Don't lose your saltiness!

You are the Salt of the Earth

In Matthew 5:13, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that we, those that follow Him, are the salt of the earth.

Matthew 5:13 (NLT)

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

But what did Jesus mean by this?

Well, let’s take a look through some scriptures and see what the Word of God tells us about the spiritual significance of salt and what “You are the salt of the earth” means to us today as born-again Christians, true followers of Christ!

The significance and symbolism of salt in the Old Testament

Firstly, let’s take a look at the spiritual significance of salt in the Old Testament.

In Numbers 18 the Lord is speaking to Aaron, as the head of the Levitical priesthood. The Levites were the only Israelites that were allowed to present offerings to the Lord on the altar of the tabernacle on behalf of the other Israelites.

Numbers 18:7 (NIV)

7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”

Okay, thank you for bearing with me, now here comes the salty part!

Numbers 18:19 (NIV)

Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

The Lord was telling Aaron that He, the Lord, was giving these Holy offerings to Aaron and his descendants (being the priesthood of Israel) and that they would be an everlasting covenant between Him and Aaron’s descendants. The symbolism of salt here is that salt is a preservative and thus the covenant is everlasting.

In 2 Chronicles 13 we see another example of God’s covenant of salt, this time with King David and his descendants. Here it is confirmed that rulership of Israel had been given to David and his descendants by God by an everlasting covenant of salt. And of course, Jesus our Lord and Saviour in his natural birth is of the line of David. You can read the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17.

2 Chronicles 13:5 (AMP)

Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel, gave rule over Israel forever to David and to his sons by a covenant of salt [a permanent pact, extending to each generation of Israel]?

Because of God’s covenant of salt with David he is able to say with complete confidence in Psalm 34 “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Psalm 34:8-9 (AMP)

8 O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good;

How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him.

9 O [reverently] fear the Lord, you His saints (believers, holy ones);

For to those who fear Him there is no want.

David knew the Lord, He knew His goodness. His Love, His Grace and His mercy and he took refuge in Him. Knowing with full confidence and in reverent fear that in his life he would lack for nothing.

In Leviticus 2 God tells the Israelites that they are not to leave out the salt in any of their offerings to the Lord as this represents an everlasting covenant. Any offering made without salt would be unacceptable to God.

Leviticus 2:13 (AMP)

You shall season every grain offering with salt so that the salt (preservation) of the covenant of your God will not be missing from your grain offering. You shall offer salt with all your offerings.

So, here we see that in the Old Testament salt played an extremely powerful role in a person’s relationship with God especially when they were making offerings and sacrifices to the Lord. In fact, if salt was not included in their offerings, they would be unacceptable to God.

The significance and symbolism of salt in the New Testament

The Old Testament has many types, shadows and patterns that can speak prophetically of what will happen in the future and particularly in the New Testament. Nothing in the Bible has happened or has been written by chance. The Bible is Holy Spirit inspired, ever single letter! And thus we, as born-again Christians under the new covenant of the blood of Jesus, can learn much from them and how Old Testament symbolism and examples can be used to help explain some New Testament scriptures and symbolisms.

Romans 15:4 (AMP)

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

From what we have seen in the Old Testament, let’s have a look at how Salt is one of these examples.

In my opening scripture to this article, Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth, but we must not lose our saltiness, or we will become useless to Him.

So, what does this mean to us as born-again Christians? Well scripture tells us that the reality of the Old Testament law is found in Jesus Christ!

Matthew 5:17 (AMP)

“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Colosians 2:17 (NIV)

These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, He becomes Lord of our entire life – not just part of our life but all of it. Not keeping any part of our lives hidden from Him or living a half-hearted, lukewarm Christian life. Everything about us should be Christ-centered, all we do and all we say. We must be in total obedience to His Word and we must be be totally led by His Holy Spirit. All we are as Christians should bring glory to Jesus!

This is dying to self. A lukewarm and inactive Christian has lost his saltiness and if we don’t repent of this and ask forgiveness, we are only good for being trampled on and we become worthless in His service! Just as Jesus offered himself up as a living sacrifice, so too must we to Him!

Romans 12:1 (AMP)

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.

Revelation 3:16 (AMP)

So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust].

Just like in the Old Testament when the offerings had to be accompanied with salt, so must our offerings, our bodies as living sacrifices must be accompanied with salt!

We keep ourselves salty by holding on to Jesus, fulfilling our part in the everlasting covenant of His blood that He shed for us to cover our sins, by being filled with the Holy Spirit, by studying the Word and by being doers of the Word! 

As the Psalmist says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” You will note too that our blood is physically salty to the taste, we have the goodness of Jesus in us  both physically and spiritually, and thus we have an everlasting life with Jesus – but don’t lose your saltiness. Just as the Lord tastes good so we must too! We must ‘taste’ good in our lifestyle witness to the world this is our personal, spiritual evangelism!

We are the salt of the earth! We came from the earth, the different salts in the earth is what makes it arable and fertile. 

Genesis 2:7 (AMP)

then the Lord God formed [that is, created the body of] man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit].

We need to be spiritually arable and fertile for the Lord so that we can bear good fruit!

Colossians 4:6 (AMP)

Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to answer each one [who questions you].

Mark 9:49-50 (AMP)

49 “For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good and useful; but if salt has lost its saltiness (purpose), how will you make it salty? Have salt within yourselves continually, and be at peace with one another.”

We must have salt within ourselves continually! What is the salt? The goodness of Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit within us and adding to this we must be at peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Psalm 133:1

How good and pleasant it is

when God’s people live together in unity!

We, as born-again Christians, are His royal priesthood just as the Levites were in the Old Testament, we are a chosen generation and as such we inherit everything that God has through the blood of Jesus that cleanses us of sin! We are able to enter God's presence as individuals through the blood of Jesus - unlike the Old Testament where only the high priest could enter God's presence through the curtain. Jesus is our high priest and he tore the curtain so that we can enter God's presence through Him! We are chosen to proclaim our saltiness, the goodness of Jesus, to a dying world

1 Peter 2:9-10 (AMP)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Christian! Don’t lose your saltiness!

Salt is a covenant – the goodness of Jesus.

Salt adds flavour and brings out flavour in other things.

Salt symbolises friendship and loyalty.

Salt is a preservative.

Salt adds value – Christian value – the value of Jesus.

Salt

God preserving and seasoning a believer as they grow into spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven
Forgive me Lord for losing my saltiness and for becoming lukewarm - I repent of my sin. Please help me to regain and retain my saltiness, the goodness of Jesus in me. In all I do and say, Lord, let Jesus shine through. Let Jesus be glorified. Continually fill me, Lord, with your Holy Spirit to guide me in all things. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!