Dr. Woodrow Kroll, president of Back to the Bible International, wrote an article recently for “Bible Teaching for Confident Living” an official publication of Back to the Bible India.
I believe it to be worth reading writing to ponder over to this New Year.
He said,“The last two decades have shown how much the world needs the salt and light of Christians.”
“I was born in the 1940s and remember fondly the innocence of my youth. The 1950s was perhaps the more carefree decade in modern history. I spend my boyhood in that decade.
How things have changed in my lifetime! Instead of preserving life, some doctors have discovered a lucrative gold mine in killing children in the womb. Kids aren’t taking Bibles to school anymore; they are taking guns. Metal detectors used to be a novelty; now they are as common as an exit door.
Our society is disintegrating before our eyes. We act more like animal than animals do. Only a fool thinks that increased technology, leisure and education have done anything but produce well-educated, high-tech thugs with time on their hands.
Perhaps it’s time we reevaluated one aspect of Christ’s call to His followers. Maybe we should see the seasoning of our society as a missionary calling, just as much as taking the Gospel to a pagan society. After all, most “pagan” societies aren’t as pagan as we Westerners have become.”
As someone from the east, Dr. Kroll’s statements about the state of affairs in the west ring true because we are experiencing the same problems in the east.
A kind of fear and chaos prevails among the people irrespective of their position money or power.
Look at the political situation in our Andhra Pradesh, India. In that region, people lived in peace and harmony. Now they are divided into two groups and are warring against each other for separate states within their boundaries.
Sadly, this is a common phenomenon prevailing in India.
In all such situations, if we closely look we can see clear-cut evidence of avarice, jealousy and selfishness.
No doubt the desire for inordinate wealth is also a major reason behind such incidents.
As we, the believers in Christ, live among such people, we can play a major role here.
That role is of “the salt and light of this world.”
When Christ said this to His disciples, I believe He meant it in a literal sense.
One of the characteristics of salt is that it can preserve things from decaying, so we are to be the preservative in this decaying world.
Jesus also said that we are the light of the world. Our light indicates our true knowledge of God. We received this light by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.
And as the carriers of the wonderful light, we are to let this light shine through us so that people come in touch with us also will enjoy the true knowledge of God.
As our Lord said and desired, Let us be the salt and light to this decaying world.
May God bless.
It’s so true that Christians need to be both salt and light in the present world. But how to do it in practical terms, is the problem. Sermons don’t get people’s attention. Social works are done by different groups. Christians who get into politics tend to get corrupted by the system instead of influencing it. Many believers seem to have opted out and ‘separate’ themselves from ‘the world’ in order to maintain purity. And from that ‘safe haven’ throw stones at the devil’s kingdom. What is the solution?
Dear Sis,
thanks for the thought provoking comment. Yes, you raised here a wonderful and serious question, what is the solution to this, as Jesus Christ Said people like you and me are the only solution to this, let us be like salt and light, it will definitely do wonders. Let us hope for the best. let us pray for a better tomorrow. God bless.
phil
Great article, PV – And Ms. (or Mr.?) Jacob raises the question – How to be salt and light? The best example we can be is to walk the walk. A picture is worth 1,000 words. In person, I build relationships as often as possible and maintain patience until the time is right to talk about the Bible. In writing, I take every opportunity to gently convey biblical concepts while not doing what the “unchurched” call “spouting Bible verses”.
Thanks Sheryl, for the apt comment, Yes Malswami is Mrs. and is a poet/author and she blogs @ http://emystoryland.blogspot.com/
Best.
God Bless,
phil