| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net Resolved: Matt. 5:13-16 The world can be divided into but two kinds of people. A) those in Christ; the believers who in the beatitudes are called blessed–makarioi. They are in-dwelt by God because of Christ. They are identified by—realizing their spiritual helplessness, showing sorrow over sin, being meek or balanced between extremes, hungry for God’s righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, ridiculed, persecuted or slandered because of Christ. These are compared to Salt and Light. The other group B) consists of the unbelievers of this world. (Those in Adam) Proud, self-sufficient, and not recognizing their own unrighteousness before God. New Year's Resolution. The believer influences the unbelieving by what he Is not what he Has. A. Christ didn’t say you have salt and light, He said “ye are” salt and light. Your very presence in the “world” throws a big wrench into satan’s world system. What is salt/light? Salt is the condition, Light is the Mission. Salt adds flavor, preserves, melts cold, and heals. We are to shine forth. We are to expose. Psalm 94:17= “unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. Darkness is the absence of light. The smallest bit of light casts out darkness but/—. B) Being blessed means having God’s nature within. See 2nd Peter 1:4. We are no longer then fornicators, idolaters etc. 1st Cor. 6:9-10. Instead, we are: vs 11. Indeed, they are a peculiar people-Titus 2:14, who Are observed by the unbelieving world. Peculiar=periousios or “who constitute His possession.” The adjective for blessed/happy is makarios which means being fully satisfied/ Luke 9:25. Seeing the believers contentment despite loss, poverty, disappointment, physical suffering, causes the unbelievers to be amazed- 2nd Cor 6:10– see; in fact, it may cause them to see their own spiritual need; Rev. 3:17. The believer must interact Here to act as Salt and Light. Just as salt is from the earth, so are we earthly; 2nd Cor. 5:1. But in Christ, we become free from or victorious over sin and death; Rom. 8:2. Therefore, we can act as a preservative in a decaying world. If we lose our “Christ-likeness” our savor, we become useless. Likewise, the believer is light because Christ is the “light of the world”. (john 8:12) We can but reflect His light or none at all. We have been given “the ministry of reconciliation”. 2nd Cor 5:19. Happy New Year? |
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