Losing our saltiness means losing our testimony and influence
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus told
His disciples (Christians), “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can
it be made salty again?” What was He
implying?
Salt is used to season and
preserve food. Without it, food does not taste as good, and goes bad
quickly. So if Christians are the salt
of the earth, then we should be the seasoning and preserving agent of the
earth.
One cannot lose something one
never had. Losing our saltiness means
losing the effectiveness we once had; it means losing our testimony and
influence. Although it is sad, it
happens quite often in the Church, government, corporations, and even in
families.
What kind of testimony do we have
among family, friends, and neighbors? Do
people ever wonder if we are Christians as we profess? What can make people doubt our
sincerity? Is it preaching one thing and
doing the opposite? I think so.
The end result of losing
saltiness is devastating. Unbelievers
turn their back on the gospel, saying, “If that is Christianity, I want no part
of it.” By not living up to the
standards we teach and preach, we put hindrances in their way. Also, instead of people seeing our good deeds
and praising our Father in heaven (Mt 5:16b), they blaspheme His name. “God’s
name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Rom 2:24).
We also need to understand
that our way of life does not affect only unbelievers; it affects believers as
well. We are commanded to encourage one
another daily (Heb 3:12a), not only by quoting Scripture and saying encouraging
words, but also by living right, according to the Word of God.
Once saltiness is lost, it is
lost, and the salt is useless; there is no way to restore its saltiness. Likewise, when we blow our testimony by
misconduct we lose our influence, and instead become stumbling blocks. The restoration to our previous effectiveness
in ministry or amongst our sphere of influence is very difficult. Quite often guilt and shame force people to
step down from whatever position they held.
The devil loves to see us
fail so that he can accuse us before the Father. After all, he is known as the accuser of the
brethren.
The secret to maintaining
saltiness is:
·
Trust God and
obey Him.
·
Abide in Christ
(the Vine. Jn 15:1-8).
·
Be vigilant at
all times, because the devil is prowling around looking to cause havoc (1 Pet
5:8).
·
Resist the devil
(1 Pet 5:9a). Put on and keep on the full armor of God 24/7 (Eph 6:11-18).
Let
us remember, it is easier to maintain a good testimony (saltiness) than trying
to restore one that has been shattered!
Thank you for this article. You've shown me that the stakes are high for us to maintain our saltiness. I hope it's OK if I quote you in my sermon on the subject next week. You stated it more eloquently than I can.
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