On Fire to Be a Witness Who Shines

Based on the sermon by Pastor Malu BIALUTA, ICC TV Montreal, following a 21-day fast.

Introduction

Adam remained a worthless pile of dust until God breathed into him to make him a living soul. Paul reminds us of this in 1 Corinthians 15:45: the first Adam was only a living soul, but the one who came after, Christ, came to make us life-giving spirits. These two dimensions sum up the whole Christian life. Being filled, so that your soul becomes alive. Then overflowing, so that you yourself become a life-giving spirit who sets others on fire.

The 21 days of fasting are coming to an end. The question now is no longer "how do I get filled?" but "what do I do with this fire?" You were not set on fire to stay at home. You were set on fire to be a witness who shines.

Outline of the Article

1. After the 21 Days, Do Not Fall Back Like Elijah

After defeating the prophets of Baal, Elijah was pursued by Jezebel and fell into depression, going into hiding (1 Kings 18-19). As we come out of these 21 days, we refuse that script. We will not fall into depression, we will not go into hiding. On the contrary, we expose ourselves so that God can fill us even more.

The desire has to grow, not shrink. "Desire him, desire him even more." What sets apart those who stay on fire is that they cry out to Jesus and ask him to fill them more than anything else. The filling only comes to those who desire it more than everything else.

2. You Are the Salt of the Earth

Jesus declares in Matthew 5:13-16: "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world." Notice carefully: this is not a command ("be"), it is a statement of fact ("you are"). You already are. It is not about becoming this one day, it is about living out what you already are in Christ.

Salt has three functions in the Bible. It preserves, it gives flavor, and it seals the covenant. Leviticus 2:13 says it clearly: "You shall season all your grain offerings with salt... it is the salt of the covenant of your God." When you stop being salt, it is dangerous, because you are drifting away from the covenant.

Salt works through contact. This is the dimension of your influence on the people around you. You are the salt of your family. You are the salt of your workplace. You are the salt of your school if you are a student. You are the salt of your city. The earth is still livable because you and I are on it. The day the Church is taken up, it will be chaos.

3. You Are the Light of the World

Jesus continues: "A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Your light does not shine for you. It shines so that others may glorify your Father. That has to be your motivation, every day. Salt influences through contact, light influences through exposure. Salt touches your family and your workplace, light touches the whole world, this "cosmos," this organized humanity that needs to see Christ through you.

4. Do Not Fear Death, You Are Already Dead in Christ

Revelation 12:11 gives the secret: "They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death." Whoever is afraid of death will not be able to shine. Death is the weapon the devil uses to intimidate. But if you are already dead in Christ, what else can he offer you? Nothing.

When the devil threatens you ("if you fast again, I will take away your job"), the answer is simple: "The righteous shall live by faith." You are no longer afraid that anything will be taken from you, because your salary, your security, your life do not come from men.

5. Happiness Is Not in Things, It Is in Being

Proverbs 16:20 draws a precious distinction: "Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord." Discovering good is the fruit of your own reflection, of the standards you set for yourself. But being blessed is what God deposits within you, what shows up in your life.

Someone might think that having a house or a nice car will make them happy. But there are people who own a Mercedes and take their own lives, while others who drive a Toyota are content. What truly makes you content starts with your being. And your being is shaped only by God. That is why the beatitude comes before the works: "Blessed are..." first you are, then you do.

6. Answering Your Calling Means Living for Eternity

In eternity, you will not present your salary to God. Two things will matter: how many souls you won, and how many souls you strengthened. We come to church to be equipped, so that God can make us able to win the greatest number.

Isaiah 2:2 announces: "It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills, and all the nations shall flow to it." The spheres of society (politics, education, medicine, the arts, the family), are those mountains. God wants all of them to converge toward him. But they will only converge if children of God agree to take their place within them.

If you do not answer your calling, you frustrate God's purposes and you serve the enemy's purposes instead. There is no third option. The Church is the solution God sent to the earth so that the earth would be better off. Look at Joseph of Arimathea: without him, willing to stand before Pilate at the very moment the apostles were fleeing, how would Jesus' body have been placed in the tomb? Every piece of the puzzle matters. You are not replaceable.

Key Takeaways

• You are filled in order to overflow. A living soul becomes a life-giving spirit when it lets God fill it without measure.
• Salt works through contact, light through exposure. One touches those around you, the other radiates over the world.
• You are already salt, you are already light. This is not a future goal, it is your identity today.
• Your light does not shine for you, but so that others may glorify the Father.
• Answering your calling means blocking the enemy's purposes and letting God display his glory through you.

Personal Application

1. Where is your desire for God right now, after these 21 days? Is it growing or cooling off?
2. In which specific sphere (family, work, school, neighborhood) are you called to be salt starting this week? What do you want to preserve where God has placed you?
3. Is there a fear (losing your job, being rejected, being mocked) that is keeping your light from shining? How will you surrender it to the Lord today?
4. Are you confusing "having good things" (possessions) with "being blessed" (being shaped by God)? What adjustment will you make?
5. What good works, this week, could lead someone around you to glorify your Father?

Verses Quoted

• Matthew 5:13-16 · You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world.
• 1 Corinthians 15:45 · The first Adam, a living soul; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
• Revelation 12:11 · They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.
• Proverbs 16:20 · Blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
• Leviticus 2:13 · You shall season all your grain offerings with salt, the salt of the covenant of your God.
• 1 Kings 18-19 · Elijah, the prophets of Baal, and the flight from Jezebel.
• Isaiah 2:2 · The mountain of the house of the Lord established as the highest of the mountains.

FAQ

What does "being on fire" mean for Pastor Malu BIALUTA?

Being on fire is not a passing emotional state, it is the result of a season of seeking God (like the 21 days of fasting) that fills you so you can overflow. God's fire is not given to stay inside you, but to spread and set the people around you on fire.

Why does Jesus say "you are" rather than "be" the salt and the light?

Because your identity in Christ has already been given to you. You do not have to earn being salt or light: you already are, by grace, from the moment you belong to Jesus. Your responsibility is to live out what you already are, not to try to become it through your own effort.

How do I know what my calling is within the spheres of society?

Look at where God has already placed you (your family, your work, your school, your city), and consider that your first assignment. A résumé, a position, a place within a company, these are often the doors God uses to place you exactly where he wants your salt and your light. Stay attentive in prayer to the specific burden he places in you for your generation.