You Are the Salt of the Earth

“You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13).

Jesus said his people are like salt.

Salt has many important uses.

1. Salt preserves food. Salt prevents decay. Salt is used to preserve meat like ham and vegetables like cucumbers.

Christians are like salt because they help preserve the world from sin and therefore from judgment. Sodom was preserved from judgment as long as there were righteous people inside the city. Noah was righteous and therefore he kept the creation alive in a big boat. Christians can slow down the sin, decay, and rot of society, thereby protecting it from the judgment of God.

2. Salt makes food taste good. Salt has a distinct flavor. Salt brings out the flavor of food by breaking down cell walls so the food’s inherent flavor can be released.Christians are like salt because they give the world a better flavor. TheyintroduceGod to the world, bringing redemption. Christians can break down barriers through the love of God. They can soften hard hearts and release good things in others by the Holy Spirit.

3. Salt is an essential nutrient. Many important body processes depend on salt in order to function.

Christians are like salt because do essential things. Christians show love – they feed the hungry, care for the sick, help the weak, and share truth about God. It is essential that people hear the gospel, and Christians are the only ones who will share the gospel with unbelievers.

4. Salt attracts water. To stay hydrated we need both salt and water. Without salt our bodies cannot retain water.

Water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.Christians are like salt because they attract the Holy Spirit into places and among groups of people.

5. Salt can be healing. Gargling salt water can soothe a sore throat.

Christians bring healing to others. They can share the gospel so sinners can be reconciled to God. They can speak a healing word to those who are discouraged. They can lay hands on the sick so they can recover.

6. Salt was particularly valuable in ancient times. It was used as a currency in some cultures. The word salarycomes from the base word sal, which is saltin Latin.

Christians are valuable to God. God says that we are his special treasure. Christians are the valuable witnesses by which the world will come to know God.

Have Salt In Yourselves

“Everyone will be seasoned by fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt” (Mark 9:49).

Fire symbolizes troubles. According to Jesus, everyone in the world will go through troubles.

Christians are commanded to be living sacrifices on the altar of God (Romans 12:1).

In the Old Testament, every sacrifice to God was to be offered with salt (Leviticus 2:13). Salt ensured the sacrifice was free from decay so when it burned on the altar, it gave off a sweet smell. But without salt, the meat might rot. If a rotten piece of meat was burned on the altar, it would give off a stink.

Salt represents the presence of God. With the presence of God in our lives, when we go through the fiery problems of this world, we will give off a good smell to God. We can be joyful (James 1)in themidst of trouble. We will have patience. We will become more humble. We will be sanctified. All of these good things will result in our lives when we go through fiery problems with the presence of God.

Without the presence of God, when we go through problems we will give off a stink. Problems will stress us out, and we might murmur or complain. We might become impatient or angry. We may lash out at others. We might doubt God’s word. All of these bad results are like the stink of rotten meat being burned in fire.

We need to have salt in ourselves, so when we go through fiery trials, we will have good fruits in our lives and not evil fruits.

Salt Produces Peace Among Christians

Jesus commands us to have “salt within ourselves so we can be at peace with each other” (Mark 9:50).

When Christians are full of the presence of God, they will be at peace with each other. They will have true fellowship. Sin and decay enter into us when the presence of God is lacking, and this destroys fellowship.

In the Old Testament, salt was a sign of a sure covenant that would not pass away. Salt represents permanence. When Christians have salt in themselves, they preserve their relationships with others in the body of Christ.

Salty Talk

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6).

When our speech has salt in it, we will avoid sin and corruption. Our words will be palatable, because they are gracious. The Holy Spirit often makes conversations more interesting and flavorful. We must be willing to be different than the world. We must be willing to say and do different things than everyone else.

Salt brings out the flavor in food. When we talk to others, we can try to bring the good things out of them. We can focus our conversation on what God is doing in their lives, if they have a desire for God, if they are interested in the Bible, or on other things that are positive in their lives.

When we speak graciously, then we will know how to answer others. When we speak roughly, out of the flesh, then we often lose our ability to have wise answers. But when we speak in a calm way that is led by the Spirit, then we will know how to speak and how to answer questions more wisely.The way we talk to people affects our ability to know the answers to their spiritual questions.

Rejected Salt

“If the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot of men” (Matthew 5:13).

In ancient times, salt was not refined as it is today. This means that it could potentially lose its flavor through contamination or exposure to moisture.

It is possible for Christians to lose their saltiness. The presence of God lessens in their lives. They lose their distinction from the world. They no longer have a positive spiritual effect on their surroundings. They become corrupted by sin.

When this happens, Christians no longer fulfill their purpose. They bring shame on the name of Christ. Unbelievers mock them. When Christian leaders sin, the world laughs at them. This is like being trampled under the feet of men.

Conclusion

God says his people are like salt. They are to bring the presence of God into the world and protect the world from decay.

God’s people are to have salt in themselves. They are to be full of the presence of God, so that when they go through trials, their lives emit good things rather than evil things.

Among unbelievers, Christians are to behave in a salty way. Their speech and behavior is to reflect the values of heaven.

Let us live as the salt of the earth and not be insipid. We can do this by the Holy Spirit. As we do, we will fulfill our divine purpose.