WITH SALT OR WITHOUT?

"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 men” (Matthew 5:13 NIV).

When I say, “Salt!” what images immediately spring to mind? Perhaps it’s a salt shaker, salty french fries, saltwater going up your nose when you are swimming, rock salt in winter, rings of salt on your clothes after you have been sweating. We all have different images that pop up.

What was Jesus saying when He said that we are salt?

In Bible times salt had two main purposes:

1. Preservative — Salt was used to preserve meat, for example. When things were rotting around it, meat was preserved by an ample application of salt. Salt has cleansing and preservative qualities. On long trips, travelers would carry meat packed in salt.

2. Seasoning — Salt was put on food of all kinds as an agent of taste enhancement. Most people think food tastes better with a just-so-subtle use of salt as a seasoning.

In both cases, in order to bring its qualities to bear, the salt must be brought into contact with the object; otherwise, the power of the salt is lost. Sitting on a shelf or resting in a shaker, salt is wasted power. It might as well be thrown out.
When we put these two purposes together, we get a clearer picture of what Jesus had in mind when He said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Jesus was saying, “The salt is there but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to rise to the occasion and be what you should be or will you lose your flavor by sitting on the shelf?” The idea presented is that we are salty and this is the destiny of a believer.

When we speak of salty Christians, we are talking about seasoned warriors who have been tried in the combat fields of real life and over the years have proven that they not only “talk the talk” but they “walk the walk.” These are warriors who have weathered storms, had desert experiences, gone through dry spells and been bewildered at times. They are believers who have experienced much and have grown and matured in their faith and in their walk with God through their trials. Their experiences have brought them to a level where their faith is not easily shaken by circumstances. They have been preserved in trials and times of wilderness wandering; they have struggled but they have emerged triumphant. They are truly seasoned believers; the salt has been rubbed in and they have embraced their saltiness.

I personally believe that the church is already in the early stages of a very stormy period. Some theologians and futurists that I read are talking about an approaching perfect storm. It will be the confluence of three or four major storms, including the cultural storm of postmodernity and the religious storm of postChristianity (in the West).

Storms tend to have a purifying effect on everything they touch. In Texas we are assaulted by thunderstorms, tornadoes and the occasional hurricane. Some of the familiar scenes shown on TV news are the aftermath of an area hit by a storm. Everything that is not tied down or is without a good foundation seems to get blown away. The buildings that are built with a solid foundation may have some cosmetic damage but they normally survive.

So it will be in the “stormy weather” that we are heading into. Those who lead and help others in this coming cataclysm will not be the “Sunday morning Christians” who just don’t have time to read and pray, to study and grow, and be active in their church. Most likely these foundationless friends will have difficulty surviving the winds and fury of the change that is coming. The survivors will be the seasoned (read “salty”) saints who have already endured their own personal storms. They have been tried and didn’t fade, but instead they grew in grace and love. The “salty” ones will be leading in the coming storms.