“Ye Are the Salt of the Earth”
Text: Matthew 5:13; Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34

Salt is a small thing with a powerful purpose. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used it to describe the believer’s vital role in the world: “Ye are the salt of the earth.” That one statement affirms how indispensable faithful Christians are to the spiritual health of society. Salt may seem ordinary, but its effects are anything but. Just as that young daughter in the king’s story declared her love by comparing it to salt—subtle yet essential—we must recognize that our lives, our love, and our example as Christians are crucial in preserving truth in a decaying world.

Salt Enhances and Creates Desire
Salt brings out flavor—it makes food appealing and awakens appetite. In the same way, the Christian life ought to stir desire in others to seek the source of our joy and peace. As Paul told Titus, we are to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” (Titus 2:10). Our lives, our conduct, and our attitudes should make the gospel attractive. When others see godliness in us, they should thirst for Christ (John 4:14; Revelation 22:17). Salt stirs thirst—and so must our example inspire a hunger for righteousness.

Salt Possesses Strength
Salt has power. It kills bacteria, prevents decay, and holds back rot. Christians have a similar function in this world. Our faith, grounded in the gospel, resists evil. “I am crucified with Christ…” (Galatians 2:20). If we walk by the Spirit, we put to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13). That strength is not our own—it comes from the Word. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). If we leave the Word, we lose our spiritual strength, and sin will overtake us.

Salt Preserves
In ancient times, before refrigeration, salt was the primary method of preserving food. Likewise, Christians preserve the moral fiber of a nation. Remove righteous influence and corruption spreads rapidly. The days of Noah and the fall of Sodom show what happens when godly influence is gone. Christians must not withdraw from public life. We must be present—in schools, communities, conversations—preserving truth. Paul warned against the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21), and our presence and influence help push back the tide of sin. When Christians stop being salt, the world spoils.

Salt Adds Zest and Zeal
Salt enlivens the bland. Jesus warned of Christians becoming tasteless—insipid—good for nothing. The greatest danger isn’t church extinction, but church indifference. “Because thou art lukewarm… I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). We need zeal, conviction, enthusiasm. The early church was far from passive. They “filled Jerusalem” with their doctrine (Acts 5:28) and “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Christians should not be boring, lifeless, or afraid to speak the truth. The saltiness of the church is its boldness and fidelity to God’s Word.

Conclusion
Salt only works when it comes into contact with what needs preserving. Are you in contact with the world as salt? Are you influencing, strengthening, preserving, and adding zeal? Or have you lost your saltiness? Salt left in the shaker is useless. If it loses its savor, it’s cast out. Let us restore our flavor, renew our zeal, and live lives that cause others to thirst for the Living Water. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Sermon Outline:

“Ye Are the Salt of the Earth”

Text: Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:50, Luke 14:34

Introduction:

The following story illustrates the indispensable quality of salt.

A Monarch and Three Daughters

The king asked each of his three daughters how much they loved him. The eldest said: “Father, I love you more than all the riches of your empire. More than all the gold and silver and the precious stones and lands and houses.” The king was impressed with his daughter’s claim of devotion.

The second daughter said: “Father, I love you more than the pomp and pleasure of the court. More than all the rich viands and beautiful clothes and melodious music, more than the balls and expensive carriages and good times of the realm.” He was greatly pleased with her answer.

Then he called in the youngest daughter and put the question to her and was shocked and non-pleased by her forthright and simple reply. “Father, I love you more than salt.”

The court chef happened to hear the chastisement the father had administered to his youngest daughter and decided he would teach the old king a lesson. So on that day he omitted all the salt from all the meals. The food was bland and flat, and the king complained much about the lack of zest in the meals. Whereupon the old cook said, “Sire, I purposely left the salt out of the cooking today so that you might know how truly your little daughter loves you.” The king got the message and, gathering his child to his bosom, thanked her and apologized for being so short-sighted. To love as salt is to love with an indispensable devotion! She loved him most of all.

When Christ likens His followers to salt, He was declaring how indispensable they were to the preservation of society. How valuable they were! Salt has always been of great value. Roman legionnaires were sometimes paid in salt [the basis of the English word salary]. In Tibet, Marco Polo noticed salt was pressed into wafers and imprinted with the image of the Grand Khan and used as money. Now we will examine four qualities of salt and how those qualities reflect the Christian’s life.

1. Salt enhances flavor and creates a desire to eat and drink. When the world observes a Christian’s life, it should cause people to want what a Christian is, to desire his character and attitude toward life. They should want to become a Christian. (Titus 2:10) When people see godliness being lived in our lives, and know we are Christians; then Christianity is enhanced by our salt. Christ is glorified. The opposite is also true. Let your light so shine. Salt also creates thirst. Salt causes a desire to “take of the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17) Remember Jesus’ words to the woman at the well. (John 4:14) Also note (John 7:37-38). People should thirst for Christ because of our salt.

2. Salt possesses strength. Salt has the power to kill certain bacteria. It can prevent the growth of weeds and grasses. It can kill certain insects. Christian salt kills ungodly practices and wicked lifestyles. (Galatians 2:20, Romans 8:13) The power for the Christian is in the gospel. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. . .” (Romans 1:16) If we are truly His disciples, we will abide in the Word. We will live His Word. (John 8:31) The Word will build us up and give us strength. (Acts 20:32) Apart from the Word, we will lose our strength and not be able to withstand sin. (Psalm 119:11)

3. Salt preserves. Many of those present when Christ delivered the Sermon on the Mount, were acquainted with the fishing business. They knew how salt was used to cure and preserve fish. They soon realized that as Christians living in the world, they were to have a saving [preserving] influence on society. Salt was crucial in the age before refrigeration. An Old Testament example of when salt had left the people of the world was in Noah’s day when God said that He would destroy the world. The same was true for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. If the Christian’s influence were totally taken away from our country, the works of the flesh would be even more wide spread than they are. (Galatians 5:19-21) Since time began, whenever the forces of goodness and righteousness and truth have little influence in the land, the result is tragedy for the people. When Christians withdraw from society, from the marketplace from politics, from education, from being civic-minded, it should be no surprise that the world gets rotten.

4. Salt adds zest and flavor. Quote from Moffalt: “The greatest danger which confronts the church is not that it may die. The church will not die. The ever-present danger which always lurks before a church is that it may become insipid – that it may stand for nothing in particular. Jesus was giving expression to His fear that His truth and His cause might be committed to those who would lose the bitingly Christian flavor which characterized His way of life.” Those who stand for nothing will fall for everything. (Ephesians 4:14) A Christian’s life should not be insipid, but full of enthusiasm and zeal. It should be a life of fervor for the Lord, a determined commitment. The Laodiceans were insipid. They were neither hot nor cold. (Revelation 3:15) They were indifferent and unconcerned. “We Christians have no business being boring.” Amen. We should be boiling over, bubbling with excitement. The first century church was not insipid. (Acts 5:28) “You have filled Jerusalem with this doctrine.” (Acts 17:6) They “turned the world upside down.” The Lord’s church started in the first century with a cutting edge to its truth. It didn’t hold back. They preached that sin was sin and the world was lost without Christ. They confronted the world with the fact that it needed to be saved. What was good for them is good for us.

Conclusion:

In order for salt to be effective, it must come in contact with what it wants to preserve. So must we! Salt is not of any use if left in the box. It is useless if left in the bottle! It will eventually be thrown out! Become a Christian now. Don’t wait. Have you lost your salt; is it not effective any longer? The invitation is for you. 

Bobby Stafford

March 23, 2014