Turn if you would to Matt 5. How many times have you sat down to delicious looking food and as you took a bite you noticed it had no taste due to no salt? Once you put salt on the bland food, it became delicious. What a difference salt makes. We as Christians are like salt. Mt 5:13

What does salt do? Salt:
A. ADDS FLAVOR. Imagine what the corrupt world would be like without Christians. How would it taste to GOD? We think it is bad NOW, but Christians stop a lot of immorality. Evolution in schools, homosexuals teaching the kids in school, stopping pornography from being rampant. If it weren’t for Christians, God would spew the earth out of His mouth because it would have no taste. Very few Christians, but how much salt does it take for a steak? Very little.

B. Along the same line, salt PRESERVES - - keeps things from going bad.
1. The pickled fish of Galilee were known of far and wide. They first were dipped in a salty brine and hung up to dry. With no refrigeration, this kept the fish good for a long time.

2. God’s people keep the world from corruption, i.e., we preserve it. In the time before the flood, there was not enough salt to save it from destruction. (Gen 6:11-13). Nor for Sodom (Gen 18:20, 21, 32. Nor Canaan. Gen 15:16. The Lord allowed them to exist until there was no hope. Lev 18:24-25; Dt 9:5-6. As long as there’s enough salt today, the earth shall be preserved (2 Pet 3:7-11) . The Lord patiently waits, but not forever. Don’t fool around - - because for YOU the end of the world may be tonight. Then you will be judged.

3. “Lost its taste.” The salt back then was collected from marshes and swamps and had impurities in it. When left exposed to the sun and air or sat on the ground a long time, it lost its taste. Salt that lost its taste was merely a hunk of infertile sand. Good for nothing except to be trodden under foot.

4. We’ve been called out of the world - - special. But if Christians leave themselves in close contact with the earthly things (the world) too long or sit around unused for a while, they also will lose their saltiness. If you don’t use your abilities, then you lose them. (Parable of the talents. Man didn’t use his, so taken away - - he was lost.)

5. Let’s realize...the Salt is to change the fish, not vice-versa. Sometimes Christians are changed and made useless. Get too caught up with worldly things and forget the spiritual. Get too involved in earning their bread that they forget the bread of life- - Jesus Christ. Lk 8:14

6. When a Christian loses his saltiness he has no purpose and is good for nothing. We CAN fall away! He was a benefit to man, but now good for nothing. I’ve seen many Christians converted and serving God and man. Soon they lose their fire and they’re good for nothing. They’re lukewarm and lost.

Compared even to the world, they are worse . 2 Pet 2:20-22. It is better to have never known the truth than to have known it and fall away. Now is a worse state than at first. A Christian who is now unfaithful was once the salt of the earth, now he is the scum of the earth. To God and the church, he is worse than worldly people because he has crucified Jesus afresh. He is a detriment and reproach to Christ. This is one reason why we are told NOT to socialize (eat with) the unfaithful.

C. Salt also MAKES ONE THIRST. Remember how thirsty you get after eating salted popcorn?

Salt1
We make the world thirst to be like us by our examples of doing good and living in peace and tranquility - - “passes their understanding.” We can also make them thirst by giving them a taste of the Bible, for they shall desire more. A tract at the right moment, given with encouraging words, can sometimes save a soul. Most people won’t want Christianity, but a good heart will. Let’s not judge them unworthy before we try.

D. Salt WORKS QUIETLY. Not like Rice Krispies—snap crackle pop. Salt quietly brings food to perfection. Christians don’t have to broadcast to everyone what we are, but just live the life of a Christian and we’ll influence people. We don’t have to be like the Pharisees and blow the trumpet when we do good works. People will see us for what we are. We can’t hide our actions if we are the right type of Christian. We may also work quietly by praying for the lost. We need to pray that the lost will be saved.

V.14 Jerusalem and Samaria were hill cities, and so were most of the cities then. These cities could be spotted at night a long way away and would guide the traveler to them - - out of the danger and darkness of the night. Again, the best influence you can have on a person is usually not your teaching, but your ACTIONS. They’ll see you. Can’t hide it. Teaching is necessary, but you won’t get to first base unless they can see CHRIST in you! They will see that you not only TEACH a different doctrine, but you LIVE a different LIFE!

As light gets rid of darkness and enables man to see his way, so does a Christian, by his teachings and examples. He gets rid of the darkness of ignorance and reveals the way of life. The song “The World’s Bible” says it well. #460

V.15-16.
Christians sometimes have members of their household who aren’t Christians and scarcely tell them the gospel. How would it be for one to have the only flashlight in the house during a power failure and then hide it? Selfish indeed. The light of Christians should shine UNAVOIDABLY and not just for show.

1. Light shines not only in teachings, but ACTIONS and ATTITUDES so that sincere men MUST acknowledge that this life is the life to be desired and the best.

2. Light must win praise for him who lit it, not for itself. Men do not praise the street lamps which protect them from robbery and assault, but they praise the ones who furnish the lamps. In the end result - - if the worldly people see a change in us that is good, they will say that there must be something TO Christianity. This will please God and glorify Him.

Conclusion
1. Are we salt of the earth? Do we add flavor, preserve it, make it thirst after more truth? Or are we simply plodding along on our merry way to heaven, not lifting a finger to save others? We need to be living for God lest we be cast out and be least among men. I’m encouraged by a lot of you trying to talk to others.

2. Are we the light of the world? Can people know that we are Christians simply because we’re different, without us having to put on a show? Or do the people we work with and our neighbors see no difference between us and them? Has the world influenced us so we have lost our saltiness?

3. We need to be spreading the salt so that some people of this world may be preserved for eternity.

4. We need to spread the light so as to get rid of darkness from our neighbor’s path that he may see the way to go and glorify our God and Maker.

By Robert Raif

Home / Bible studies / Bible Survey / Special Studies / General Articles / Non-Bible Articles / Sermons / Sermon Outlines / Links / Questions and Answers / What Saith The Scriptures /Daily Devotional / Correspondence Courses / What is the Church of Christ / Book: Christian Growth / Website Policy / E-mail / About Me /