Salt is a seasoning which brings out the flavor of food. If salt as a seasoning, had no flavor, than it would be worthless for what it was created to be. The same way that salt is good in that it brings out flavor in food, Christians should bring out the goodness of Christ and His work on the cross. We should affect all those around us in a positive manner.
14: "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
If we are Christians, we are to be Christ-like and shine brightly. Christ is the Light of the world. He is quoted in John 8:12, saying this very thing. "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
John 1:4, 9"In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." "[That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."
1 John 1:6-7 says, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin."
15:Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
Make sure you understand what it means by good works in this passage.
The NLT commentary explains it this way...
"If we live for Christ, we will glow like lights, showing others what Christ is like. We hide our light by 1) being quiet when we should speak, 2) going along with the crowd, 3) denying the light, 4) letting sin dim our light, 5) not explaining our light to others, or 6) ignoring the needs of others. Be a beacon of truth--don't shut your life off from the rest of the world."
We see a complimentary example that lines up with the above commentary in 1 Peter 2:12, "having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
"Gentiles" here refers to the unbelievers.
In closing...let's look at Ephesians 5:8-10, "For you were once darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth) finding out what is acceptable to the Lord."
