. We were at the very busy underground 34th Street subway station. We had just decided to change our itinerary and were looking at a subway map to see which train line we needed. A businessman approached us and asked if he could help us know how to get to our new destination. He amazingly sounded like he knew the whole subway system with all 421 stops. Right after he helped us and we were walking away, we could hear him asking someone else if they needed directions. He was a good lesson for being the salt of the earth and making life a little more tasteful.
Another important thing about being like Jesus as salt to a hurting world – He was at it continually. Here is where Christians and local churches have failed. We tie ourselves up with taking care of ourselves and hardly reserve any time or effort to make the world better for those who desperately need the salt of the earth.
I know a social worker in home health care who recently visited a poor man without resources who could only afford to rent a home with high steps to get in the front and back doors. He is in a wheelchair and has no way to go in and out of the home. He needs a ramp but has no money to purchase one. A few phone calls could find no help for this disabled person. But, what if Christians in his city spent just three or four hours a month being salt where it is most needed? How many helpless situations like this man faces would be remedied? Just think of the joy if Christians in churches were told that they should seek out hopeless situations and bring Jesus into them in the form of loving help through His people.
Let’s all grow in our likeness to Jesus Christ and respond to the needs of people. We can live in the power of the Holy Spirit and have the supernatural fruit of kindness, which can be defined as a readiness to be of service. Becoming more and more like Jesus is a great privilege. Let’s embrace it in being of significant use to secular society.
Opportunity to Worship God
Ever appreciate how good it feels when a store clerk treats you pleasantly? Ever notice how unpleasant it is when a sales person treats you impersonally, like you are being served reluctantly? Fortunately, we have the opportunity to treat everyone tenderly without reluctance. We should be able to make encounters with us more pleasant and hopeful than most others. We have a future that is all good. Therefore, from that perspective we can be upbeat and cheerful with everyone, even the person in line with us in the busy grocery store. Everywhere we go, especially when we are with a few other Christians, we should be looking for opportunities to help other people and make their lives better.
In making life better for unbelievers, it helps to remember that this is the best life they will ever experience. On the other hand, this is the worst life we will ever experience. With this in mind, it should be easy to treat all others with kindness and God’s love.
Recently my wife Jean and I were visiting our daughter in New York City. We were at the very busy underground 34th Street subway station. We had just decided to change our itinerary and were looking at a subway map to see which train line we needed. A businessman approached us and asked if he could help us know how to get to our new destination. He amazingly sounded like he knew the whole subway system with all 421 stops. Right after he helped us and we were walking away, we could hear him asking someone else if they needed directions. He was a good lesson for being the salt of the earth and making life a little more tasteful.
Another important thing about being like Jesus as salt to a hurting world – He was at it continually. Here is where Christians and local churches have failed. We tie ourselves up with taking care of ourselves and hardly reserve any time or effort to make the world better for those who desperately need the salt of the earth.
I know a social worker in home health care who recently visited a poor man without resources who could only afford to rent a home with high steps to get in the front and back doors. He is in a wheelchair and has no way to go in and out of the home. He needs a ramp but has no money to purchase one. A few phone calls could find no help for this disabled person. But, what if Christians in his city spent just three or four hours a month being salt where it is most needed? How many helpless situations like this man faces would be remedied? Just think of the joy if Christians in churches were told that they should seek out hopeless situations and bring Jesus into them in the form of loving help through His people.
Let’s all grow in our likeness to Jesus Christ and respond to the needs of people. We can live in the power of the Holy Spirit and have the supernatural fruit of kindness, which can be defined as a readiness to be of service. Becoming more and more like Jesus is a great privilege. Let’s embrace it in being of significant use to secular society.
Opportunity to Worship God
God looked from heaven and felt worshiped by the Alvarez family. They were acting like Him.
