Salt and Light

[cloudburst]

Mt. 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses it's flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men

I've heard a lot of sermons regarding this verse, but I just wanted to share something really neat that the Lord showed me about this verse.

So many implications have been made regarding the use of the word salt here.....from making people thirsty for the word of God, to the fact that salt is a preservative. There is another truth about salt, though, that hasn't been mentioned.....the fact that it takes only a little bit of salt to flavor a large amount of food.

Most recipes that call for salt call for only a pinch of salt. It is also very easy to oversalt your food if you're not careful....this is because it doesn't take much salt to bring out the flavor of the food. Even a little bit will have a great effect on a dish.

The same goes with us. We, as Christians, have the Holy Spirit of God residing in us. In the same that it takes only a little bit of salt to flavor an entire dish, it takes only a few Christians to set the world on fire....not because of who we are, but because of God working in us.

The Matthew passage tells us that if the salt loses it's flavor, how shall it be seasoned? That flavor is the work of the Holy Spirit....He gives us our saltiness. Even one Christian, with the Holy Spirit working through Him, can effect a whole lot of thirsty people, just like only a little salt effects an entire dish; on the other hand, if we do not have the Holy Spirit working in us, we cannot be effective. God tells us that we can do nothing apart from the Holy Spirit.

I think this is so neat, because it's so easy to get discouraged in the mindset that we can't do anything great for the Kingdom of God.

This is just so not true!!!

The Bible also says that we are the light of the world. Light can travel very far, and it doesn't take a whole lot of light to light up an entire room.

The same with light.....the light that is in us, the Holy Spirit, can travel SO FAR. I'm not sure what the speed of light is, but it's pretty fast :) Light is far-reaching, and powerful. It is the only thing that can penetrate absolute darkness.

So, then, what shall we make of our witness? Here's what God makes of it....that it is powerful, can travel far, through any darkness, and effect a whole lot of people...more than we think.

That being said, next time we think that we are too weak or feeble to do anything significant for Christ, remember that we are the salt of the earth, and even a little salt can have enormous flavor, and a profound effect on what is being salted. As a Christian, you too can have an enormous effect on the world around you.

I hope that this truth has encouraged you, as it has me. Sometimes, it's so easy to fall into the mindframe that "I can't do anything for God." The Bible tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

[sv3]

Thanks! Very encouraging.;)

[drake71449]

WOW now thats food for thought thanks for the enlightening

:p

[LauraA]

Excellent. Thank you for sharing this. Our pastor preached something very similar to just what you said not too many months ago. Good stuff!

[Meadow]

Mt. 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses it's flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men

I've heard a lot of sermons regarding this verse, but I just wanted to share something really neat that the Lord showed me about this verse.

So many implications have been made regarding the use of the word salt here.....from making people thirsty for the word of God, to the fact that salt is a preservative. There is another truth about salt, though, that hasn't been mentioned.....the fact that it takes only a little bit of salt to flavor a large amount of food.

Most recipes that call for salt call for only a pinch of salt. It is also very easy to oversalt your food if you're not careful....this is because it doesn't take much salt to bring out the flavor of the food. Even a little bit will have a great effect on a dish.

The same goes with us. We, as Christians, have the Holy Spirit of God residing in us. In the same that it takes only a little bit of salt to flavor an entire dish, it takes only a few Christians to set the world on fire....not because of who we are, but because of God working in us.

The Matthew passage tells us that if the salt loses it's flavor, how shall it be seasoned? That flavor is the work of the Holy Spirit....He gives us our saltiness. Even one Christian, with the Holy Spirit working through Him, can effect a whole lot of thirsty people, just like only a little salt effects an entire dish; on the other hand, if we do not have the Holy Spirit working in us, we cannot be effective. God tells us that we can do nothing apart from the Holy Spirit.

I think this is so neat, because it's so easy to get discouraged in the mindset that we can't do anything great for the Kingdom of God.

This is just so not true!!!

The Bible also says that we are the light of the world. Light can travel very far, and it doesn't take a whole lot of light to light up an entire room.

The same with light.....the light that is in us, the Holy Spirit, can travel SO FAR. I'm not sure what the speed of light is, but it's pretty fast :) Light is far-reaching, and powerful. It is the only thing that can penetrate absolute darkness.

So, then, what shall we make of our witness? Here's what God makes of it....that it is powerful, can travel far, through any darkness, and effect a whole lot of people...more than we think.

That being said, next time we think that we are too weak or feeble to do anything significant for Christ, remember that we are the salt of the earth, and even a little salt can have enormous flavor, and a profound effect on what is being salted. As a Christian, you too can have an enormous effect on the world around you.

I hope that this truth has encouraged you, as it has me. Sometimes, it's so easy to fall into the mindframe that "I can't do anything for God." The Bible tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

I love to see God confirming things in my life as well as others. These are the scriptures I studied w/ my devotion this morning:

Philippians 4:4-9
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:13
13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 1:19-21
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Galatians 2:19-20
19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

[cloudburst]

It's always great when God confirms something like that!!! :)

[Convicted]

The same with light.....the light that is in us, the Holy Spirit, can travel SO FAR. I'm not sure what the speed of light is, but it's pretty fast :) Light is far-reaching, and powerful. It is the only thing that can penetrate absolute darkness.


The speed of light is 186,282 Miles Per Second.

Nothing that is dark, isn't exposed by light. That's why so many times we wonder why people hate us so much, it's not us they hate, it's the Light of the world that lives in us and makes us lights of the world, that they hate. Why? Because, where light is, darkness cannot hide; conviction comes immediately and people want to reject conviction and hold onto their sinful ways, so they lash out at the person who has told them the truth about their sins, and while they know that what the person is saying is true in their heart of hearts, they reject what they say and attempt to project and accuse the other person of having a malicious attitude; when all the while they're just too scared to repent from their ways, because doing that might take away their succulent-looking sin which their taste buds are so addicted to. (That's another thing about God, He gives us a new appetite!)

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. -- John 3:19-12

I totally agree with everything you said! What a great witness; who's to say we can't accomplish great things when God has already declared that we can? Let's not believe the lies we hear... because our identity isn't dictated by people or the devil... We have the choice to believe that we are who God has created us to be. Nothing in the world can stop something God sets in motion... all we have to do is participate (and obey Him) and grow in knowing, that it's His strength that's being perfected in our weaknesses to His glory and for everyones benefit.

[cloudburst]

The speed of light is 186,282 Miles Per Second.



:eek: I knew it was some absurdly high velocity like that. Thanks!!!;)

Well-said....and I agree. Deep down, I think every person is aware of his/her spiritual condition, but many of them are in denial. They choose to remain in darkness. The apostle Peter called it willful ignorance:

2 Peter 3:3-5 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water

The apostle Paul says that everyone who remains in darkness is without excuse, because God has revealed Himself, both through His word and through nature.

Eph 4:15 tells us that we are to speak the truth in love; even so, a lot of people still won't respond favorably when the truth is made known to them. For most people, no amount of reasoning will work...only a direct work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts will convict them into repentance.