“You are the salt of the earth” (see Matthew 5:13).

           “You are the light of the world” (see Matthew 5:14).

          “Occupy until I come” (see Luke 19:13 KJV).

          The above three Scriptures are the great mandates Jesus gave to His people. What does it mean to be the light of the world? What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? What does it mean to occupy until He comes? These commands are basic to fulfilling our purpose. We must understand them if we are going to obey them.

          To be the light of the world is more than preaching the gospel. Being something is different from saying something. Of course, preaching the gospel is a mandate also, but the command to be the light of the world was also explained as being like “a city set on a hill” (see Matthew 5:14). A city is made up of many people, so being the light of the world was more than an individual commission—it was given to His church. This speaks of the community, or common unity, of His people in a society so strong and brilliant that it would stand out like a city set upon a hill which can be seen from a great distance.

          The nature of the church to be an actual community lasted for three centuries, and Christianity was persecuted before it was made the state religion under the Emperor Constantine. As it has been said, the ship in the sea is fine, but when the sea gets in the ship we have a problem. When Christianity became the state religion, the sea came flooding into the ship, and one of the most vital characteristics of true New Testament church life was lost—community.

          This community was much more than everyone just living in the same neighborhood. This was a common unity they had in Christ that bound believers together. The believers loved and cared for each other in a way that was a striking contrast to anything else that could be found in the world. This will also be the nature of the church at the end of the age and will be much more than anything that can just be built around meetings and services—it is an ultimate lifestyle devoted to Christ and His purposes, a culture that is in contrast to the darkness the world is succumbing to.

          There is no double power in words, and the preaching of the gospel is essential. However, could it have more impact if there were an actual demonstration of the kingdom of God right here on earth for all to see? To be the light of the world, we must do more than preach; we must be that city which is set on a hill for all to see.

          Because salt was used in biblical times as a preservative and to give flavor to food, the church also has a mandate to preserve and prevent the world from melting down into corruption. At times, the church has done this with remarkable success. One example of this was the band of believers who gathered around Wilberforce in the early 1800s. They lived in times of possibly the greatest debauchery and immorality in the history of England. Within twenty years, society had been so reformed that the next two generations were known as “the Victorian Age” for their morals. For the salt to have this kind of power it must be salty, having kept its savor. This speaks of the deep commitment and resolve to be moral ourselves, living for Christ and not the desires of our flesh.

          To be the light that inspires the world and the salt that keeps if from falling into depravity is our calling. If the world is slipping into darkness, we must not condemn the world, but consider how our light has been dimmed. If the world is falling into deeper depravity, we need to determine how we, the salt, may have lost our savor so that we can no longer prevent this. Occupying until He comes infers not letting this happen. Therefore, the impetus for the meltdown of morality and growing corruption is on us to prevent, which we can only do by being who we are called to be as Christians. It is not the time to condemn the heathen for living in darkness—they cannot help this without us. It is time to judge ourselves, and resolve that we are here to help save them, not condemn them.

To do this, we must first be saved from the corruption and darkness that has overtaken us, and resolve that we are going to obey the King and live in His kingdom, not the kingdom of this world. His kingdom is coming, and His will is going to be done right here on earth as it is in heaven. We are here to preach His kingdom and demonstrate it by living in it now.