Living in a slum in Mexico City is all that the Alvarez family knows. They have never traveled outside of the city limits – ever. But, they feel that they have all the world God wants for them. They do well with what they can get their hands on. Everyone around them struggles to find food and shelter. Most of them are discouraged or feel cheated by life. However, the Alvarez’s have Jesus living with them. They do not just focus on Him when they go to their Catholic church on Sunday and holidays. They are quite conscious that their Savior is in the house with them, actually living in them and expressing Himself through them. They let Jesus show them the world that He sees. Through their mind’s eyes the Alvarez family sees people whose difficult life without Jesus is paradoxically the very best life they will ever have. And they know that this simple, impoverished life is the worst they will ever have, that eventually they will all live in heaven, never to have to wonder about food, shelter and clothing ever again. And, so, having already shared the gospel with their neighbors to no avail, the Alvarez family has decided to try to make life better for their neighbors by spreading their more positive attitude about present life. Every week in a family meeting they pick a new thing to thank God for and then during the week to speak with others of this. For example, a butterfly entered the slum and that became the wonderful thing for that week. They talked as a family about the insect’s beauty, thanked God for its fly-by, and then went around telling others about the gorgeous butterfly they saw and how creative God was in designing its wings. Each week something different, things like a person with a good sense of humor, a warm and pleasant day, a soccer ball, the beauty in people’s eyes – all the good things God has given them in the slum. |
God is gracious to nonbelievers. He sends sun and rain and many other good things to all people. Additionally, God shows grace to the non-believing world through the good acts of His own people.
What a privilege to be the vehicles through which God gives grace to everyone. What a privilege to be empowered by God to reflect His nature, reflection that is deep worship.
Whenever we treat others better than they deserve, we insert God’s type of grace into relationships, organizations and situations. Others might not acknowledge it, but that does not take away its greatest value as worship in the form of reflecting back to God His own character. And, it is best when our generous, gracious behavior is not acknowledged so that our own pride or needs for affirmation do not reduce or cancel out the worship.
Nonbelievers often look to God to make things better, even if they do not really believe in Him. Let’s not disappoint them whenever we can show them help from God.
What a privilege to be the vehicles through which God gives grace to everyone. What a privilege to be empowered by God to reflect His nature, reflection that is deep worship.
Whenever we treat others better than they deserve, we insert God’s type of grace into relationships, organizations and situations. Others might not acknowledge it, but that does not take away its greatest value as worship in the form of reflecting back to God His own character. And, it is best when our generous, gracious behavior is not acknowledged so that our own pride or needs for affirmation do not reduce or cancel out the worship.
Nonbelievers often look to God to make things better, even if they do not really believe in Him. Let’s not disappoint them whenever we can show them help from God.
Live such good lives among the pagans 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 2:12
though they accuse you of doing wrong,
they may see your good deeds
and glorify God on the day he visits us.
1 Peter 2:12
God looks down from heaven and sends His help, such as rain to grow crops and sunshine for warmth. To be like Him, which is worship, we can evaluate our neighborhoods and workplaces for where something is needed that we can provide. If we find a single mom struggling to raise her kids, get everything done, and keep her energy and morale high, all sorts of bells should ring to the many possibilities to be the salt of the earth to her. Just one Christian friendship group, one Christian family or one Christian marriage can make her life so much better. They can fix a broken fence, babysit the kids to give the single mom a break to rest, provide a meal every Tuesday evening, tutor the kids – and the list could go on and on. Those being the salt would find great meaning, satisfaction, and joy in so doing.
When will pastors start preaching beyond doctrine and Bible stories to application of those very passages that teach their people to be the salt of the earth? When will they tell church members that they should be spending as much time being the salt of the earth to those outside the faith as they spend in church activities? If you look at Jesus to know about God, then you see that He spent a hundred times more hours and days helping people than being in the synagogue. Jesus worshiped God by being about His Father’s business – and that was caring for people and helping them.
Let’s worship that way too!
God has given us power in our Christian friendships, Christian families, and Christian marriages to be the salt of the earth. When we make life better for those who do not believe in Him, we worship God by reflecting back to Him his own gracious love. Let’s remember that being the salt of the earth is worship, worship that can bring glory to God all week long.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
When will pastors start preaching beyond doctrine and Bible stories to application of those very passages that teach their people to be the salt of the earth? When will they tell church members that they should be spending as much time being the salt of the earth to those outside the faith as they spend in church activities? If you look at Jesus to know about God, then you see that He spent a hundred times more hours and days helping people than being in the synagogue. Jesus worshiped God by being about His Father’s business – and that was caring for people and helping them.
Let’s worship that way too!
