The Spiritual Identity of the Remnant (Matthew 5:13-16)
 
-On December 8 (Thursday), Daniel Randall, who was a former university and Air Force chaplain and a former pastor of of one congregational church, received his last treatment for substance abuse. He visited the home of his estranged family in Hebron. Then he shot and killed his eldest daughter (27) and committed suicide. What makes him do these things?
1)Understanding of and faith in the fundamental problems of human beings
-Many people do not comprehend the real problem of human beings. There is the fundamental problem that economic, political, social, physical, and mental power cannot resolve.
Romans 5:12,  Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned
-Through sin of Adam by disobedience and disbelief toward God’s Word (Gen.2:17; 3:1-6), spiritual and physical death has ruled over human beings. People are separated from the source of life, God, spiritually (Eph.2:1). Because they are sinners and slaves of death, they naturally subject to the devil who has the power of death (Heb.2:14-15). If you cannot see the fundamental problems of human beings (sin, separation from God, slaves of Satan), you will be deceived by the present problems. We need to get rid of the root separated from the source of life, God, of all problems and disasters. However, many people just focus on their current problems and cannot resolve the fundamental problems. Their miserable spiritual state cannot be healed by their own efforts.
2)Understanding of and faith in the Gospel
-Today’s problem of Christianity is the incorrect understanding of the Gospel as well as the lack of the experience of the Gospel. From the Early Church, wrong Gospel like legalism, unhealthy mysticism, humanism, and prosperity gospel confused Christians.
Galatians 1:6-8,  I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
-What is the true Gospel? The core of the Gospel is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:1-4, Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
-Jesus Christ as true Priest, Prophet, and King forgives our sin, makes the way to meet God, and destroyed the works of Satan (Rom.8:2; John 14:6; 1 John 3:8). Christians must comprehend this spiritual truth and experience Jesus as their own Christ in their lives. If you do not meet Jesus Christ personally, you are still in the fundamental problems and its results regardless of your attendance of the church. Accordingly, you need the moment to experience the covenant of Mount Calvary (John 19:30).
-The one, who knows and believes Jesus Christ, is the child of God and the remnant of God. If so, what do they enjoy in their spiritual identity?
 
1.Restore the role of the salt
-What is the function of the salt? There are two important functions of the salt: to preserve and to season. If the salt loses its function, people throw out it (v.13). If Christians lose their function in their field, unbelievers trample them.
1)To preserve the world by the Gospel in your field (v.13)
-The first function of the salt is to preserve. Without salt, food goes bad. Likewise, without Christians who preach the Gospel, the disasters and curses come upon the world continuously. The society and people are getting more corrupted.
-We should restore the Gospel in our field.
Romans 10:14-15, How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it i18s written:“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
2)To make people be peace with others
-The second function of the salt is to season. This means to have good relationship with others.
Mark 9:50, Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”
-How can you have peace with others? Your saying and speech are very important to do it.
Colossians 4:6,  Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
-In order to have peace with others, get rid of  sayings of unbelief, anxiety, and despair. Conversely, share the faithful speech with others. Therefore, the forum concerning the pulpit message and the answer from the Word of God plays a significant role in Christians.
 
2.Restore the role of the light
1)To remove darkness (v.14-15)
-What is the function of the light? The most important role of the light is to shine and to get rid of darkness. Likewise, Christians should play a role of the light to remove the force of the darkness in their field.
Isaiah 60:1-2, Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
-Because God’s glory comes upon us, we are the light of the world. We should shine the glory of God through the Gospel in our field. We must shine Jesus Christ as the light of life through the Gospel (John 1:4).
2)To shine the light of Christ through the life of the evangelist (v.16)
-Furthermore, our lives and good works make people glorify God (v.16). If so, our lives and works must be the life and work of the evangelist.
2 Timothy 2:3-6,  You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
-First of all, we as good soldier of Jesus Christ must obey God. We as athletics should follow the Word of God as our rules and standard. We as the hardworking famers  have to receive God’s grace sufficiently. Therefore, the life of the evangelist is to live according to God’s Word, will, and grace.
 
Conclusion
1)Start to meditate upon and write down the message about The Way of Salvation
Acts 5:42  And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
2)Start 3 Todays
-Focus on the pulpit message and then remnant message! Find your covenant Word from biblical passages in pulpit and remnant message. Pray with it. Make a plan of evangelism in your daily schedule.