salt – Broken Believers

“You are the salt of the earth. 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.”

–Matthew 5:13, NIV

In the Middle-East, salt has a real impurity problem. Comparing it to what you have on your table would be foolish. There is simply no comparison. The idea of salt degrading to non-salt was expected. It just didn’t measure up. Jesus in declaring that His disciples were “salt”, was taking a risk. Could His followers remain distinctive in a virtual flood of antagonistic hostility?

Salt has a challenging destiny. It must remain distinct while preserving everything around it. That is not easily done. Salt has an inherent savor that makes it very distinctive. As a Christian there exists a distinction and a uniqueness that differentiates one from the world about him. I have become different because He has made me distinct. We dare not think that we are believers simply because we are exceptional.

Jesus warns that we can dilute ourselves into a state of self-imposed obsolescence. We simply compromise ourselves to the point of losing any distinctiveness. We just become a non-entity, by choice. We basically zero ourselves out and allow the World to roll over us, all without a squeak. In this case, compromise is disguised as flexibility. We betray our Lord with a soothed and bandaged conscience.

Jesus stated that saltless salt would become a non-factor, an anachronism of devastating loss. It would no longer be able to ally itself as an agent of change, but be as common and as ubiquitous as common dirt. Lo, how the mighty have fallen! To be regarded as common dirt.

Warned of this outcome, we find ourselves in the unique position of needing to be authentic. Authenticity however, directs us down the path of irrevocability. We simply find ourselves in a corner, and we have to come to a decision. Will it be faithfulness to Christ or compromise to soothe our conscience? Trust me, it is easy to compromise.

Jesus boldly declares that His real followers will come through. They will believe in Him to the point-of-death. We have been given the blessing of both time and space to make our decision. We, ourselves have been caught in the valley of decision. Can we be able to make a choice that becomes a real spiritual difference?

PLEASE, do not continue to compromise. Do not vacillate and attempt to call it enlightenment and adaptability. You are salt, and you will be different. Let the world go on without you. You don’t belong anyway.

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Colossians 4:6

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?”

Luke 14:34

Our distinctiveness for God is first evident in our communication. The way we talk is the primary way we share; and it’s in the tone we use, the inflection of our voices, the vocabulary we utilize, and the way we articulate. And all of this is communicated in just a few seconds of time.

We should be aware that when we say something it is instinctively and instantly examined. People, deep within want to know its veracity and authenticity. But the above list is lacking one vital thing– grace, pieces of it, that break off and sprinkles all over our words and thoughts. We added it all to our conversations, like salt on ‘french fries’. This takes a ministry of grace, and we ourselves are made into a direct witness.

But not everyone of us is articulate, or gifted to speak. But we are all salty! Each of us has a savory presence of grace. Every believer has it. I’ve gotten to know two deaf brothers at my church. They are sometimes neglected and avoided. (But I think that is just fear.) They use a ‘sign language‘ with gestures and hand motions. They are actually quite articulate. One of the young men has an opening door to Russia to do evangelism.

I guess I’m a bit taken aback by this. A man who cannot hear or speak being used by the Holy Spirit in this way. He jokes about being the ‘first evangelist to the deaf community in Russia’. He is an inspiration to me. My issue is with mental illness. But handicapped people do quite well, they are particularly ‘salty’ and you’ll notice the difference.

Learning to communicate with grace is a lot like learning any foreign language. My wife and I went to learn Spanish at an institute. We learned so much I felt I was leaking out my ears. Learning to speak “Grace” will be a challenge as well. But we have the promised Holy Spirit. He is the Helper. He will show how to speak with grace to every person and situation.