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Salt of the Earth: Being the Real Thing
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people” (Matthew 5:13).
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Scattering Salt and Shining Light
“You are the salt of the earth…. You are the light of the world.” Our roles as salt and light grow out of our willingness to live the kind of life Jesus described in the Beatitudes.
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“Blessed Are Those Who Have Been Persecuted”: Persecution and Being “In Christ”
Persecution is a natural part of the Christian life. Because we are in Christ and He is in us, those who oppose Him will resist us.
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Persecution and Privilege
The apostles rejoiced “that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.” The world teaches us to consider ourselves privileged, honored, and worthy when we receive rewards. In God’s kingdom, we show ourselves to be worthy of rewards when we are willing to suffer for Christ’s sake.
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Blessed are the Persecuted… Even Now
Jesus ended the Beatitudes with a “double-blessing” for the persecuted. Is our faith strong enough to withstand attack?