You Are The Salt Of The Earth (Part 2)

YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH

(Part 2)

Matthew 5:13

In the Sermon on the Mount, just after the Beatitudes, the Lord Jesus says to His followers: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. (Matthew 5:13)

In part one of this message we began to examine Jesus’ declaration to His followers that they are ‘the salt of the earth”. We discussed the fact that salt has many important and beneficial uses. Obviously, salt serves as a flavor enhancer and we use it to season our food but it is also a preservative and can be used as a cleaning and healing agent and much more. It seems that the preserving aspect of salt is what Jesus primarily has in mind in this specific verse.

Before we move further into this study, let’s take a moment and review what we have seen thus far. First of all, Jesus speaks of:

I. AN INESCAPABLE REALITY

“You are the salt of the earth”

Though multitudes may be identified with Jesus, many do not truly belong to Him. Those who are “the salt of the earth” are those who have a personal, genuine and eternal relationship with the Lord Jesus. When Jesus says “you”, He is speaking to the one who has been transformed by His mighty power and lives a Kingdom focused life. If you are a truly born-again follower of Jesus Christ, then “you are the salt of the earth”; this statement of fact is presented in the present tense.

- We also considered:

II. AN IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY

Salt describes an important responsibility that we possess as followers of Jesus Christ. There are three important truths that we must comprehend concerning this important responsibility, beginning with:

A. THE EXCLUSIVENESS OF THIS RESPONSIBILITY

When Jesus says, “You are”, He is speaking to His followers, this shows us that the responsibility and ability to be “the salt of the earth” belongs to Christians and Christians alone.

- In part one of this message we also examined:

B. THE EXPLANATION OF THIS RESPONSIBILITY

“the salt of the earth”

As the salt of the earth, Christians are able to have a very powerful and preserving influence on the world around them. When we live in the manner that Jesus describes in the Sermon on the Mount, we have the amazing privilege of holding back the spread of evil in this world.

- After examining the exclusiveness of the responsibility to be the salt of the earth, and the explanation of it, we saw:

C. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS RESPONSIBILITY

When we live in the way that Jesus commands us to live, our lives have the ability to hold back the spread of evil in this world. This is not to say that we have the power to conquer the evil world system, but we can retard its progression. If we will do our part, we can have a positive impact on the God’s Kingdom while having a preserving impact on our current society. When we live as salt and light our lives can affect the way that others act and think. Of course the greatest impact that we can have is to introduce lost people to the Savior and then He will do the transforming work that only He can.

Thus far we have seen An Inescapable Reality and An Important Responsibility. As we move further into this verse we receive a sobering warning from our Savior, here He describes:

III. AN INEXCUSABLE REGRESSION.

“but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

Understanding our responsibility to be salt in this world, we must guard against being influenced by the things and people of this world. If we slip back into the world system that we have been delivered from, we will become “tasteless” Christians and useless for the work that God has called us to accomplish.

The Greek word for “tasteless” literally means “to play the fool”. It speaks of being foolish or moronic”. Christians who are influenced by the world instead of influencing the world for Christ are foolish! This happens when the members of Christ’s Church tolerate, accept, and participate in the things of this world. Salt that has lost its taste is a metaphor for the Believer whose mind and life has become contaminated by worldly influences and secular thinking. Far too many Christians in our day have bought into secular values and become influenced by worldly values and ways of thinking about life. As a result, even though they are the salt of the earth, they have become tasteless, that is, they have lost their effectiveness.