After Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, he only had 120 followers praying in an upper room (Acts 1), but soon they filled the Roman Empire. There is no in between. In his devotional Salt and Light, author Chris Tiegreen puts it this way, “We are meant to be present and active without being ostentatious, effective without being overbearing, and influential without seeking power.” In addition to the popular uses of salt as seasoning and preservatives, we have also discovered other uses for salt. When Faith Passes the Test (Gen. 22:1-19), The Bible Teacher’s Guide, The Sermon On The Mount: Experiencing God’s Kingdom On Earth. Some believe the church is to be totally separate from the world. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? Jesus tells those wishing to follow him that they must make a difference in the world. The Romans believed that, other than the sun, there was nothing more valuable than salt. How do you deal with a sinning professed believer who is not a church member? Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Abridged Edition has this to say about Matthew 5:13. Religion erodes because people don’t want to acknowledge the true God. All rights reserved. There’s nothing like the warmth of Jesus’ love to melt walls that have been formed between us. It’s used today on icy roads to help bring the temperature down and melt the ice. ." We are the salt of the earth. No doubt, God often disciplines believers by allowing them to follow their sinful desires and receive the full consequences of their disobedience. What contributed to it? Ananias and Sapphira, because of their lying to the church and God, received an untimely death (Acts 5). 3 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). If they won’t turn back, sometimes, he just takes them home. Believers preserve society by being a righteous influence on it. His presence in our lives permeates all we do, even our speech. Though this is not as popular today, some do this in different ways. They would then only be deserving of being "thrown out and trampled upon by men" (Matthew 5:13). Luke 14:34-35 - “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? We don’t want to lose any of the flavor You have created and purposed for us to behold! To stay strong. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Salt heals and soothes; it has medicinal value. We are either bringing others to Christ or pushing them away. In the Greek, the “you” in “You are the salt of the earth” is plural. If the salt have lost his savour.--The salt commonly used by the Jews of old, as now, came from Jebel-Usdum, on the shores of the Dead Sea, and was known as the Salt of Sodom. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good words and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV), Jesus used common analogies His audience understood, to encourage them to keep fighting the good fight, assuring us it would not only be worth it here on earth, but for eternity in heaven …with Him. Are Christ Figures in Literature Biblical? God only needs one disciple to stand in the gap to save a nation (cf. Am I a Hypocrite? And before I got through with what was being done to me I was aware I had attended an evangelistic service, because Mr. D. L. Moody was in that chair. Christians, as the salt of the earth Jesus spoke about, need to live as pure a life as possible so that they can maximize their ability to "flavor" or bless others through their good works. Here's What You Need to Know, 8 Ways Your Husband is Silently Showing He Loves You, 10 Unexpected Reasons for Infidelity in a Marriage. I am, exist. You are the light of the world. Right before this verse, in the conclusion of the Beatitudes, Jesus proclaimed blessings over those who are persecuted, not only for living in sake of righteousness but for living for Him. Genesis 19:26 - But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. He will strengthen us as we walk in His ways and tell others about His goodness. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books. It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. Jesus, during his famous Sermon on the Mount, stated that believers were the "salt of the earth" and warned that it was possible for them to lose their flavor. To have strength, be strong, be in full health and vigor, be able; meton: I prevail. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin and history of specific verses within Scripture context. Hebrews 12:6 says that “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.” To live a compromised life only brings the discipline of our loving Father. “Not enough salt.” Missing this one simple step will cause the dish to be bland and unappealing. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. Experienced cooks know a valuable fact about using salt. Though the world mocks Christians—often claiming that they are boring and don’t know how to have fun, the reality is that society itself is bland like tasteless food. This was all new to them. When Jesus says we are the salt of the world in Matthew 5:13 He also says that you can lose your saltiness. Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? Blood, sweat, and tears have this mineral in them. They go to church with no unbelievers, are homeschooled or go to a Christian K-12, go to Christian colleges, work in Christian organizations, and literally never have contact with the world. All rights reserved worldwide. It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? Believers are the salt of the earth—they are valuable. Sometimes we may be the only Christian, and at other times, we may be part of a small minority. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16. How do you feel God is calling you to currently pursue growth in saltiness? Salt is common, often sitting on our pantry shelves until we pull it out to season something. 14 “You are the light of the world. Parties would eat salt in the presence of witnesses to confirm the covenant (cf. Even in ancient times, “salt was a symbol of lasting concord,” the New Testament Greek Lexicon defines, “because it protected food from putrefaction and preserved it unchanged.”.
Nissan Leaf Generator Charging, The Chinese University Of Hong Kong Shenzhen Address, 2020 Lexus Nx 300 F Sport Review, Axel Tuanzebe Injury, Aoc Firmware Update, Is Anne Heche Still Married To James Tupper,
