Salt of the Earth
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” (Matthew 5:13 NKJV).
SALTINESS OF CHRIST – Jesus used salt as an analogy to show the importance of being a true disciple. Salt without its saltiness is contaminated salt. In the time of Jesus, salt was derived as it is today from the sea or from salt deposits in the earth. The salt we buy today is consistent and mostly free from contaminates but salt in the times of the New Testament was not so pure.
The water from the sea was evaporated leaving a residue of salt but the residue was not pure salt as it contained other minerals and contaminates of the sea. When it was too contaminated, it lost its flavor or saltiness. So it is with us, if our lives become contaminated with the sin of the culture we lose our distinctive flavor of Christlikeness and become ineffective in our influence.
SALT PENETRATES AND INFLUENCES – My wife soaks her dried beans overnight in water with salt so the water will soften the beans and the salt will penetrate, properly seasoning the beans. Christians who are filled with the Spirit of God and resemble Jesus penetrate the coldest of hearts and influence their circle of influence. The sinful condition of the world is not the hindrance to evangelism but the poor flavor of our saltiness.
SALT PREVENTS ROT – I remember as a young boy my father salting a ham in an old-fashioned salt box to produce a Southern favorite of salt-cured ham. The salt pulled the moisture from the ham and penetrated the ham preventing decomposition. When the saltiness of God transforms us by pulling carnality out of our lives and infusing us with His Spirit then the rot of sin is halted. As we use the influence of our spiritual saltiness we stop the rot in our families, communities, nation, and even the world.
SALT INHANCES FLAVOR – Salt intensifies the flavor that is present in food. Life in Christ is not to be like a bland rice cake that taste like a piece of Styrofoam but it is designed to be a scrumptious meal of the Bread of Life. Jesus takes our individuality with the gifts He has placed in our lives, transforms us, and turns up the volume so those living around us can see and hear the promises of God in a man. When we get a taste of something delicious, we want a full helping.
SODIUM CHLORIDE – Table salt is the chemical elements of sodium and chlorine chemically combined as one substance. By the way, salt does not break down in nature; sodium and chlorine can only be separated by an unnatural chemical process like electrolysis. But when separated they are dangerous. Let’s compare sodium to God and chlorine to man.
Sodium alone will burst into flames when exposed to the atmosphere. The Bible says, “For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29 NKJV). And, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live” (Exodus 33:20 NKJV). Our earthly bodies would be overwhelmed to the point of death if we looked upon the unveiled greatness and glory of God.
Chlorine is very poisonous if ingested alone. Man without God is poisonous. It scares me to think of what kind of husband or father I would be without God—I am sure I would have poisoned those relationships to a harmful end without God in my life.
WE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH – Jesus said it! We are the salt of the earth. He sends us into the world beginning with our near circle of influence to an ever-widening sphere. We are saved by His grace, transformed by His truth, and empowered by His Spirit to penetrate the world with our saltiness, influence those around us with His love, and stop the rot of sin in our own lives and in our circle of influence. Go and scatter some salt!!!
My Prayer: Lord, fill me afresh with your saltiness, clean out the port holes of my shaker so your power and love can flow unhindered to the world around me. You are my salt, let me be the resemblance of Your flavor so I can be salt to others.
Harry L. Whitt
Pathway Journey 