Properties of Salt

You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing any more, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot Matthew 5:13

Salt – Is Jesus speaking about you in this sentence? Do you want to know how you can tell if you are salt that is still useful? That question is answered by looking at the properties of salt.

Salt (in Greek halas) was very important in the ancient world. Yes, it was used to flavor food. Yes, it was (and is) an essential ingredient in cellular health. But salt was of utmost importance in the ancient world as a preservative. In fact, it was so important that wars were fought over the control of salt production. Without refrigeration, there was simply no way to keep meat unless it was preserved with salt. So, salt became the great symbol of the prevention of decay. Salt retards corruption, both physically and spiritually.

Is your life retarding corruption? Are you living in such a way that your very existence prevents the decay of God’s world? That is the test of your saltiness. Jesus calls all of His followers “salt”. We all have the property essential to retard decay. But not all of us are using that property. Some of us are so polluted with elements of this world that our saltiness is lost in the confusion. People who heard Jesus knew this phenomenon quite well. Living near the Dead Sea, they were in close proximity to one of the saltiest places on earth. But the salt from the Dead Sea was useless. It was so polluted by other chemicals that it could not be used as a preservative for human food. It was good for nothing in spite of the fact that it was salty.

If you are going to be the salt of the world, you will have to be pure for God’s purposes. You won’t be able to mix motives for selfish gain, concerns for self-protection, preoccupations for desires and moral “holidays” with the real salt. That will turn you into Dead Sea salt – useless.

Here’s a way to check your “salt” score:

1. My career and business choices are motivated by God’s calling, not my planning.
2. I am intentionally living on less so that I can provide compassionate acts for others.
3. My relationships reflect God’s heart toward others, no matter who they are.
4. I am willing to express God’s truth even if I am rejected by others.
5. I take an active role in holding back moral decay.
6. I eagerly seek God’s will though serious study of God’s word.
7. Others recognize my humility as service to the King.
8. I am devoted to prayer.