Salt of the Earth
Many American Christians are vulnerable to the worldly philosophies of secular humanism, materialism, and hedonism. Gallop in “The Search for Faith in America” said, never before has the gospel of Christ made such inroads yet made such little impact on the culture and the ways people live. Jesus said, people will forsake true righteousness and instead choose the pleasures of the world over the calling of God. Their lust for material things would prevent them from becoming disciplined followers of Jesus Christ. Weak faith would cause Christians to be ashamed of the Gospel of Chrsit and this would prevent God from continuing to bless their land. The sinful lifestyle of so-called Christians would discourage many from seeking the true light of Christ. Francis Schaeffer cited the crumbling moral foundations of the media, the government and education. He said Americans would prefer to seek material things and so-called happiness instead of the things of God. In short, it will get tougher and tougher to be a Christian. This is an excerpt from the book “Idol Signs” coauthored by Barna and McKay in 1985.
The ways of the world are upside down from the ways of the beatitudes… the beautiful attitudes of Jesus Christ. The values of the world are paradoxical to the values of our Heavenly Father. The world emphasizes self confidence, self preservation, self actualization and self aggrandizement…. with the emphasis on self. These selfish priorities appeal to pride and self sufficiency. They are the tools the devil uses to turn men’s hearts away from seeking God and His righteousness through Jesus’ sacrifice for sin on our behalf. However, the beatitudes emphasize humility in mourning over sin and poverty of the Holy Spirit. These blessed attitudes prioritize meekness to receive God’s instruction in righteousness… to be blessed through the filling of the spirit of Christ in us for Jesus said, I am the bread of life and the fountain of living waters.
Those who embrace Jesus’ beatitudes are his peace makers who deliver a peace treaty from the kingdom of heaven to reconcile with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ those whom God has called.
After Jesus taught the beatitudes he said, ye are the salt of the earth. Salt is a preservative that keeps food fresh by preventing decay and corruption. Salt represents truth. Salt preserves from degradation, decomposition and decay. The truth of word of God makes us free from the rottenness of the world. Jesus said, If you continue in my Word ye shall be my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. Like salt, the truth of the word of God is the antiseptic and disinfectant to free Christ followers from the world’s corruption.
Recently there has been an emphasis on mental illness that has proliferated as our culture and society has turned its back on the truth of the word of God. The battle field is in the mind. As Americans have forsaken and forgotten true liberty in Christ, our country is increasingly succumbing to the consequences of sin that holds men captive. Without the armor of God, there is no soundness of mind… For God has not given us (who are born again of God’s spirt) a spirit of fear, but of power, or love, and of a sound mind.
The philosophies of this world lead to hopelessness and meaninglessness…. without God and without hope in a world of darkness. Jesus Christ came to give sight to those born spiritually blind. It used to be that there were standards for truth. There was no question regarding “sexual identity.” Until recently the prevailing standard was that a person was either male or female. Today however, many in our culture embrace the secular teaching that insists that gender is “fluid” and can change at the whim of the individual. There is a proliferation of confusion regarding sexual identity and this confusion divides and pits those who believe the truth of the Word of God from the so-called politically correct who insist that truth is relative to the individual’s preference. Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh. He is the standard for truth and life worth living. He said, I am the way the truth and the life… no man cometh to the Father except by me.
Without the truth of the Word of God and Jesus Christ, the word of God made manifest, the world will sink into degradation, decay and self-destruction. Any system of order will degrade, disintegrate, and fall apart without the infusion of power directed by God’s will and purpose… He is the one who directs, orchestrates, manages, and sustains all things according to the purpose of His Sovereign will. When we who believe in the truth of His word delight in his word and align our hearts with his heart, then it is God that works in us and through us to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Genesis 6 says that the spirit of God will not always strive with man. God has set up His word as his righteous standard. God is no respecter of persons. He is, however, a respecter of His word. His laws are intended to protect those who choose to enter into fellowship with Him and live under the canopy of His blessings… under the shadow of the almighty… under the Banner of God. However, when God’s people commit two evils by forsaking Him, the fountain of living waters and hewing out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water, left to their own devices they will not break God’s law… they will break themselves upon the pillar and ground of the truth by leaving of the canopy of God’s protection.
Those whom God has called will be blessed when they witness the truth of the Word of God… when they taste and see the love of God and the truth manifest in the lives of Christians who speak and live the savor and salt of God’s truth. As the salt of the earth, we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ and him crucified…. to them that are called we are the savor, the sweet smelling fragrance of salvation. But to those who do not believe, the followers of Christ are the stench of death unto death.