God has given us power in our Christian friendships, Christian families, and Christian marriages to be the salt of the earth. When we make life better for those who do not believe in Him, we worship God by reflecting back to Him his own gracious love. Let’s remember that being the salt of the earth is worship, worship that can bring glory to God all week long.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
Greg and Robin live next door to Mary and George and have had them over for a meal a couple of times. Mary and George have reciprocated. The couples are not close friends, but they are good neighbors.
Greg and Robin have often talked with each other about how materialistic are George and Mary. In particular, they have seen how George as a salesman misleads people to sell used cars. Concerned that the devil is hurting many people through the sale of substandard cars, Greg and Robin begin to wonder how they might be salt of the earth for Jesus’ sake with regard to the values and actions in which Satan has trapped George and Mary. Greg and Robin developed a plan they considered consistent with Scripture. It will take a while, but they are first going to challenge through their own personal example and testimony to expose the dangers of making possessions a big part of the “happiness package”. Once George and Mary begin to make statements showing that they are becoming less trapped by wanting the most money they can get their hands on, they will begin to show George that he can be more honest about the used cars he sells. In a most subtle way, of course. |
Since Satan does much to destroy the ease of living, being the salt of the earth involves constantly doing battle with the devil. Hardly a day goes by that we do not come up against some way the evil one has made things hard or ugly. Being the salt of the earth means that almost every day we can defeat evil by making some situation better.
Satan is called the Father of Lies. Where many tell lies and partial truths, let’s spread the salt of open honesty. The evil one is exposed in Scripture as a deceiver. Let’s not stretch the truth or follow the world’s misleading methods, so often seen in advertising. Let’s not misrepresent anything. Let’s not even misrepresent ourselves as righteous people, only sort of good people because of our salvation in Jesus from sin and death. Let’s give unbelievers the true picture that we are all sinners who need to trust God who can save us through Jesus’ death on the cross.
This is a difficult world to live in. Non-Christians do not have the power of God within them to face the problems of our decadent society. We, on the other hand, have God’s help to give them. We can at least pray on their behalf. And often we can serve them in some way.
The kind of help we can give might be as simple as raking leaves. But there are many deeper needs such as providing advice for dealing with rebellious teenagers, sharing food with an unemployed family, helping watch a sick person through a medical crisis, helping a single parent budget resources, or taking food when a family is overwhelmed. There are thousands of possible ways that individuals and families in the community might need loving Christian care of one kind or the other. All involve biblical love, which is self-denial for the good of others. All glorify God.
All of the things mentioned can be given others by non-Christians. Satan loves it when they do so because they do not do them to glorify God. But when we do those things, we can do it to glorify Him. And this we must, because at the heart of the devil’s intentions is to rob God of glory. The devil loves it when God’s own people do good things for others to gain something for themselves, especially if they think they are earning God’s favor and salvation. So, when we are letting God work through us to be the salt of the earth, let’s not feed our own reputation as much as rejoice in bringing glory to God, making his kingdom come a little more on earth as it is in heaven.
Large groups and churches are expected to do good things. They get noticed and are appreciated by non-Christians. But they are not unusual because there are secular organizations doing similar things. Secular people expect churches to help. Yet, because it is not usual for friendship groups, families and marriages to consistently go out of their way for others, the good deeds of Christian friendship groups, Christian families and Christian couples are seen as personal rather than institutional. These more personal acts of service can open doors to the gospel.
The kinds of things that are not so noticed when done as church programs but surprisingly noticed if done by “private persons” include such things as cleaning up areas of litter, planting trees, fixing broken porches and stairs where the elderly live, helping to prevent drunk driving on Prom night, to name but a few of the unlimited possibilities.
Christian friendship groups, families and marriages that want to be obedient to this command to be salt should design a way they can be mobilized for the needs of non-Christians whenever they are discovered. They should be watching for friends at work or neighbors, as well as non-Christian relatives, who need some sort of help. Then, they should help in groups of at least two Christians.
Furthermore, there are times when quick action is needed and church bureaucracy is too slow. Spontaneity is more possible in Christian friendship groups, families and couples than in organizations like churches. Often help can be mobilized at a moment’s notice. A need of an individual or a community leader who has to find help for someone right away can be responded to in a more timely manner. Also, Christian friendships, Christian families, and Christian marriages with Jesus can be on call at their church for when the pastor needs Christians to respond right away.
Every Christian should care deeply about a number of non-Christians with whom they have some sort of relationship. We are to love them, denying ourselves for God's will in each situation. Their needs can be addressed and their lives made better. The Christian friendship group, family or marriage is the perfect size for being the salt of the earth for most needs of individuals and families.
