Salt

Salt is used to cure olives. Ripe olives are bitter, but processing in salt transforms them. Bitter people need the salt of Christ’s love in their hearts. We who know Jesus can have a transforming impact in the world.

A Flavour Enhancer

How does soup taste without salt? How about pizza? We are the salt of the world, or salty Christians. “The savour of the salt represents the vital power of the Christian, the love of Jesus in the heart, the righteousness of Christ pervading the life.” M.B. 36.

Love, as displayed in Christians, is a powerful influence in an otherwise bitter world. People are bitter toward their bosses, teachers, the government, parents, children, and churches. Just as salt is used to cure the bitterest of olives, the salt of God’s love can be sprinkled by Christians onto the hearts of the disheartened, and a transformation will take place. “If it [love] is dwelling in us, it will flow out to others.” M.B. 36. Christians feed the hungry, clothe the naked, help the discouraged, and pray for others.

Some supermarket employees were once instructed to be extra kind and extra helpful to customers and to smile always. It did not come naturally; they had to be told to do it. Many began to complain that their bosses asked too much.

As Christians we need to model joy and enthusiasm, but mostly love. Have we lost our love for our neighbours? Like the priest and the Levite in the story of the good Samaritan, have we lost our concern for our fellow man? Do we simply pass by when we see others in need?

In the Amplified Bible, Matthew 5:13 reads, “If salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no good for anything any longer.” Flavourless salt is worthless. A Christian without salt is one in name only. Salt that has lost its flavour represents “every soul from whom the power of the grace of God has departed, and who has become cold and Christ-less.” M.B. 37.
Salty Christians will present the gospel in an attractive and appealing manner.

A good cook carefully adds just the right amount of salt. If a dish has too much or too little, its flavour is ruined. As a salty Christian, be just as particular when witnessing to others. Don’t present all the truth in one session.

An Ice Melter

A while back there was a snow storm in my town. I couldn’t get down my driveway because of the slippery ice. Afraid I wouldn’t get to church in time to give the morning service, I quickly called Jim Schendel to come pick me up. But while he was on his way, I experimented. I sprinkled a few handfuls of table salt on the driveway. The ice melted, and I was able to back my car down the driveway just in time to apologize to Jim for his unnecessary trip.

As salt melts ice, Christ’s love melts even the coldest of hearts. The world is cold and indifferent. It tries to influence us to become cold and indifferent to others too, to take on a “don’t care” attitude. Some churches are cold. Some Reformers are cold. Are you “a cold Christian” or a salty one? “A cold, sunless religion never draws souls to Christ.” G.W. 478.

A Healer

We use Epsom salts for foot baths. We gargle with salt water when we have a sore throat. Salt is a proven remedy for infection.

During World War II, a ship named the Athena was attacked by a German U-boat. Although the passengers of the Athena were badly wounded, not one died. Because they had no medical supplies, the wounded dipped their bodies into the salty sea water and found healing.

Today, people are wounded, hearts are hurting. The church ought to be a refuge where hurting people find healing. “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” Isa. 61:1.

There are many hurting people in the world. How do we treat them? Do we help them or drive them away? Some people leave the church because of how they are treated by other church members. One resigning church member wrote this: “For the most part, I was a nameless, unnoticed face… The church can be doctrinally pure, but please, please, let that doctrine be richly enshrined in a love that manifests itself in welcoming smiles, warm handshakes, follow-up, and friendships.”

Let’s bring healing to others. Let’s be the first to reach out. Let’s go to people and mingle with them as the salt is mixed with the food. Salt is sprinkled on food, not vice versa. You are the salt, not food waiting to be salted.

A Combination

Salt is composed of two chemicals – sodium and chlorine. Sodium by itself is not salt. It must be combined with chlorine. Similarly, our humanity must combine with the divinity of Christ. Then we become salty Christians.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same brin-geth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 4.5.

Unity with Christ leads to unity with our brothers and sisters. “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world my believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17:21.
There is unity in diversity too. One time I looked at some granules of salt under a magnifying glass. I saw large ones, small ones, square ones, and round ones. Each was unique, yet all formed one compound-salt.

Let’s be salty Christians, filled with the love of Jesus, that those who know us may thirst for Him and be preserved from death. May our saltiness cure bitterness, melt hearts and heal the wounded. United with Christ and one another, we will salt the world with His love. AMEN