Living in Liberty

A Ministry of Bryce Lowance

Elder Bryce Lowrance

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18 March 2015

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

One of the most striking things I see in this passage is that Jesus is not telling God's people to go get salty or become a shining light. Jesus does not tell us to climb up on a hill so everyone can see us. He says they already ARE salt and light. The city IS set on a hill already.

The elect are given these new characteristics in the new birth so that they can now fulfill the purpose of their existence which is to glorify God.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

We are not born again because we have done good works. We are born again so that we can do good works. Our new creation in Christ gives us the inward motivation to outwardly glorify God. And we SHOULD be doing it.

This is the same admonition that Jesus is giving. Jesus says that if we are not glorifying God with our lives, it is not God's fault. It is not because we don't have the desire or ability. It is because we chose to become unsavory salt, to hide our light, or come down off the hill.

We should not quench the spirit. We should LET our light shine!

When a dog goes to the door and wants to go outside, we have the choice to either LET him go out or keep him inside. And so it is with our duty to glorify God. We have the choice to LET the light shine that God gave us or to unthankfully hide the gift of God in unrighteousness.

It is a choice, but it is one with huge consequences. It will not determine our eternal destiny, that is grounded in the grace of God. But it will determine whether God receives the glory He justly deserves here in this created world.

Fellow child of the King, if we do not give God the glory, who will?

« The Light Of The World | The Purpose Of Good Works »

Tags: discipleship, evangelism, harmony_of_the_gospels, matthew, sermon_on_the_mount

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.