You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

                                                                                               Matthew 5:14-16

We have already seen that Jesus instructs us to be the salt of the earth by acting as a preservation agent to the culture. Now He uses the second of two word pictures describing our responsibility as believers. Jesus declares that we are the light of the world. Of course He is not referring to physical light rather spiritual light.

When examining physical light, I find it interesting that darkness cannot stand in the presence of light in any amount. Find the darkest of places and bring in a flashlight, the glow of a cell phone, or the smallest of pin lights and watch the darkness dispel. These physical observations assist us in understanding the importance of letting the light of our faith in Jesus shine. There seem to be some who spend most of their time yelling at the spiritual darkness in our world. But imagine how ineffective that strategy is when standing in a dark room. When we declare the room to be dark, we do absolutely nothing in conquering it. When we enter into spiritual warfare with only the ability to identify the darkness, we are helpless to better the situation. But when we bring the light of the gospel the darkness has to flee.

I believe that is why Jesus instructs us to let our light shine. He uses two examples to drive home this point with clarity. A city on a hill is visible from a great distance. Likewise, one doesn’t light a lamp only to cover it up with a basket. In other words, the purpose for the light being there is to illuminate the way for others. I have heard some say that their faith is a private matter. These people seem content to live their faith in silence. But this philosophy runs contrary to the instructions of Christ. It is every believer’s responsibility to live his/her Christian life out loud. Our mission is to preach the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). Having been reconciled to God ourselves, we are now to go and proclaim reconciliation to our fellow man (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Only when we determine to let our salvation shine will others be equipped to call on the same Lord for their justification.

Be a preserver of the culture by being the salt of the earth. Be an effective, fruitful believer by letting your light shine before others. While walking the road to eternal life, make a point to bring others with you!