I. Salt

A. Nature & Purpose Of Salt

1. Salt was created by God
2. Many uses throughout history

a. Used as compensation: Slaves were traded for salt, soldiers paid with salt:
Hence the saying “He is/isn’t worth his salt”.
b. Used to keep roads free of weeds
c. Medicinal, health

i. Smithsonian Magazine– The human body contains about 4 ounces of salt.
ii. Without enough of it, muscles won’t contract, blood won’t circulate, food won’t digest, the heart won’t beat.
iii. Some doctors claim that salt will help cure chronic fatigue syndrome
iv. Promotes healing, thought it stings on contact.

d. Flavors food
e. Used as a preservative for food, & for Egyptian mummies.

B. Spiritual Parallel Regarding Salt

1. The saltiness of salt was created by God.
2. Whatever “saltiness” the Christian has is put there by God.
3. The Christian doesn’t create saltiness but receives it when they give their life to Jesus.
4. Jesus doesn’t say, “Go achieve saltiness”. He says, “You are…”
5. Jesus is describing what the citizens of the Kingdom of God will look like.
6. He says emphatically, “You and you alone, are the salt of the earth.
7. Jesus said there is no other people group that can be called “the salt of the earth”.
8. As God works thru the yielded Christian life, that life brings a preserving quality to everything that it touches. The presence of Christians ought to help preserve morality
9. The world is decaying because of sin, but the yielded Christian life helps preserve every situation against the decay that comes from sin.
10. The yielded Christian life brings a desired “flavor” into the world: the flavor of Christ.
11. Salt creates a thirst. (Matthew 5:6) May your life create a thirst for Jesus in someone

C. How To Remain Effective As Salt

1. Stay salty, and don’t lose your saltiness. We have that capacity in either direction.
2. Continue on with what has taken place in your life so far.
3. Verses 3-12 describe the road to “salty Christianity”.
4. Don’t become useless in your Christian witness.

a. It is only the presence of Christ that makes a man spiritually salty.
b. Salt is the remedy for unsavory meat, but there is no remedy for unsavory salt.
c. If a man rejects Christ, there is nothing else that will make him spiritually salty.

5. We must have the salty work of Jesus working within us.
Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

a. The context of Mark 9 is getting rid of things that lead a Christian into sin
b. Yield to the work of Christ: Obey the word of God/ influence of the Holy Spirit

6. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
7. Jesus Himself is the One who brings saltiness into our lives.
8. We cannot create that saltiness, but we can inhibit His work of “salting” us.
9. Christian- Be what Jesus made you to be: “salty”.
10. Inhibit corruption, create thirst, bring healing.

II. Light

A. Nature & Purpose Of Light

1. Light was created by God.
2. Genesis 1:3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
3. Light dispels darkness by its very presence.
4. Light reveals things hidden by the darkness.
5. Light provides the ability to find one’s way.
6. Light is more useful if it is well placed- i.e. upon a lampstand.

B. Spiritual Parallel Regarding Light

1. Light speaks of all that God is.
2. Light speaks of moral purity, truth as opposed to error, confusion as opposed to understanding, clear direction as opposed to confusion.
3. Turn to Matt. 4:12-16 The arrival of Jesus was/is considered the coming of light & life
4. Turn to John 1:1-8 Jesus is called “the light of the world”.
5. Turn to John 3:14-21 All men must make a decision about the Jesus (the Light).
6. Turn to John 8:12 Jesus is the Light of the world.
7. Turn to John 12:46 Whoever abides in Jesus, abides in Light.
8. Turn to Acts 26:18 Notice the description of Light & Darkness: From Satan to God
9. 1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway (under the control) of the wicked one.
10. The multitudes need the Light of Jesus. Remember Matthew 5:1

C. How To Remain Effective As Light

1. Listen to and obey the Word God. Listen carefully, obey diligently. Grow in “light”.
2. Turn to Luke 8:16-18

a. These verses are an exhortation to pay attention, and grow in light.
b. God’s intention is that we would understand His word, and be changed by it.

3. Jesus didn’t say, “Create that light…”.
4. He said, “You are the light…let that light shine”. We have a choice.
5. The result of letting your light shine is people giving glory to God in heaven.
6. Jesus has put His light into the Christian. He has put Himself within the Christian.

a. Don’t hide that light (Jesus) because of fear. (Like smothering a fire w/a blanket)
b. Don’t quench that light by indulging in sin. (Like throwing water on the fire)
c. Feed that light by getting into God’s word. (Like putting more wood on the fire)

7. Ephesians 5:8-14

a. Christian: be what God has made you to be
b. Unbeliever: Receive Jesus Christ…be purified (salted), and walk in light