Jesus said,
“You are the salt of the earth. 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 by man.” (Matt. 5:13)
Since we are the salt of the earth, let’s live like it!
How interesting that rather than talk about the qualities and effects of salt, in this verse Jesus only deals with salt losing its saltiness. Why? — probably because we need to understand the long range effect and damage it can do when we lose our testimony in the world
Effects of Not Living Like We are the Salt of the Earth
Could it be that we are seeing the effects of Christians not living as the salt of the earth today?
Immorality and liberal ways of thought have so infiltrated the world that people seem blind to truth.
Those who claim that there are absolute truths are viewed as arrogant and intolerant.
Those who take a stand for Christ are so often ridiculed or persecuted.
How did we get here … where Christians are seen as the ones to “be thrown out and trampled by men?” How did the world get so far off track?
If we as Christians aren’t living as the salt of the earth, the desire for and perceived value of being a Christian decreases. The salt is losing its saltiness! If we Christians aren’t living as the salt of the earth, how will the world be seasoned with the truth of God’s Word and His grace?
The salt is losing its saltiness when we no longer see a godly influence in the world. It is when salt has lost its saltiness that we fail to infiltrate our society with His truth and goodness.
Don’t despair. A salt shaker contains many grains of salt. Though some may have lost their saltiness, not all have. If those who want to still influence the world pull together, a little salt can go a long way!
So grateful for such powerful Bible verses and quotations, it really uplifts my soul and spirit. What I’ve learnt is that we Christians should lead a good life in order for others to look at us and come to God. As Paul said, so we also should study and learn from him. Really, I’m so excited about these verses. God Richly Bless you.
I praise God for your good remarks. It truly is about our lives, as well as our words, pointing others to Him! And, if we don’t take the time to “study and learn from Him,” as you wrote, then how will we point people in the right direction? — “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Pet. 3:15)
We are focused on the gospel and of the Christian’s ability to change the individual, but their commission is to establish a government or society based on the foundation of the gospel. Instead, they have almost nothing to do with government except to support socialism which is Satan’s counterfeit government, based on force rather than freedom. They are denying and rejecting God politically
We see in 1 Samuel 8 that God’s original intent with the nation of Israel was a theocracy but they insisted on a human king. He wanted to be their King. Following after the ways of the other nations only brought them trouble. Even for us today, God wants to be a part of all we do. In God’s economy, life is not compartmentalized. All of life needs to be seasoned with salt. The Gospel should infiltrate all aspects of society, including politics. When it doesn’t, we can only expect trouble.
Your numerous posts on the topic of being salt and light are a blessing to me and a great Min. Tool. It reminds me of a time when I had read the book, “Out of the Salt Shaker and into the World: Evangelism as a Way of Life” back in 2010 or so. I just read your post in 2024, and I appreciate your ability to take a complex topic and spell it out quickly. I especially like your question, “How will the world be seasoned with the truth of God’s Word and His grace?” And your thoughts which followed, “…[We will] see a godly influence in this world….[by being salty as we] infiltrate society with His truth and goodness.” Your reminder of the exhortation in God’s Word of needing to stay salty for an effective witness, helps each Christian to once again hunger and thirst for righteousness. Yes, fellowshipping with other grains of salt (coming together) also helps helps us stay encouraged to be salty. May the impact of your posts continue to bear fruit down through the years!
Yes, Kai. God does gives us the prescription for living as His people in this world, as a godly influence. It was true back when this post was originally written and it is true today because the truth is found in His Word. Praise God, through His Spirit, He gives us the power to be salt and light. It’s then that we reflect His light. We then season with His truth and grace. That’s what the world needs. — To see more of Him, not mere religion!