The Christian life is distinctive, useful, and good. It is this life which is being outlined by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in this and the two following chapters. The three adjectives just used to describe the Christian life were placed in the sentence with careful deliberation. Each points toward an important area in the Christian life which each disciple of Jesus must develop to the maximum extent. Let us examine each of them as much as we can in the brief space allotted to this article.
First, the Christian life is distinctive. It is different from the kinds of life exhibited by other people. It must be so to gain God's recognition and approval, for Christians are instructed to "go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty," (II Cor. 6:17-18). The lifestyle of a Christian must easily set him apart from the people about him in a way that is positive and attractive. The traits of the mature disciple given by Jesus in the previous verses in the statements we have come to call "the beatitudes" are what work to make a Christian distinctive, since people who are living the natural, carnal life do not exhibit these traits to any noticeable degree. The Christian is not governed by pride, laments the presence of sin both in his life and in that of others, is meek, hungers for righteousness, is merciful, is pure in heart, works for peace, and is ready to suffer to promote the cause of righteousness. Anyone who responds to Jesus to incorporate and develop these traits in his character will truly be distinctive among his peers.
Second, the Christian life is a useful life. The preservation of meat in the ancient world was a serious problem, because refrigeration in the temperate and tropical zones was not possible. But those people knew about the power of salt to save meat from spoiling and used it for that essential purpose. Consequently, salt was considered an extremely valuable substance, even to the extent that it was frequently used for money. The Romans sometimes paid their soldiers in salt. This form of payment was called salarium (from the word for salt), the origin of our word "salary." Jesus used this idea to point out that His disciples must serve the important purpose of preserving their world from the destruction of sin by their useful presence and beneficial influence. He said, "You are the salt of the earth." Christians serve a far more useful purpose in society than their irreligious neighbors ever recognize or fairly admit.
Third, the Christian life is a good life. The fundamental idea in the word "good" is fulfilling the purpose for which a thing was made. If a workman fashions a tool to perform a certain function and the tool meets every requirement intended, the workman pronounces the tool "good." In Genesis One the Lord God created the world and all its component animate and inanimate systems. Four times it says that God looked upon His handiwork and pronounced it "good," because it was doing what He had made it to do. God's purpose for man is to respond to His instructions in such a positive and comprehensive way that it reflects His divine glory. Those who endeavor to follow the Christian life distinctively and usefully will fulfill God's expectations and manifest His glory in their lives. Jesus said that when His disciples do the good works that He has taught, they will be seen by others who will be induced to "give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Because the Christian is fulfilling the divine expectation with his life, it can be truly said that he is living the "good life."
