We Are Salt And Light Series

Who are we “in Christ?” What is our purpose “in Christ?" Think on that for a moment. If we are “in Christ” we are “saved.” We talked about that we are “a new creation in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17). If there was no further purpose for us on earth after our conversion, why are we not taken up to heaven to be with Jesus right away. What is the reason we are still here?

Look around our nation today? Consider the strife and the immorality around us. Are we, as the church, been the influence on our world as God would have us be? Have we been the “salt and light” we have been called to be? Today we are looking at being “the salt of the earth,” and being “the light of the world.” That is our purpose, that is why we are here now. We are going to examine what salt and light means.

Matthew 5:13–16 (CSB)

How valuable is salt? 40 million tons are required each year to fill our needs. Homer called it divine. Plato called it a "substance dear to the gods." Shakespeare mentioned salt 17 times in his plays. In ancient Greece a far-flung trade involving the exchange of salt for slaves gave rise to the expression, "...not worth his salt." Special salt rations were given to Roman soldiers and known as "Solarium Argentums" the forerunner of the English word "salary." Thousands of Napoleon’s troops died during his retreat from Moscow because their wounds would not heal--their bodies lacked salt. Wars were fought over salt – Economies were based on salt. The human body contains about 4oz. of salt. Without enough of it, muscles won’t contract, blood won’t circulate, food won’t digest and the heart won’t beat a beat. Without a doubt, salt is one of the essence of life. And Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth."

Let’s look at the big picture here for a moment.

Matthew 5:13a “You are the salt of the earth …

Matthew 5:14a “You are the light of the world …

Serval points we need make here. Jesus said “you are.” He did not say you should be, or you might be, or you will be. To those who belong to Him, you are salt, you are light. Question is how good a salt are you, How good a light are you. Let’s look at what it means to be salt.

Matthew 5:13 (CSB) “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Practically speaking, and understanding Jesus’ original audience, salt did three things. It was used for preserving meats. They had no refrigeration, so salt rubbed into meats delayed decomposition, or decay, or spoiling. Salt was used for seasoning, it gave flavor to food. Salt increased thirst. We’re going to concentrate our look at salt as a preservative.

Jesus is talking to his people – he talking to the church. The call to be salty is a call to be an influence in the world. Clearly Jesus did not call us to be a separatist - or to live in a monastery. Quite the opposite – Jesus call us to be his agent in the world.

In this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called his followers to the highest standards of conduct. He challenged us to "turn the other cheek." He commanded us to love our enemy, to forgive those who do us wrong, and to be sure we act with the purest motives. He said there were two roads, a wide road that leads to destruction and a narrow one that leads to life. And here in today’s verses he calls those who follow Him to choose to be a godly influence on the world in which they live. Those are tough commands. Jesus clearly expects the world to be transformed by our presence.

1 Peter 2:4–5 (CSB) As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:8b you shall be witnesses to Me

These are calls to be salt in the world. As salt – we are to be a preservative – stopping corruption, preventing moral decay and decomposition. Being a preserving agent – often means being an irritant, calling the world to God’s standards. So look around – so how are we doing? It would appear that the church has lost a good bit of her saltiness.

"But if the salt should lose its taste" The Greek word here is “moraino” - a real play on words. It can be translated "foolish" like in Rom 1:22 - “Professing to be wise, they became fools.”