“You are the salt of the earth.” — Jesus, in Matthew 5:13
Christian influence in a “post-Christian” world should be the same as in a “pre-Christian” context.
As Jesus says in Matthew 5:13, his disciples are “the salt of the earth.”
What does this mean?
When Paul speaks of being salty in Colossians 4:6, he applies it to how we speak — as “seasoning.” He writes, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Ah. Seasoned with salt = full of grace. That is helpful. It’s also consistent with the heart of the gospel.
In view of the cross, the seasoning of our speech means it will be flavored not with the tone of condescension and condemnation but of kindness and compassion.
Truth and love.
We’ll speak truth with humility and love with empathy, knowing that apart from sovereign, regenerating grace, every Christian stood justly condemned for treason against the king.
But the gospel makes a salty declaration.
“4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!” (Ephesians 2:4-5)
That is how the cross speaks. Sin is serious. We were dead. But with justice satisfied through the propitiating, substitutionary execution of Jesus, the doors into the banquet of mercy were flung wide open to any who will look to Christ as their sin-bearer and righteousness provider.
Like the doors of the ark in Noah’s day.
So, while the doors of the ark are still open, our calling is not to win an us vs them culture war. It is to magnify a Him for us message of good news for the sinner who turns with their sin to the Savior.
This is to say, speaking graciously to the unbelieving world is not a law for us to keep. It is an implication of how the cross speaks to us which motivates us as ambassadors of Jesus, trusting that the power of change is not making demands but by revealing, seeing, and savoring nail-scarred hands.
Then, having heard the flavor of grace, we’ll have our own words seasoned with the same grace we’ve received—to the praise of God’s glory in the cross of the risen and reigning Jesus.
Comments ()