The Salt Of The Earth

by J. Taylor, Crowborough | Category: General | Jan 1982

Salt is a valuable commodity with various uses, two of which are flavouring and preserving. The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "Ye are the salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13). These words are just as applicable to His disciples today as they were to those to whom He spoke.

In what way, then, is this characteristic to be seen in His disciples? Just a little salt in much of the food we eat makes a great deal of difference to the flavour and enjoyment of our meals. So the very presence of a Christian in the world has a far greater influence than is generally realized.

In the business world, a person with what are evidently strong Christian principles is one who is respected by his colleagues, though they may not openly acknowledge it. Nevertheless the testimony is there, and secretly appreciated.

Then there is the value of salt as a preservative in many kinds of food.

The presence of salt prevents corruption, and in like manner this is true in regard to the presence of Christians in the world in which we live. When the Lord returns and all His own are removed to be for ever with Him, a strong constraint will disappear. It is easy to imagine the spread of corruption which will then take place, signs of which are already evident.

Reading the rest of the verse already quoted (Matt. 5:13) we find that the Lord spoke some very searching words:

but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.

What the Lord says here has a particular bearing on the way our lives conform to what He intended them to be. Although salt is incorporated into whatever it is mixed with, it must still retain its separate quality in order to be effective. In other words, salt must still be salt, or it is of no use. So then, the Christian, though necessarily in the world, is not of it. Very little seems to be heard in Christian circles today about separation from the world and its ways, but the principle still remains as set forth in 2 Cor. 6:14: "What fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion bath light with darkness?"

The advent of television has contributed in no small measure to the breaking down of the barrier of separation between the believer and the things of the world. Things which were once only to be seen in the cinema, the theatre and the music hall, can now be brought right into the home. A careful reading through of the first epistle of John will give a clear picture of the position of the true Christian in a hostile world. We live in a day of compromise, but we must ever remain apart from the corrupting influences which are everywhere.

J. Taylor, Crowborough | Jan 1982
General