As salt terminates garden slugs, so does our kind of salt kill many of the slimy actions of Satan.
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
Satan is called the Father of Lies. Where many tell lies and partial truths, let’s spread the salt of open honesty. The evil one is exposed in Scripture as a deceiver. Let’s not stretch the truth or follow the world’s misleading methods, so often seen in advertising. Let’s not misrepresent anything. Let’s not even misrepresent ourselves as righteous people, only sort of good people because of our salvation in Jesus from sin and death. Let’s give unbelievers the true picture that we are all sinners who need to trust God who can save us through Jesus’ death on the cross.
This is a difficult world to live in. Non-Christians do not have the power of God within them to face the problems of our decadent society. We, on the other hand, have God’s help to give them. We can at least pray on their behalf. And often we can serve them in some way.
The kind of help we can give might be as simple as raking leaves. But there are many deeper needs such as providing advice for dealing with rebellious teenagers, sharing food with an unemployed family, helping watch a sick person through a medical crisis, helping a single parent budget resources, or taking food when a family is overwhelmed. There are thousands of possible ways that individuals and families in the community might need loving Christian care of one kind or the other. All involve biblical love, which is self-denial for the good of others. All glorify God.
All of the things mentioned can be given others by non-Christians. Satan loves it when they do so because they do not do them to glorify God. But when we do those things, we can do it to glorify Him. And this we must, because at the heart of the devil’s intentions is to rob God of glory. The devil loves it when God’s own people do good things for others to gain something for themselves, especially if they think they are earning God’s favor and salvation. So, when we are letting God work through us to be the salt of the earth, let’s not feed our own reputation as much as rejoice in bringing glory to God, making his kingdom come a little more on earth as it is in heaven.
Large groups and churches are expected to do good things. They get noticed and are appreciated by non-Christians. But they are not unusual because there are secular organizations doing similar things. Secular people expect churches to help. Yet, because it is not usual for friendship groups, families and marriages to consistently go out of their way for others, the good deeds of Christian friendship groups, Christian families and Christian couples are seen as personal rather than institutional. These more personal acts of service can open doors to the gospel.
The kinds of things that are not so noticed when done as church programs but surprisingly noticed if done by “private persons” include such things as cleaning up areas of litter, planting trees, fixing broken porches and stairs where the elderly live, helping to prevent drunk driving on Prom night, to name but a few of the unlimited possibilities.
Christian friendship groups, families and marriages that want to be obedient to this command to be salt should design a way they can be mobilized for the needs of non-Christians whenever they are discovered. They should be watching for friends at work or neighbors, as well as non-Christian relatives, who need some sort of help. Then, they should help in groups of at least two Christians.
Furthermore, there are times when quick action is needed and church bureaucracy is too slow. Spontaneity is more possible in Christian friendship groups, families and couples than in organizations like churches. Often help can be mobilized at a moment’s notice. A need of an individual or a community leader who has to find help for someone right away can be responded to in a more timely manner. Also, Christian friendships, Christian families, and Christian marriages with Jesus can be on call at their church for when the pastor needs Christians to respond right away.
Every Christian should care deeply about a number of non-Christians with whom they have some sort of relationship. We are to love them, denying ourselves for God's will in each situation. Their needs can be addressed and their lives made better. The Christian friendship group, family or marriage is the perfect size for being the salt of the earth for most needs of individuals and families.
As salt terminates garden slugs, so does our kind of salt kill many of the slimy actions of Satan.
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
The leadership of Castle Creek Baptist Church (CCBC) decided last year that they want to help their members prepare for the next life. Realizing that so many of their members were in their last ten to twenty years of life, it was decided that instead of merely helping them face end-of-life issues, there was something much more positive on which to focus. They wondered what the effect would be of emphasizing the exciting life that awaits all Christians on the other side of death.
