1. Matthew
5:13.
2. Significance
of salt in Jesus’ day.
a) Sacrifices
were required to be salted before they were offered to God.
b) Bodies
of newborn babies were rubbed with salt for health reasons.
c) Placed
in the cavity of a tooth to ease the discomfort of a toothache.
3. Salt
is no less important to us today. The Salt Institute lists over 14,000 uses of
salt.
4. Consider
three elements of our text.
a) The
salt.
b) The
savour.
c) The
casting out.
I. The
salt.
A. Preserves.
Imagine a society void of Christian influence. Religious apostasy --> political corruption
--> social immorality.
Consider Psalm 9:17. "Tact" – "Contact."
B. Produces
thirst. As Christians, we ought to live in such a way that our influence
causes others to hunger and thirst after righteousness. Consider Matthew
5:6.
C. Purifies.
"Sun and the sea." Christians are to be examples of purity –
James 4:8.
II. The
savour.
A. Certain
translations render this "flavor." But sodium chloride (salt) is a
stable chemical that does not lose its taste.
B. When
Jesus spoke of salt that lost its savour, he spoke of salt that lost it
identifying characteristics (and thus its usefulness).
C. Salt
looses its savour by becoming mixed with other elements (impurities).
Consider James 1:27.
III. The
casting out.
A. Dr.
Thompson’s citation of the merchant from Sidon in "The Land and the
Book."
B. Fellowship
must be withdrawn. Consider II Thessalonians 3:6, Titus 3:10.
C. Eternal
separation will take place. Consider Matthew 13:41, 25:30, 41, 46.
