Please Pass the Salt

I thought of something that might be helpful for today, and it started with a phrase that oftentimes we hear, maybe most often, around the dinner table.

What is that phrase? Would you please pass the salt? Please pass the salt. I don't know if that's a phrase that you might have been thinking of. But when you put it in the context of the Bible, especially in New Testament times, salt was very, very expensive. We don't often think of it that way today because you just go down to the grocery store and you just buy it. It's nothing to it.

Easy to get. But back then, it was a highly prized commodity. In fact, in some of the cultures of the day, it was one of the most precious commodities, even more, believe it or not, than gold. Now, if you can imagine salt being more prized than gold, I can't imagine that. But even just looking at the word itself, if you were to look up this word, salt in the Greek, it comes from a Greek word, theon, which sort of sounds a little bit like theos. As you know what theos is in Greek, it's the word for God.

Theon has a literal meaning of divine. And so it gives you a little idea how important salt was. In fact, there was a time that the Roman soldiers received a salarium. A salarium was the term used for salary. It even sounds like salary, a salarium. And guess where that root word for salarium comes from? Salt. It comes from the word salt.

And so some of the regiments were actually paid in salt. And that's where this phrase comes from when someone says, He's not worth his salt. You ever hear that phrase? Not worth his salt.

That's where that came into use. You got paid with salt? You're not worth it. You're no good. You're not worth that salarium. But Christ Himself said salt is a very good thing. He said it's a good thing. So I thought it might be helpful to step back this Sabbath day and think about the powers of salt. Not literal powers, but what it means to us. And how important it is in the analogies that are used throughout the Bible to help us to grasp the significance and really to begin to apply it in our lives.

Because there are several powers, if you think of it in those terms, to salt itself. Think about this one to begin with. There is a preserving power in salt. A preserving power. We know that phrase in Matthew 5.13. Christ said, You are the salt of the earth.

And one of the reasons that was so important was because there weren't any refrigerators. No power in electricity back in that day. So before refrigeration, salt was used to preserve food. So they would pack meat in it or fish, some vegetables. And Christ says, with that in mind, instead of packing your fish in salt to preserve it, you're the salt of the earth. You're to have a preserving power in you. And think of a couple of big examples. Any examples come to mind of great preserving powers of salt when it comes to God's people?

One that came to my mind, where would we be without Noah? Well, none of us would be here. Without Noah and his family, through them, God preserved the earth. Fast forward a little bit to the times of Sodom and Gomorrah. How many did it take to preserve Sodom and Gomorrah? Remember the kind of bidding war that God and Abraham got into? Well, how about if there's 50?

How about if there's... well, we got down to 10. And there weren't even 10 to preserve Sodom and Gomorrah. So Genesis 18 talks about that very fact. So there is this connection there that really gets to the point of how important are we as God's people, as God's church today? How important are we in our impact in this world? I think sometimes we don't recognize how important that really is.

If you'll turn with me over to 2 Timothy, notice 2 Timothy 3, verse 10. 2 Timothy 3, verse 10. I think it begins to show the value that God has in mind for us as we're a part of this world. Yes, we're to be in this world, but we're not of this world. We're separate from the world, but we have to live here. We've been called in this life. And part of that calling, I think it speaks to the power of Saul, that we're to be a preserving agent in this world.

2 Timothy 3, verse 10 speaks to that. The Apostle Paul talking to Timothy very specifically about that impact. He says to Timothy, You have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, perseverance. Verse 11. Persecutions, afflictions which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra. What persecutions I endured, and out of them all, the Lord delivered me. And I believe these same aspects should apply to us today. Notice verse 12. Yes, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. But what about us? What should our impact be on this world? But you must continue in the things which you've learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you've learned them. And that from childhood you've known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. We have to have this preserving power because we have Christ in us. We have God's Holy Spirit.

And we're to follow that doctrine of God. We're to preserve His way. We're to preserve the truth of God as we live in this world. And if you think about that connection to salt, salt has that seasoning aspect when it comes to putting it on food. So what about our seasoning aspect?

Do we season this world with God's way of life? That's what Paul was telling Timothy he was doing. That it was evident by how he lived, by how he put God's way into practice in his life, that that was a shining light in this world. He was the salt that savored this world with God's way. And what would happen to the truth of God if we don't preserve it? If we don't season this world with God's way of life? Boy, we've got to recognize that can't be a ho-hum kind of a thing. The Word of God must be preserved. It must be preached. It must be exhibited. We must be an example of that way of life.

And so, no wonder, a little later, Paul charges Timothy. He says, here's a commandment. Look over in 2 Timothy 4, right at the very beginning. He says, I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. Preach the Word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.