Realizing that knowing about heaven was important, CCBC leadership started a program that meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10:30, a time convenient for most seniors and a frequency that indicated the critical importance of preparing for heaven. First priority was a Bible study on what can be known about heaven using the materials of Randy Alcorn. Then careful effort was made to help everyone establish a long-term friendship group of from 4 to 6 seniors, incorporating those who could not attend the program meetings. The objective was to create the biblical relationships and interactions that bring forth qualities that enhance life in heaven. These friendship groups would be the crucibles for transformation into exceptional Christlikeness that would glorify God now and prepare for life after death. But, then, after these small friendship groups of seniors became established, they were given the opportunity to be the salt of the earth in their final days. Each group set aside time when they could come together to help through advice from their life experiences anyone referred to them by the pastors or any of the church members. Soon, neighbors, friends at work, and relatives of church members were coming for advice on how to handle many of life’s challenges, including establishing a budget, buying a home, not wasting money, child care problems, and who knows what else. These seniors had been down the road of life and could share wisdom learned in the “school of hard knocks”. |
In heaven, we will continue to make the lives of others better. We will enjoy helping others to the extent that we now become like Jesus in how he served others. We won’t need each others’ help to deal with bad things as we do presently because heaven will only be wonderful. But, we will still have never-ending opportunities to help. What makes us think that we won’t need each others’ help in heaven to launch a huge yacht on a beautiful lake or throw a big celebration?
We prepare to automatically help others in the trouble-free heaven by learning to automatically be salt in the hard environment in which we now live. Think how easy it is to cook on a modern stove if you previously cooked on a wood stove. Or consider how easy it is to be understanding and help someone we love who has made a mistake if we are already in the habit of helping those with whom we do not have a special relationship who have made mistakes.
Within the citizens of heaven, all saved by God’s grace through the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross, will be those who were very horrible people. Who will have the spiritual qualifications to minister to their needs? Even though they will not be sinning any more, they will have been murderers, rapists, molesters, human traffickers, thieves, and other disgusting types of people. When they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, they became new creatures in Christ.
Some Christians will have still kept their distance from these types of Christians whose sin debt was so great. They will not have been taught the parable where two debtors, one with a small debt and the other with a large debt, were both equally forgiven.
We prepare to automatically help others in the trouble-free heaven by learning to automatically be salt in the hard environment in which we now live. Think how easy it is to cook on a modern stove if you previously cooked on a wood stove. Or consider how easy it is to be understanding and help someone we love who has made a mistake if we are already in the habit of helping those with whom we do not have a special relationship who have made mistakes.
Within the citizens of heaven, all saved by God’s grace through the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross, will be those who were very horrible people. Who will have the spiritual qualifications to minister to their needs? Even though they will not be sinning any more, they will have been murderers, rapists, molesters, human traffickers, thieves, and other disgusting types of people. When they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, they became new creatures in Christ.
Some Christians will have still kept their distance from these types of Christians whose sin debt was so great. They will not have been taught the parable where two debtors, one with a small debt and the other with a large debt, were both equally forgiven.
Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?
Luke 7:41,42 (The Message Bible)
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Even though these Christians with horrible resumes of detestable actions are most likely more thankful for their salvation, too many of us consider ourselves to be more righteous and look down on them. While this is wrong, it is understandable. Yet, there will be those who are not judgmental of them and accept that God has in Jesus declared them guilty no more. They will serve them and teach them and love them for who they have become in Christ.
It is very likely that these same Christians who open their arms wide to those who once were so bad are also the saltiest ones. They probably have mixed themselves into secular activities and situations to bring Jesus and His ministry to make the lives of unbelievers better.
In heaven, who will have the spiritual qualities and skills on their resumes for the Lord of Heaven to assign tasks of deep love for serving these saved murderers and rapists? Will that be an assignment that can only be given those Christians who before death were salt of the earth to the worst kinds of people? It seems likely.
The more unpleasant people we can help in this life before death, the more we will enjoy helping all of the kinds of people later in heaven. To prepare for heaven, we should pitch in to help life be better for increasingly objectionable and undeserving people. If we can already easily help someone who is nice but less fortunate, then let’s learn to help those who are less fortunate and do horrible things.
Let’s evaluate our readiness to serve a hurting society, even a mean society. Let’s help each other in our Christian friendships, families and marriages to get over any resistance to lending a hand to those outside the faith. Let’s get over thinking that they created their own problems and don’t deserve our help. Of course, they don’t deserve our help. That’s the whole point of grace!
Let’s strive for positions in heaven that find us able to serve with open hearts all of the citizens of heaven. Being able to be salt to a fallen world and its worst proponents will train us for some of the most intense loving ministries in heaven.
