Bible Reading: Num. 34; 35; 36. Mark: 9:25-50
“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another” -Mark 9:50(KJV)
Salt is used to season our food in order to give taste to our meal and for the preservation of edible items. When we prepare meal for our special guest we use salt to season it appropriately so as to give it nice taste that makes it attractive to eat. A meal without salt is tasteless and can be very frustrating to eat. The quality of saltiness in our Christian living is two-fold.
Firstly, we as living sacrifices unto God must be salted. “For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt” – Mark 9:49 (KJV). Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:1 (KJV), “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” You salt your Christian living with fruit of the Spirit as stated in Galatians 5: 22-23. Among such is love, joy peace, meekness, etc, etc.
Secondly, as Christians we salt our environment with our salted life of Christian virtue. In Matthew 5:13a (KJV) the bible says, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?” This is what Paul was saying in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (KJV), “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart”. When we apply our Holy Spirit filled life in our day to day activities and interaction with our fellowmen we begin to positively influence their action which will consequently lead to a more tasteful society. No wonder the bible says that the righteous will dwell in a peaceable habitation. As we intensify our Christian virtue our influence over the society becomes more tasteful which is manifested in societal norms and values that has positive inclination. It therefore means that we must be adequately salted ourselves to appropriately salt our society.
Salt as a preservation is also important. We use salt to disinfect our edibles such as vegetables, fish and many others. When salt is used on these items it kills the germs or worms that would have infested our food. In the same way our presence in the society helps to preserve positive societal values and destroy negative tendencies in our societies. The presence of a true Christian in an environment infuses it with God acceptable standards for daily living and pricks the conscience of evil men drawing them to repentance. At the day of Pentecost we could see how the words and action of Peter and the disciples of Christ prick the heart of men and drew above three thousand soul to repentance.
My dear reader. when we allow Christ into our lives to dwell, the Holy Spirit begin the work of grace and transformation in our life thereby thoroughly seasoning us with the fruit of the Spirit. This is manifested in our being salt to season our environment with our Christian virtue in order to create a peaceable habitation. It is on this premise I invite you to accept Christ into your life.
Prayer: Father give me grace to continue to abide in your presence thereby making me a salt to season my society for you In Jesus name. Amen.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo