Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

¹⁵  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.

¹⁶  “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 5:13-16.  

We are the salt of the earth.  We are unique.  Believers should “stand out” as being different than the unbelievers.  But, individual believers should also “stand out” as being different from other believers. 

Salt flavors.  Salt makes one thirsty.  Salt preserves. 

Salt flavors.  ^“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;  to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.  And who is adequate for these things?”  2 Corinthians 2:15-16.

Salt preserves.  “So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.”  …  Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?”  And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.”  Genesis 18:26-32. 

However, too often, we want to be like everybody else.  We want to blend into the crowd. 

Or, we want to be like someone else.  Speaking about the members of the Body of Christ, “the ear” wants to be “the eye”.  “The eye” wants to be “the tongue” etc. 

“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.  For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.  For the body is not one member, but many.  If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.  And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?  But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.  If they were all one member, where would the body be?  But now there are many members, but one body.”  And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”  1 Corinthians 12:11-21.  

We are also the light of the world.  We are unique.  Believers should “stand out” as points of light in a dark world.  But, churches and denominations should also “stand out” as “beacons of light” to assist fellow believers to find their way back safely to harbor.

There is a lot more that could be taught about being salt and light.  But, there is only space herein for one more thought.

There are very few Reformed believers, very few Reformed churches, and very few Reformed denominations.  God has entrusted us, Reformed believers, with the treasure, salt, and light of sound doctrine.  God has given us at least a special understanding of His sovereignty and His salvation.  Although we are not perfect in that special understanding nor perfect in general sound doctrine, we need to faithfully teach it and promote it. 

We may not be as good evangelists as the Baptists nor as good mission workers as the Methodists, at least as to the means of how they intend to accomplish it, but we should not fall to temptation in trying to be just like them and lose our salt and light.  I am not saying that we do not need to be concerned about evangelism and missions, but I am saying that above all, we need to do our own job of being the salt and the light of Reformed doctrine.