Jehovah's Salt

In this blog I would like to look at Salt.  Why did Christ refer to salt? How does salt play into our lives today?  Lets take a look at the significance of this ingredient and just how important it is in our lives.  In reference we will use Matthew 5:13, "You are the salt of the earth.  But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?  Can you make it salty again?  It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."

Just what is salt and what is its purpose?  Salt is of course a mineral used to season foods, used as a preservative, salt also balances the fluids in our bodies.  Salt is required for animal life in small quantities. Basically, salt is a very important element in our daily lives.  It serves several purposes and helps sustain the function of our bodies.  I have included a link to some good information on salt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt

Since Christ referred to his disciples as the "salt of the earth" we can look at how we are to be in the world we live in.  First of all, we must understand salt.  By looking at the link I gave you we can get a good picture of the uses of salt.  So, lets just take the use of salt in two areas, one for flavor, the other for preservation.  When we use salt in bland foods it makes the food or meal more palatable.  It brings a unique quality to the food that we want to enjoy ourselves and share with others so they too may enjoy a good flavorful meal.  We all have had food that just did not have enough flavor to make it enjoyable, and in our attempt to eat this food we found it difficult to finish.  Our taste buds were telling us this is not good.  Although there may be other seasonings added to the meal, you know something is lacking.  Once you put salt on the food it becomes more palatable and you can sit and enjoy your meal.  So, what has salt done?  Salt has brought out and enhanced the flavors that were already present, plus, it added its own unique flavor even when combined with other seasonings.  Salt is also used as a preservative.  It stops bacteria from growing which would make food unusable.  As a preservative meats will not rot and become spoiled and smelly.

Salt can lose its savor, or its saltiness.  It will become worthless by losing its saltiness.  Once that happens, it cannot enhance, combine with, or preserve.  It is useless and becomes good for nothing.  Christ said it is so worthless that it can only be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.  When Christ referred to salt that has lost its saltiness, he was referring to salt that was exposed to much to the earth, rain and sun, in other words it became contaminated or impure.  When this happens salt becomes useless, then it is taken out to the streets to be trodden on by people walking on the street.  It simply became more like the earth and had no resemblance to salt.  Check out the this link for some facts on saltless salt: Barnes' Notes on the Bible (you will have to scroll down to the section of "Matthew 5:13)

What is the effect that we as followers of Christ, believers, are to have on others?  Let me refer you to some verses that speak of fruit.  First look at Matthew 7:17, "A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.  A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit."
In Matthew 12:33-37 Christ gives a good description not only of the good and bad tree, but He shows us that our fruit comes from our hearts.  If we are producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit we become distinguished from the world which does not produce this fruit.  So what are we to do in order to produce good fruit?  Remember, when we come to Christ we turn our lives over to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us.  The fruit of the spirit is this:  "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against these things."  Galatians 5:22-23.  When we allow this fruit in our lives it is like sprinkling the purest of salt on a meal and offer a preservative that will sustain all that it comes into contact with.


When we become contaminated with the ways of the world we begin to lose our saltiness, if we allow the contamination to continue, it will not be long before we are no longer useful as a flavor enhancer or preservative the world needs.  Without the salt being pure, or believers in the world that have allowed the contamination of the world to affect their purity in Christ, the world cannot find their way into God's Kingdom.  The flavor is no longer distinguishable and the preservative qualities are no longer capable of preserving.  So now the question would be, just how salty are you?  If the fruit of the Holy Spirit does not show in your life could it be that you have become like the world?  We must recognize just where we are in the world today.  Christ, when He prayed to the Father for His disciples prayed this, "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, so they bring me glory.  Now I am departing from the world; but I am coming to you.  Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.  During my time here, I protected them by the name you gave me.  I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the scriptures foretold.  Now I am coming to you.  I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with joy.  I have given them your word.  And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.  I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.  They do not belong to this world any more than I do.  Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.  Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.  And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.  John 17:9-19


Christ goes on to say that He is not just praying for His disciples at the present time, but for all that come to believe through the disciples message.  It is important for us to grasp the fact that once we come to Christ, we are no longer of this world, we have become the salt of the earth expected to flavor the world with the message that Christ gave to us.  If we "love God with all of our hearts, all of our minds, and soul," and we show our neighbors not only that we love God, but we "love our neighbors as ourselves," then the saltiness we have will affect all those we come into contact with and they will get to sample the flavorful meal of Gods truth for their lives as well.  Let us not lose our saltiness by playing with the world and accepting the worlds ways into our lives, let us be the example of His love and bring the salt to the table to change the flavor of the world around us.  We, as the "salt of the earth" are not only a flavor enhancer, we are the preservative in the world that keeps the bacteria of sin from not only our lives, but keeps the evil one at bay and allows those in the world a taste of what Christ is offering them.  We can bring a sweet aroma to the world, an aroma of a delicious meal prepared for any who will set down and enjoy it, we are the flavor enhancer that makes the meal exciting, palatable, and something all will not only be happy that they partook of it, but will remember it for a long time.  It is a meal that they will want the recipe to.  When the world partakes of this meal, will they taste a bit of salt?  Without the salt the meal may be a bit bland or even foul tasting because some of the ingredients have become rancid.  Are you salty?  If you are not the salt of the earth, then you really cannot be distinguished from the world.  Christ said "we are in the world, but not of the world," and the apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:20 that "We are therefore Christ's ambassador's."  An ambassador must represent their nation or kingdom with the utmost respect and consideration of the way of life from which they are citizens of.  Everything the ambassador does must reflect the way of life that the government or king has established for their citizens.


Let your fruit be good and your saltiness pure.  May the love of Christ show through you to enrich each life you come into contact with.  If you are not the salt of the earth, then what flavor might you be?  Only salt can taste like salt, there are no substitutes for the real thing.