And I think we're there, aren't we? Is this world enduring sound doctrine? They want anything to do with God. But according to their own desires, it says, they have itching ears. They heap up for themselves, teachers. They turn their ears away from the truth, and they're turned aside to fables. But see, we're to be like salt. It says, you be watchful in all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. And of course, we've all been called to serve God.

We're all called to season this world and have a zest for God's way of life, so that we stand out in this world. And we preserve the truth of God, and we live it. And we're living, breathing examples of God's way of life. Have you ever heard it put that way before? Oftentimes, I've heard it said, I would love to see a good sermon than to hear one.

Because you're living it. You're showing it. It's who we are. And when we're connected to this preserving power of salt, we are fulfilling that phrase that Christ said, we are the salt of the earth. We're preserving the truth of God, and we're living, breathing human examples of that way. And of course, we stand out like a sore thumb in the backdrop of this world. And so we're to do that very thing. And in fact, there's an interesting connection to that in the way that we live our lives that goes way back.

You go all the way back to the Old Testament. Remember that whole system that God established when Israel came into the Promised Land? They had this whole Levitical system of priests and duties and obligations and sacrifices that were to be made. And it's interesting, one of the commands that God gave the Levites, and all the people for that matter, as they made their offerings.

If you go back to Leviticus 2, verse 13, Leviticus 2, verse 13, this section of Scripture gets into how God is guiding them and how the sacrifices should be made. And what kind of sacrifices, how they're supposed to do it, what those sacrifices should entail. And one of the interesting things that God directs them when it comes to those offerings, specifically here in this passage, is about a grain offering. And as he's instructing them about the grain offering, notice what he says about every grain offering.

Verse 13 of Leviticus 2, God says, So salt can't be missing from an offering. And I believe there's more of a connection than just the grain offering. I mean, think about today. Do we have sacrifices today? I mean, I say, nah, we don't have to worry about those sacrifices anymore. Wait a second. Yes, we do. What are the sacrifices we offer today? I mean, Romans 12 makes it very...we're a living sacrifice.

We're to be a living sacrifice. Our life is to be that sacrifice. We're to be offered with salt. And you think about how are we preserved? We're preserved because we have God in us. We have God's Holy Spirit. We are preserved. In fact, look at Romans 12. Romans 12, 1. Romans 12, chapter 1 delineates this, I think, in such a beautiful way. Notice this preservation that is supposed to be in us.

The only way God's way is preserved is if we're living it, if we're doing it, if we have God's Spirit, and it's evident in our life that we're submitting to God's Spirit. So no wonder Paul tells the Romans in Romans 12, verse 1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

And if we are the salt of the earth, then we can't be conformed to this world. It's evident that we're not. So he says, don't be conformed to this world, but salt transforms us. The spiritual rendition of salt transforms us by the renewing of our minds, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. And so, because God the Father has called us through Jesus Christ, we can be preserved. We can be preserved in Christ. In fact, if you read the beginning of Jude, it even puts it in those terms that we're called sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ. And when we are, then we're a true solarium.

We are then worth our salt. When that's the case, when our lives exhibit that very fact. And so I think that's an important aspect of this preserving power that God has given to us, and that we should be that living example, that living sacrifice that demonstrates the sacrifice that we give with salt.

But it doesn't stop there. Another aspect to the power of salt is its penetrating power. You ever notice that? If you've ever gone into the ocean, anyone ever gone into the ocean, and maybe you've got a mosquito bite on your leg, or maybe just a little tiny little cut, what's that like when you get in the water? Ah! It hurts! I didn't even remember that was there, and I get into the salt water, and suddenly I notice it.

It's there. And of course, in the old days, they would actually salt a cut, because a salt would have this power to penetrate and cleanse. Salt has a cleansing power to it. In fact, there's an interesting example that Elisha used with connection to salt. It's found back in 2 Kings 2, verse 19. Salt, definitely putting it on a sore, putting it in a wound or a cut, has this cleansing ability.

2 Kings 2, verse 19. Notice the example here with Elisha, one of the amazing miracles that he performed. 2 Kings 2, is where the story begins. 2 Kings 2, verse 19. Here, after Elijah has faded from the scene, Elisha has taken over, and he performed several miracles. And as we get down to verse 19, we notice that he goes into the city, and they kind of doubted Elisha.

The men of the city said to Elisha, Notice the situation of this city is pleasant, as my Lord sees, but the water's bad, and the ground barren. So they didn't have the water that they needed. And he said, Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it. So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there. And he said, Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water. From it there shall be no more death or barrenness.

