The Salt of the Earth by Rev. Jay Gibson
Matthew 5:13-5:13
Salt of the earth
Mt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Other Scripture dealt with salt:
Lu 14:34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
Col 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Jas 3:12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
Jesus in this verse revealed things about two things. He revealed thing about the world and about his people. We must understand when Jesus taught he never went above anybody’s head. He always taught on their level.
I. First let’s see what Jesus knew about the earth before we try to understand what he
meant by the statement he made.
A. He knew that this world was filled with something called SIN and he knew that it was affecting everything.
B. He knew the worlds tendency toward that which was evil.
C. He knew that the world was decaying, polluted, and dying.
Note theses verses:
Psalms 14: 1. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt,
they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
2. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to
see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
3. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is
none that doeth good, no, not one.
Jer 17: 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it?
Genesis 6: 5. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually.
6. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and
it grieved him at his heart.
Romans 1: 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness;
D. If we understand the situation of the world then we can understand why he used salt.
Note salt is different from that which it is applied.
II. He revealed something about the church or God’s people.
A. To understand what he revealed about the church we must know something about salt.
1. Salt is a preservative—rubbed into meat it prevents the meat from decaying, and keeps it good to eat.
· Salt dosen’t make something good
· Salt can only keep something from going bad
2. Salt is an anteseptic-dissolved in a glass of water it will help kill the germs that cause a sore throat.
· You don’t gargle with salt water to stay healthy
· You gargle to kill the germs
3. Salt is a seasoning-sprinkled on plain food it will make it to taste better.
· Salt by it’s self dosen’t taste so good
· Salt applied to food makes it better
B. When we take this application and apply it to our life it becomes clear what Jesus wants us to do.
1. We are to act as a preservative in this world.
· This applies to the tendencies of the world toward the rottenness of sin
· We do this by being different in this world
· We see this effect when Godily men and women make their presence known
· Most of the time the presence of Godliy men and women will stop the trend toward sin
2. We are to function as an antiseptic in this world.
· Again, this applies to the sin in this world
· We do this by living faithfully
· You see this we our presence not only stops the trend to sin, but it turns it back toward God
· We do this when we have the opportunity to help set the pace and agenda by which the world lives
3. We are to act as a seasoning agent.
· This is the fact that without God life becomes boring and causes people to seek every other sinfull thrill
· Without God man is on a never ending quest for satisfaction
· You see the salt-effect in changed lives, values, meaning, and purpose
· We do this by helping people to see there is a better way than this evil unproductive way
Consider what scriptures say about the Christian and the World:
Ephesians 5: 1: Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2: And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given
himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweetsmelling savour.
3: But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be
once named among you, as becometh saints;
4: Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not
convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
John 17: 15: I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that
thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16: They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18: As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them
into the world.
Phil. 4: 4: Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
5: Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep
your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Phil. 4: 11: Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever
state I am, therewith to be content.
12: I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every
where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be
hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Rom. 12: 1: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service.
2: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
I. John 2: 15: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any
man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17: And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth
the will of God abideth for ever.