To accept Jesus as Lord means to forsake self serving pride. This is the root of the problem with the rich young ruler who approached Jesus and said, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life.” Jesus knew what was in the heart of man so he replied, “Why do you call me good? There is none good (in the flesh). Only God himself is good.” Jesus continued, “You know the law: Do not commit murder, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother… in other words, love your neighbor as yourself.” The young ruler said filled with pride, “These things I have done since my youth.” Then Jesus said, “One thing you lack. Sell all your goods and give the proceeds to the poor. Then come and follow me.” The young man went away sorrowful, for he had great material wealth. The rich young ruler may have kept part of the Ten Commandments, but he did not honor the first of the ten commandments… Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. The gods he worshipped were his material possessions and his own self serving pride. According to the Aramaic text, this verse says, “Thou shalt have no other gods between your face and my face.” He had the wrong gods that came between him and the one true God. The first and great commandment is to love God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength. When we do the first commandment, the other nine…. will fall in line. Why? Because the love of God covers a multitude of sins.
The problem with the church is “casual Christians.” A casual Christian follows Christ only when it’s convenient, easy, and without heartache, trials and tribulations. Casual Christians are casualties in the spiritual battle. Jesus said you have to count the cost of following me. The last of the beatitudes says, blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven.
There is a difference between Jesus of Orange County and Jesus or Nazareth. Jesus of Orange County is a broad way that leads to destruction. Jesus of Nazareth is the narrow way through the narrow gate that leads to eternal life. Jesus of the OC says there is no cost to follow me. Jesus of Nazareth says count the cost, take up your cross daily and follow me. Jesus of the OC says you can come on your own terms. Jesus of Nazareth says, come on God’s terms. His terms are unilateral and non-negotiable according to the Word of God. Jesus of the OC says obey when it’s convenient. Jesus of Nazareth says obey no matter what. Jesus of the OC says, make decisions based on fear. Jesus of Nazareth says, make decisions based on faith, for God never honors fear but he always honors faith. Jesus of Orange County says, look out for number one and you’re number one. Jesus of Nazareth says look to the things of God for you are my bond servant, bound by the bond of love. You are servants of whom you obey, whether sin unto death or the sprit of God unto eternal life.
In a counseling session, two women had approached Pete and said, “We know that divorcing our husbands has no biblical grounds, but we don’t believe that God wants us to be miserable for the rest of our lives.” Pete responded, “Being miserable is your own choice. You both took vows before God and men to be married to your husbands and to be faithful until death do you part. God never said that life would be without pain, trials, tribulation and heartache, especially in marriage. If you’re miserable, then you are miserable because you have forsaken God and you have not learned patience for God to deliver you. Through tribulation you will learn endurance… true godly character, refined by God’s testing and trial. Then you will discover that Joy is not the absence of pain but the presence of the Lord. If you forsake your marriage vows before God, you will still be miserable when you follow through with your divorce.”
Jesus of the OC wants to be politically correct. Jesus of Nazareth wants to be biblically correct. Jesus of the OC says, Jesus is my guide. Jesus of Nazareth says, Jesus is my Lord. Jesus of the OC says truth is relative. Jesus of Nazareth says truth is absolute. Jesus of Orange County says peace depends on circumstances. Jesus of Nazareth says that my circumstances are working out for the good of the gospel. Therefore, be anxious for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God… and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The peace of God is not dependent on circumstance but upon the presence of Christ.
Jesus of the OC says follow me and you will have no pain. Jesus of Nazareth says, in this life, you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. Jesus of Orange County says study the Bible to know it better. Jesus of Nazareth says study the word for the renewing your mind that you will be transformed that you may prove what is the good and perfect and acceptable will of God.
1 Corinthians 15:33 says, be not deceived, bad company corrupts good morals. You’re most like those with whom you choose to associate. We are called to the church the body of Christ so that we can link together with likeminded men in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.
God will not strive with America… The choice is truth or consequences. If God removes his hand of blessing and protection from this land because of the nation’s unbelief, he is preparing the hearts of his men of God for such a time as this. Despite the brokenness of this fallen world, our hope is not in our nation but in the country of our new birth for we are born-again citizens of heaven.
God doesn’t call the qualified and equipped. He qualifies and equips the called. The qualification and the equipment is the power of his Holy Spirit. God did not call us to deliver the message, but to be the message… to be about our Father’s business. Our father’s business is to be the salt of the earth… to be witness of the truth, the message of salvation to reconcile God’s people back to God through our Lord Jesus Christ… this is our mission and our great commission: to go give ‘em Heaven…
…that together we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