How this Together Can Make it Really Good in Heaven
It is very likely that these same Christians who open their arms wide to those who once were so bad are also the saltiest ones. They probably have mixed themselves into secular activities and situations to bring Jesus and His ministry to make the lives of unbelievers better.
In heaven, who will have the spiritual qualities and skills on their resumes for the Lord of Heaven to assign tasks of deep love for serving these saved murderers and rapists? Will that be an assignment that can only be given those Christians who before death were salt of the earth to the worst kinds of people? It seems likely.
The more unpleasant people we can help in this life before death, the more we will enjoy helping all of the kinds of people later in heaven. To prepare for heaven, we should pitch in to help life be better for increasingly objectionable and undeserving people. If we can already easily help someone who is nice but less fortunate, then let’s learn to help those who are less fortunate and do horrible things.
Let’s evaluate our readiness to serve a hurting society, even a mean society. Let’s help each other in our Christian friendships, families and marriages to get over any resistance to lending a hand to those outside the faith. Let’s get over thinking that they created their own problems and don’t deserve our help. Of course, they don’t deserve our help. That’s the whole point of grace!
Let’s strive for positions in heaven that find us able to serve with open hearts all of the citizens of heaven. Being able to be salt to a fallen world and its worst proponents will train us for some of the most intense loving ministries in heaven.
How this Together Can Make it Really Good in Heaven
When Howie entered heaven he was confused about a lot of things. There was so much in heaven that he did not know about before. He immediately knew that he would never come to the end of knowing God and all the possibilities that heaven contained.
Then, almost immediately, people came up to help him. Someone was always there when Howie needed to know anything to enjoy heaven. It was so amazing that Howey asked why they were so available to him. The answer was always that before death they enjoyed helping make life better for those who had made such a mess of life. In short, they had really enjoyed being the salt of the earth. |
When we get to heaven, we will be helped to enjoy it. Someone will likely explain the ways of doing things there. How great it will be to live forever with only helpful people.
Those helping us will be those who can do it joyfully. If before death they had to be salt in the midst of a mean-spirited family, for example, they will be ecstatic to help the sinless people in heaven. What a joy it will be for them. We can experience that kind of joy in heaven if we now help others who do not treat us right, or are not thankful, or take advantage of us, or are unpleasant or mean in some other way.
So in heaven we can have great joy in helping and in being helped. Receiving help from those who really enjoy helping us will be tremendous. And, helping others who appreciate our help will be wonderful.
But some of us will have had the opportunities given us by God to be salt to the people who have done unacceptable, even horrible things. At one end of this outstanding love is the Christian who continues to try to help a person who has abandoned his or her marriage. On the other end is the person who is available to help someone who has broken the law in some violent way.
Imagine, and this is pure speculation from which we might spiritually benefit, that in heaven God wants to have a special school to develop the spirits of past murderers, molesters, and rapists. Although they are no longer guilty or contaminated, having been cleansed in the blood of Jesus, they will need to expand their purity, especially if they died within ten years of coming to Christ. So, God has ordained some of us to serve in this school. Therefore, he will place into our lives the opportunity to come across and serve a terrible person, possibly a murderer or rapist or human trafficker. God will hope that we will see His assignment and open our hearts and minds to this person. That is because He hopes to place us as teachers in this school in heaven for saved souls from horrible sinfulness.
Having painted a possible picture of God’s preparation of each of us for someplace He would like us to serve in heaven, let’s look at another, more likely, scenario for some of us. Perhaps there will be a similar school for helping those whose loyalty to God and their spouses and families was deficient. They will enter heaven with spirits undeveloped in loyalty. In heaven they will not be tempted to be disloyal, just not have very high loyalty. As such, they will have to be given rewards of service not requiring high loyalty skillfulness.
This should not be a foreign concept to us. An embezzler has been to prison, accepted Christ, and become reformed. Even so, he or she will not be given a job handling money. Perhaps in time that will happen, after a long period of developing the right kind of values and proving trustworthiness. This period of time would be like the hypothetical school in heaven I am proposing is likely.
So, who might God be developing to teach in the School of Loyalty in heaven? Might it be someone in whom He saw loyalty and then allowed Satan to tempt with an attractive person to see if that person will stay loyal to his or her spouse? This, too, is likely.
