Where's the Salt?
Matthew 5:13-16
Harry Stoliker
March 30, 2008 EBC
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There are two very beautiful and powerful things spoken about in Matthew 5:1-16.
Here is what they are: Christian Character and Christian Influence.
The Beatitudes told us about the nature of deep spirituality, the
real character of a kingdom disciple, a biblical follower of Jesus Christ. He is
a man who knows his natural spiritual bankruptcy and has learned to mourn
over his sin. He is comforted by God in his spirit because of this
godly attitude of dependence on God's mercy. He hungers for what is right
and pleasing to God. He is merciful rather than judgmental on other
sinners like himself. He works hard to purify his heart from all the
contaminants and toxins of our fallen world. He seeks to make peace
with other men through honoring truth and he endures persecution when
it comes because of his loyalty to Christ. That is a man of character.
That kind of man has amazing influence on the lives of other people. What
parent doesn't want to influence his sons and daughters? What joy is greater
for a parent than seeing your kids adopt your biblical faith as their own?
What words are sweeter than to hear your children say: "My mom really shaped
my life and thinking!" "I want to be just like my dad who is a true man of God!"
What is godly influence? It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit
on your life to such a degree that you bear much fruit even in other people's lives.
It is the work of God in and on the hearts and minds of other people
as a result of being associated with you. Let me show you two instances of
this in Scripture. Turn to 1 Cor. 14 where Paul is describing the power of
godly and orderly worship taking place in a local church. Christ-centered, God-honoring,
orderly worship, controlled by Scripture, has great influence
on any unbeliever who might attend or wander in. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 "But
if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is
prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged
by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bear. So he will fall down and
worship God, exclaiming: "God is really among you!" The unbeliever senses the
presence of God in such a powerful way in the preaching
and worship and lives of the Christians that his heart is torn open
and he falls down in repentance and worship himself! What kind of
influence is that!! Oh, may that happen among us!
The second text we mentioned last week. Acts 4:13 "Now when they saw
the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common
men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus."
Peter and John were standing before the Sanhedrin, the religious Supreme Court.
Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit (V.8). He had a spiritual influence
on those around him. His opponents were "astonished and took note" that these
men had spent much time in the presence of Jesus, under the influence of Jesus.
What Jesus is saying in Mt. 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth" is basically:
"Go influence the earth, go be a spiritual influence on everyone who lives on earth!"
What's happening to the world around us? Basically, what's happening
is like what happens to a piece of raw meat that hangs outside in the sun
for a long time. It rots. The world is decaying and rotting because
of sin, because of man's selfishness, pride, lust, and evil toward
one another. Just read the paper everyday for a week and you will hardly
be able to stomach all the evil that is pervasive in our country alone. I was deeply
saddened and sickened by recent reports of juvenile prostitution
in the sex industry of Las Vegas. Girls 12-13 years old are being caught in
human trafficking for the lustful desires of sick and sinful men. The evils
are too stunning to even mention in public. Yet, we are called to be the salt of
the earth and the light of the world!
One writer put it this way: Christ's disciples are "to be a moral
disinfectant in a world where moral standards are low, constantly changing,
or non-existent." I'd say that's putting it mildly. Salt does basically two
things: preserves and flavors. Jesus said that
we are these two things to the world: flavor and a preservative. I like how Ferguson
said it: "Without the influence of the gospel, society will suffer moral decay
and become putrid, unfit for the consumption of good men
and women." This quote might hold more punch to you if you think of it this
way: If you don't act like salty salt and bright light in this township,
this community, your children will be forced to live in a putrid, morally
decaying environment!
Jesus is calling us to commit ourselves to paying whatever price needs to
be paid to be salt and light in our situation. We must ask ourselves:
"Am I making a moral impact on those around me? Do people who know me smell Christ
or smell decaying, rotting meat when they spend time with me? Here's how Anglican
John Stott defined saltiness: "Christian saltiness is Christian
character as depicted in the beatitudes, committed Christian discipleship
exemplified in both deed and word. For effectiveness the Christian
must retain his Christlikeness, as salt must retain its saltiness. If Christians
become assimilated to non-Christians and contaminated by the impurities
of the world, they lose their influence. The influence of Christians in and
on society depends on their being distinct, not identical."
That brings us to Jesus' solemn warning: "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." The worst thing that can happen to this
world is not global warming; it's unsalty salt! Useless salt and dark
light – that is the death-knell of society. Have I lost my saltiness?
Is my life making anyone thirsty for God? Is my life being used by the Spirit to
sting anyone who loves their sin? When we speak the truth, often it stings
those who are rebelling against the truth. We are called to be the salt of
the earth, not the honey of the earth. If we are faithful to speak the gospel
of Jesus Christ, some will take offense at the sting of the salt we gently
pour into their wounds as we try to preserve them from destruction
and decay. That is what Paul spoke of in Col. 4:6 "Let your speech always
be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer
each person." Arthur Pink put it this way: "It is salt and not sugar
candy he is to employ, something which the ungodly will be more inclined to spit
out than swallow with a smile, something which is calculated to bring
water to the eyes rather than laughter to the lips." What a joy and privilege
it is to be used as an influence for repentance and godliness in anyone's
life!
