Scripture Reference: Matthew 5:13

“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.”

This simple analogy reveals great truth regarding the Christian life and responsibility. Consider these truths:

I. The Presence of Salt

You are the salt of the earth. Christ reveals that the believer is the salt of the earth. This is not something that is open for debate or discussion; we are the salt of the earth. As long as there are Christians, there will be salt. Simply put and to the point.

▪ Salt is necessary to good health. There is salt (saline) in the blood running through our body. Our cells need salt to function properly. It is vital to human life. I realize we live in an age where salt is discouraged in the diet and many are told to cut it out completely. Regardless of the scientific opinions, a certain amount is definitely necessary for good health.

▪ Let’s look at this from a spiritual point of view. Just as salt is vital to human life, it is vital to spiritual life. We live in an age where salt is discouraged in the church. Some have removed it completely from their lives. They aren’t the least bit concerned about their influence. However, God desires our true worship, our complete surrender, and a desire on our part to make a difference. We are here to reach others for Christ. I have tried to raise my children (and also my grandchildren) to see some salt in my life. I want them to know that there is something special about serving God. If we never seem excited about the things of God, how do we expect anyone else to desire what we have?

II. The Properties of Salt

But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? Salt has certain properties that are always present that cause it to react in specific ways with other elements. We know that:

Salt Preserves: It is often used to preserve meat from decay. It works as a preservative. The nation of Israel was God’s chosen people, but they lost their home to bondage. Thus, there was no salt, so they weren’t preserved.

▪ I believe with all of my heart that Christians in America have helped prevent the wrath of God from destroying our nation up to this time. We can definitely help preserve our families from the decay of this world.

“Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). We need to preserve our morals, the church, our homes, our schools, etc.

B. Salt Penetrates: It has the natural ability to penetrate whatever it touches. We have the ability to penetrate the sin and darkness of this world. We can gain some ground if we are the salt of the earth. I don’t want to take a back seat. We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us! (Romans 8:37).

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.