Each of us with regard to being salt in the world should pay attention to the people and situations to which God leads us. He is probably trying to shape us into a job He wants us to do in heaven. Becoming more and more salty to the world is God molding us into the image of His Son. Willingly being salt to the people and situations to which God calls us is taking that image of His Son and refining it for a life of service in heaven.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Eternity
Those helping us will be those who can do it joyfully. If before death they had to be salt in the midst of a mean-spirited family, for example, they will be ecstatic to help the sinless people in heaven. What a joy it will be for them. We can experience that kind of joy in heaven if we now help others who do not treat us right, or are not thankful, or take advantage of us, or are unpleasant or mean in some other way.
So in heaven we can have great joy in helping and in being helped. Receiving help from those who really enjoy helping us will be tremendous. And, helping others who appreciate our help will be wonderful.
But some of us will have had the opportunities given us by God to be salt to the people who have done unacceptable, even horrible things. At one end of this outstanding love is the Christian who continues to try to help a person who has abandoned his or her marriage. On the other end is the person who is available to help someone who has broken the law in some violent way.
Imagine, and this is pure speculation from which we might spiritually benefit, that in heaven God wants to have a special school to develop the spirits of past murderers, molesters, and rapists. Although they are no longer guilty or contaminated, having been cleansed in the blood of Jesus, they will need to expand their purity, especially if they died within ten years of coming to Christ. So, God has ordained some of us to serve in this school. Therefore, he will place into our lives the opportunity to come across and serve a terrible person, possibly a murderer or rapist or human trafficker. God will hope that we will see His assignment and open our hearts and minds to this person. That is because He hopes to place us as teachers in this school in heaven for saved souls from horrible sinfulness.
Having painted a possible picture of God’s preparation of each of us for someplace He would like us to serve in heaven, let’s look at another, more likely, scenario for some of us. Perhaps there will be a similar school for helping those whose loyalty to God and their spouses and families was deficient. They will enter heaven with spirits undeveloped in loyalty. In heaven they will not be tempted to be disloyal, just not have very high loyalty. As such, they will have to be given rewards of service not requiring high loyalty skillfulness.
This should not be a foreign concept to us. An embezzler has been to prison, accepted Christ, and become reformed. Even so, he or she will not be given a job handling money. Perhaps in time that will happen, after a long period of developing the right kind of values and proving trustworthiness. This period of time would be like the hypothetical school in heaven I am proposing is likely.
So, who might God be developing to teach in the School of Loyalty in heaven? Might it be someone in whom He saw loyalty and then allowed Satan to tempt with an attractive person to see if that person will stay loyal to his or her spouse? This, too, is likely.
Each of us with regard to being salt in the world should pay attention to the people and situations to which God leads us. He is probably trying to shape us into a job He wants us to do in heaven. Becoming more and more salty to the world is God molding us into the image of His Son. Willingly being salt to the people and situations to which God calls us is taking that image of His Son and refining it for a life of service in heaven.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Eternity
In heaven, Jesus decides to visit people who, working in teams, are particularly joyful to help others take advantage of his never-ending paradise. In his mind’s eye the Lord sees Ramesh and Nils helping a group find their way to a waterfall. Jesus feels especially close to these two Christians originally from India and Sweden.
You can only imagine how wonderful that visit was for Nils and Ramesh - and for Jesus. |
In heaven when we commune with God, there can be a special bond to the extent that we made life better for those who were outside of the faith. God will have done the same. We both will have shared generously with those who did not deserve it, but just needed it.
God will love all citizens of heaven unconditionally, but He will feel closer to those who were loyal to His assignment to make life better for everyone around them, especially those who did not believe in Him. Therefore, being the salt of the earth is a valuable opportunity for a closer relationship with God throughout eternity.
There will be in heaven those who before death were severely harmed by evil. God will have saved them and want them to be taken care of in heaven with utmost compassion. Those qualified to work with them will be greatly appreciated by both God the Father and Jesus the Son.
If a father or mother brings home a stray dog and one of the children bends over backwards to take care of it until its owner is found, that parent will appreciate that child immensely. If that is true for a dog, imagine how much God will appreciate the citizens of heaven who take care of those who suffered under the most terrible curses of evil before He rescued them.
To attain the closest relationship with God for all eternity that we can, let’s really focus on being the salt of the earth now before death makes it too late.