What was Jesus talking about when he warned against losing our saltiness?
He said in Mark 9:50 "Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness,
how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves…" Be salty
disciples. Sodium chloride is a very stable chemical
compound, so it doesn't really lose its saltiness. However in ancient times
salt came from a piece of rock dug up from the ground which contained many
impurities. Water could wash over the rock and dissolve whatever sodium chloride
there was, leaving a residue that looked like a salt rock, yet lacked the
flavor and power of salt. Don't forget the Dead Sea is nearby and
was know as the Salt Sea at 8.6 times saltier than the ocean and 9 times saltier
than the Mediterranean. The salt buildups along the shore are mixed with minerals
such as gypsum. This residue of white powder was called salt
but wasn't good for anything except being "road dust." Jesus
was saying "Kingdom disciples don't become road dust!" He was saying
that to lose your saltiness is to foolishly lose your identity as a kingdom
disciple of Jesus. Don't lose your distinctiveness! Be distinctively
Christian in a distinctively rotten world!
How does this happen to a Christian? Let me give you 4 words that summarize
how it happens: Through sin, compromise, laziness and fear. Every time
you conform to the world's standards you lose power in the Holy Spirit
to influence people you love. Every week where you are too lazy to
read and study God's word, you lose power to keep your kids away
from sin in their worlds. Every time you choose to live selfishly rather
than being a radically committed Christian, you lose power to influence young
disciples that God may have brought into your life.
Of course, this doesn't have to be. We can be the salt of the earth
by living holy lives, not compromising with the world, being diligent
in our Bible intake and living courageously for the glory of Christ.
V.14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot
be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they
put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the
same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in heaven."
The NT is FULL OF LIGHT! Jesus said: "I am the light of the
world" (Jn. 8:12). Colossians 1:12-13 "giving thanks
to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in
light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us
to the kingdom of his beloved Son." Ephesians 5:8 "For you were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light for the
fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth."
Philippians 2:14-15 "Do all things without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst
of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."
The point here is clear: Don't hide your light. It would be a travesty
to be a Christian who cannot be clearly identified as a Christian by what
he says and what he does to back up what he says. Here's a shorter way
of saying it: Be visible- be practical! Being a salty Christian
involves 'word and deed.' Tell people about Jesus Christ and
then live sacrificially like Jesus Christ. Put your money where your mouth
is in your Christian life!
Years ago the communist government in China commissioned an author to write
a biography of Hudson Taylor with the purpose of distorting the facts and
presenting him in a bad light. They wanted to discredit the name of this
salty-light-giving missionary of the gospel.
As the author was doing his research, he was increasingly impressed by Taylor's
saintly character and godly life, and he found it extremely difficult to carry out
his assigned task with a clear conscience. Eventually, at the risk of losing
his life, he laid aside his pen, renounced his atheism, and received
Jesus as his personal Savior. Whether we realize it or not, our example leaves an
impression on others.
How can we put shoe leather on these verses about salt and light? Just squeezing
the key verses tells us a lot:
- Stop grumbling about everything – Phil. 2:14
- Do good things for your neighbor across the street and for someone at church – Eph. 5:8
- Choose to do what is right and holy at work – i.e. don't steal, backbite, complain, or do sloppy work. Eph. 5:8
- Always tell the truth, don't lie or stretch the truth to make yourself look good – Eph. 5:8
- Be incredibly thankful to God the Father for everything, esp. your salvation – Col. 1:12
- Do good deeds out in society for the glory of God and not to get noticed – Mt. 5:16
Here's the challenge: Do you want to have a life that makes the people around
you want to know Jesus Christ in all His Greatness and Love? Do you want to
the family you love so dearly to surrender their lives to the Lordship of
Jesus Christ? Then you are going to have to live what you preach. You are
going to have to pay whatever cost has to be paid to become a godly and salty
and light-giving Christian. That means killing every idol that is
stopping your from growing deep in your knowledge of Jesus.
Will Houghton, a preacher who became the president of Moody Bible Institute
during the 1940s, played a large role in the conversion of an agnostic who
was contemplating suicide. The skeptic was desperate, but he decided
that if he could find a minister who lived his faith he would listen to him.
So he hired a private detective to watch Houghton. When the investigator's
report came back, it revealed that this preacher's life was above reproach;
he was for real. The agnostic went to Houghton's church, believed in Christ
and was saved, later sent his daughter to Moody Bible Institute. Houghton was a
salty Christian.
C.H. Spurgeon said it this way: A man's life is always more forcible than
his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars
and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers
accept his practice and reject his preaching.
What in your life needs to be brought under that Lordship of Jesus Christ
right now? Is the Spirit of God putting his finger on anything? Oh, do listen
and do yield and obey, for God's glory.
Let's pray,
H.