You Are The Salt Of The Earth…

“You are the salt of the earth…” (Jesus in Matthew 5:13)

If you have received Jesus as your Savior by faith, then you ARE the salt of the earth–what a privilege, honor, and responsibility!

Here are some characteristics of earthly/physical salt that help us understand some of our characteristics as heavenly/spiritual salt:

1. Salt is spread in groups, not as single isolated crystals. Thus, God reminds us YET AGAIN that deep community/fellowship among Christians is KEY (Ecclesiastes 4:8-12) not only to us fulfilling our mission on earth but also to our very survival. A single salt crystal on an icy highway isn’t going to make much of an impact…but 10 TONS of salt crystals on that same frozen highway can and will thaw the road and make it safe for drivers. A single crystal of salt on an icy road can easily be blown off the path by high winds…but wide piles of salt tightly packed together can hold their ground against the wind and remain on the asphalt tundra. Committed and consistent community for Christians is completely crucial.

2. Salt is intentionally thrown down/poured out on the ground. Being salt is a humbling process; its very purpose is to be placed DOWN LOW. Therefore, as salt we MUST sacrificially serve God and others each day in ways that test us, stretch us, and move us out of our comfort zones; we must NEVER FORGET that to be truly great is to be the SERVANT of all (Matthew 20:25-28). Salt sitting comfortably on a high shelf does no good for itself or others.

3. Salt is placed on the treacherous/dangerous parts of the ground that cause people/cars to slip, skid, crash, slide off the road. Therefore, as salt we must not PLAY IT SAFE staying on the nice, warm, dry, clean ground–salt has no purpose THERE! We MUST follow the Holy Spirit’s leading as He brings us into situations that are difficult (e.g. loving/forgiving/blessing people who mistreat us; serving others in ways that REQUIRE us to rely on God because we clearly cannot perform such service on our own strength/gifts). This is not to say that we engage in sin but that we be willing to minister to those who are smelly, bleeding, wounded, hurting, messy, far from God, etc. That is EXACTLY what Jesus did, and He calls & equips us to do nothing less.

4. Salt melts the ice around it–it has a visible effect on life in its vicinity! I recently threw down salt on my driveway and now there are visible patches/circles of dry asphalt–that’s where the salt is/has been! The parts of the driveway still with ice never contained any salt and thus are left unchanged. Furthermore, notice that salt doesn’t become ice when placed on the ground, salt doesn’t turn into ice/get overcome by ice or begin to take on the appearance/characteristics of ice. Rather, when salt and ice touch the ICE is changed, not the salt! We too must look at our lives and, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, understand if we are influencing those around us or if they are influencing us! Are we becoming more like ice, or is the ice being thawed and cleansed by the salt? This reminds me of the classic illustration about being a thermostat or a thermometer: thermometers merely reflect the temperature around them (e.g. have no influence by rather ARE influenced); thermostats, on the other hand, change the temperature of the surrounding environment (e.g. become the one that influences for good). As followers of Jesus, which one have we been the last day, week, month, or year?

5. We are the salt of the WHOLE EARTH, not just our own little comfortable corner of it. Please remember that Jesus, right before He was taken back up into heaven, told His followers that they would be His witnesses (His SALT!) not only in Jerusalem (locally) but also in Judea (nationally), Samaria (regionally) and to the very ends of the earth (internationally). We are to think both local AND global, both micro AND macro in our daily lives as ambassadors for/representatives of Jesus! Both sides of the coin are necessary! May we ask the Holy Spirit each day: how may I shine for You in my house, family, street, neighborhood, community, city, county, state, country, continent, hemisphere, and entire world? How can I use social media and the internet, not to “broadcast myself” (YouTube) but to broadcast YOU? Those are powerful–and DANGEROUS–questions to ask the LORD each day.

.
“But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?

It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” (Jesus in Matthew 5:13)

.
Whats the main way that salt loses its saltiness?

By being soaked in water (please click HERE).

Christians lose our saltiness when we water down God’s Word to make it more appealing to others or more comfortable/easy for us to follow/believe in.

This is EXACTLY what Jesus warns us NOT to do in Matthew 5:13.

May we choose each day, with God’s help, to allow the Bible to change our opinions and NOT allow our opinions to change the Bible.

.
All for JESUS…