Praise & Prayer Regarding this Together
Dear Lord who makes our lives so much better than we deserve, I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to enrich lives and the world we inhabit. Help us to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit for all of us to give You more glory in the way we are Your salt in a hurting world and make life better for those outside of the faith.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus and insert God’s grace into the world around us. Just as Jesus has changed the world for the good of outsiders, just as His teachings have generated many good and humanitarian efforts by those who are not Christians, help us to promote Your good in our communities and not avoid secular situations. Just as Jesus did not fail when he healed ten lepers and only one responded spiritually, so let us do good and not judge ourselves if not many people come to belief in You by our efforts to improve their lives. Empower us to be salt for You and exclusively for your glory and joy.
May our lives worship You more because we, like You, Father, are gracious to those who do not believe. Let us find joy in treating people better than they deserve from worldly standards because they are Your creations and You want them to feel Your love.
Since every day the devil has made many things difficult, hurtful or evil, make us strong in Your power to defeat him and make some situation better daily. And, to distinguish ourselves from outsiders who also do good, let make things better in Your name and for Your joy. We want to and will with the help of the Holy Spirit show the devil that his evil intentions have actually led to You being more glorified, what is the very thing Satan does not want.
Help us all to prepare for heaven by growing more completely to be salt in this sin-contaminated earth as practice for enriching the lives of others in heaven where it will be so much easier and we will not have to eliminate sin. This, in turn, will enlarge our spirits to experience the joy of being salt in heaven.
God will love all citizens of heaven unconditionally, but He will feel closer to those who were loyal to His assignment to make life better for everyone around them, especially those who did not believe in Him. Therefore, being the salt of the earth is a valuable opportunity for a closer relationship with God throughout eternity.
There will be in heaven those who before death were severely harmed by evil. God will have saved them and want them to be taken care of in heaven with utmost compassion. Those qualified to work with them will be greatly appreciated by both God the Father and Jesus the Son.
If a father or mother brings home a stray dog and one of the children bends over backwards to take care of it until its owner is found, that parent will appreciate that child immensely. If that is true for a dog, imagine how much God will appreciate the citizens of heaven who take care of those who suffered under the most terrible curses of evil before He rescued them.
To attain the closest relationship with God for all eternity that we can, let’s really focus on being the salt of the earth now before death makes it too late.
Praise & Prayer Regarding this Together
Dear Lord who makes our lives so much better than we deserve, I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to enrich lives and the world we inhabit. Help us to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit for all of us to give You more glory in the way we are Your salt in a hurting world and make life better for those outside of the faith.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus and insert God’s grace into the world around us. Just as Jesus has changed the world for the good of outsiders, just as His teachings have generated many good and humanitarian efforts by those who are not Christians, help us to promote Your good in our communities and not avoid secular situations. Just as Jesus did not fail when he healed ten lepers and only one responded spiritually, so let us do good and not judge ourselves if not many people come to belief in You by our efforts to improve their lives. Empower us to be salt for You and exclusively for your glory and joy.
May our lives worship You more because we, like You, Father, are gracious to those who do not believe. Let us find joy in treating people better than they deserve from worldly standards because they are Your creations and You want them to feel Your love.
Since every day the devil has made many things difficult, hurtful or evil, make us strong in Your power to defeat him and make some situation better daily. And, to distinguish ourselves from outsiders who also do good, let make things better in Your name and for Your joy. We want to and will with the help of the Holy Spirit show the devil that his evil intentions have actually led to You being more glorified, what is the very thing Satan does not want.
Help us all to prepare for heaven by growing more completely to be salt in this sin-contaminated earth as practice for enriching the lives of others in heaven where it will be so much easier and we will not have to eliminate sin. This, in turn, will enlarge our spirits to experience the joy of being salt in heaven.
Ever increasing practice of the Togethers of Scripture will (1) create in you the loving essence of Jesus, (2) give Jesus the kind of love He requested, (3) provide you with the most significant spiritual lifestyle which is attainable only through Christian community, (4) offer significant worship to God by reflecting his own character back to him through your behavior, and (5) bring God’s kingdom to earth as asked for in the Lord’s Prayer. And for heaven, such growing obedience to Scripture now will later (6) qualify you for a more responsible place of service as reward in heaven, and, (7) most important of all, give you greater empathy with God for a closer relationship with Him for all of eternity.