Volume 5 - The Early Church: Becoming a Light in the Darkness Faith Lesson 2: The Salt of the Earth The great struggle we Christians face is that of trying to exert a positive influence on the secular world around us without compromising our faith. How can we remain involved in the world’s activities without losing the distinctive beliefs and lifestyle that are essential to maintaining our faith? This study will focus on both the command of Jesus to be the “salt of the earth” and his charge to do so without compromise. The setting will be Sardis, a first-century city in the Roman province of Asia Minor. Here prospered one of the churches addressed by John in the book of Revelation. As we study his writings in light of recent archaeological discoveries, we will ask the question, “Were these believers influencing their culture for Jesus, or were they becoming increasingly comfortable as part of that culture? ” Though we may not come up with a definitive answer, in trying to find one, we will discover a way to powerfully critique our own Christian witness in an increasingly secular culture.