Matthew 5:13 ” For ye are the salt of the world, but if the salt has lost its taste, where withal can it be salted? It is good for nothing but to be trodden under the foot of man.”
In writing out this verse again, a couple things impressed me. I can hear Jesus speaking to his followers and as God Incarnate he says “..ye are the salt of the world.” Not maybe the salt, or for only some people, or ye are one of the “salts” for the world, no, ” ye are the salt (singular – as in exclusive) of the world. I know this statement is somewhat offensive to some, but what other belief outside of Christianity, candidly deals with our sin? So the words are Christ’s, and as the Atoning Sacrifice for man, I believe He has earned the right to speak. It’s up to us to receive or reject His teaching.
Next point – ” ye are the salt of the world.” The world is a big place and it has a lot of different people and cultures. Social, economical and educational differences etc., a lot of variety and everyone has their own way of thinking. Given that, Jesus still said that his doctrine and teachings was “salt,” for everyone. All are included, and no one is excluded from being helped, benefitted or cured by “His salt.” People will say to me, “I’m happy for you Arthur that it works for you, but we believe differently.” And I want to say,” It will work for you as well, because it is not a “working” but simply coming into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Who would not be greatly benefitted by having God love them, God guiding them through life? What a confidence builder. The Gospel works for everybody! In that the Gospel is to be sown in peace, I give them a big hug and pray that The Lord would open their eyes and heart to the Gospel, also making them aware of Vida4U as a starting point if the need arises.
” Salt of the world” is a huge mission field, and much of it still needs a lot of “salt.” But obviously we can’t all quit our jobs and go into the “mission field.” However there are two things we can do. When we share, share in confidence. Jesus said you are the salt, so when someone seems to have his/her act together and it “appears” that they don’t need the gospel, don’t believe the appearance, believe The Lord who created man and knows that man without Him is lost. Especially with people who are affluent. We tend to be intimated thinking,” who am I to share with them,” they obviously are successful. And there we go, falling into the lie and power of the god of materialism. We must first become freed from that god ourselves, and realize Christ words “that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions, but in knowing God.” Many of the affluent are the poorest among us. Clustered in a life that revolves around them, hindered from ever being able to have meaningful relationships. The gospel is for sinners, I think they qualify.
Secondly, the biggest mission field to be “salted” is our own heart. If what we share is not first true within ourselves, then it is just words we are speaking. I would rather speak ten words that are true within me, coming from my heart, than a hundred words that are just head knowledge. When I share from what is true within me, the level of sincerity can be felt. We have classes on apologetics, based on the scripture “give to every man a reason for your faith.” So we study and get to a point that we know the Biblical answer to every question, and at the end of a “debate” we obviously won the argument, but not their heart, they still don’t believe. It is “with the heart that one confesses that Christ is Lord,” not with the intellect. We just spent a whole hour or so doing mental “warfare” with no effect on the person’s heart. It is good to have answers, but it is how it is shared that determines the effectiveness of what we are sharing. Who wants to feel they’re being sold something? The person doing the selling has no interest in you, he simply wants to make a sale.
Sadly enough we do the same thing with “Eternal Truth,” and it’s wrong. That is why I shared last week the poem “I am a Christian.” Christ did not call us to be His salesmen, but to be His witnesses. A witness repeats what they have seen and heard, what is true with them. Have you heard from Christ lately? When was the last time you spent more than 5 minutes in prayer, or opened the Bible and quietly sat before Him leaving your watch in another room? There’s specific statements I repeat in the Vida’s, and this being the third time I have shared this, “I cannot give to you what I myself do not possess, I am but an “empty vessel,” as we all are. What are you filling yourself up with, “empty calories” – the food and values of the world? Then that is what you will give out, any thing more, unless the Holy Spirit intervenes, will just be head knowledge.
So hear the warning from The Lord, ” if the salt has lost its taste,… It is good for nothing other than to be trodden under the foot of man.” If you are getting picked on at work for your faith, “being trodden upon” it’s best that you stop any verbal witnessing and go inward and develop a stronger walk with Christ and let people ask you “for the reason of the hope that lies within you.” God won’t waste your time. If someone needs to hear the gospel, He will have you two meet. First be “His witness.” We are to witness of Christ continually, and on occasion, as The Lord leads, we are to use words. This is another statement I have repeated. The world offers everything, money, sex in abundance, intellectual study, philosophies, “stuck on me,” philanthropic work, charities etc., something for every soul to get locked into. The one thing the world does not offer is God’s Agape love, “He loved us while we were yet sinners.” That’s our roll, but we have to know it for ourselves first, “abide in the vine” and know His love, then allow Him to produce His fruit through us from the knowing of His love. Only a son or daughter has that unique intimacy with their father. We are to have that. Even if we did not have that with our earthly dad, our Heavenly Father wants to have that with us. Tell Him you don’t know what that looks like, He will delight in showing you.
Father God,
Again I come before You a little sadden now knowing how complicated I have made it. Do’s and don’ts, acting more like a Pharisee than a follower of Jesus – who seeks to enjoy the day to day relationship with You. May I learn that through the struggles You are still with me, allowing the struggles to deepen my dependence upon You. Help me to grow to the point in my walk, that whether it is “stormy outside” or sunny, that “all is well with my soul,” because of our relationship. Thank you and Amen
Move forward in His Grace – Arthur