So, result, the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha, which he spoke. Now, of course, it's not just the salt that was healing the water. We know that. We know it was God performing a miracle. But the interesting thing is, he does use this salt in connection to this miracle that God performs. And interesting that when Elisha follows God's directions, takes the salt that God commanded him to, God performs this miracle, and the waters are healed.

Even though sometimes salt can be kind of irritating, does it do some good? I think it does. This is a good example of that. Certainly the word of God can be irritating to us, especially when we're not following it. We're not following the word of God. It's like, ugh! It's like that sore on your leg when you get into the ocean. Suddenly it's there. And it's interesting that Christ didn't say, You are the sugar of the earth. He didn't say that. He didn't say, Oh, you're the honey, or you're the sweetness of the world. And oftentimes that's the only thing that people emphasize today, sweet Jesus and all that sort of thing. But that's not what Christ said. He didn't just emphasize love. Yes, love is critical. Absolutely. But Christ oftentimes used other examples as well. Sometimes Christ was the salt. And he irritated the Pharisees, didn't he? He didn't put up with what they were doing. He was like that salt water when the Pharisees got in the ocean. He said, Listen, you guys are violating the Sabbath. You're not keeping the real nature of the law. You're not keeping the spiritual aspect of what God intended. And so he irritated the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Certainly that was the case. Oftentimes that happened. Others that follow God's ways irritated the people sometimes. How about the way that Stephen told it like it was before the Jews and then they martyred him. They killed him because of it. You read through Paul's writings. How many times did he irritate people? Not because he was an irritating person, because they couldn't handle the truth. Because they couldn't handle God's way. It wasn't that they were that type in their personality, but it was because of the word that they spoke. Christ was perfect. He was perfect, but they couldn't handle the truth. They couldn't take the truth. And so when you recognize that very fact, salt has this penetrating power. Sometimes it can be irritating to those who are offended by it. But we better be sure we're not offended by it. Because salt can kill some things, can it?

Okay, I wasn't always the perfect little boy. And I remember as a kid taking salt out of the kitchen. My mom said, where'd my salt go? It's like, oh yeah, I forgot I took the shaker outside. And I was pouring it on these poor, helpless little slugs. Do you ever do that? Oh, don't admit it. Okay. You ever pour salt on a slug? You ever watch? It's like salt and slugs do not mix. I don't know if I can say, wow, it's really cool to do that. Kind of mean, I think, in that way. But you pour salt on a slug, it just kind of dissolves. It's kind of disgusting, actually. There are examples in the Bible where they took salt and they poured it on the fields to stop the crops from growing. You sprinkle salt on your lawn, you're going to kill the grass. Too much salt is a bad thing in that sense. You talk about it irritating, penetrating power. Eating too much salt. Is that good for your blood pressure? No, not good for your blood pressure either. Pretty interesting when you follow those examples. I was thinking of that example. It's in the Judges. Judges 9, where Abimelech salts the fields with salt to totally kill them, prevent that ground from growing crops. He killed the fields, in other words. Like pouring it on that slug. You kill the slug. Think of it in terms of God's Word. God's Word, like salt, has this penetrating power. When we pour it into our lives, we study God's Word, God pours that salt of His Word into our lives, there better be some things that are put to death. The things that are opposed to God, the things that are our own, better be put to death. The character of Christ better live on. The things that aren't Christ-like should be salted so that they don't exert themselves. So that they begin to melt away, and that penetrating power of the Word of God can expose those things. So, as the salt of the earth, we need to have the pure character of Jesus Christ. We need to be free from the contamination of the ways of this world. So God's truth can do that when it's sewn into our lives, and it puts to death those pastures that are growing the bad things. The human nature that we allow in our lives, that's got to be salted so it dies, so that we're free from the contamination of sin. We have to be. We have to. That's part of our great calling that God's given to us. Of course, it's interesting that when you think about how salt has these physical characteristics, some of those physical characteristics can tell some pretty amazing spiritual lessons as well. You ever get carried away and eat a bag of potato chips? Okay, maybe not the three-pound bag, but maybe even those little ones. If you ever had a little bag of potato chips and you just eat the whole thing and that's all you've got, what does it do to you? It's like, I've got to have something to drink. Or it makes you thirsty. Or maybe it's like, well, now I've got to have something sweet to counteract the salty stuff. But when you eat salty food, they know this very well in a movie theater. They put salt on that popcorn? If you ever buy the salt there, wow, they load it with salt. Why is that? Well, then you'll fork out for the soda as well. Now I'm thirsty. I've got to have something to drink. Well, what are you thirsty for? Water. I need water. I need water. That goes along with these salty foods. And there's an interesting example when you think of this in terms of the spiritual impact of that. If you go over to the book of John, John 4, notice verse 12.

Notice verse 12. We're going to kind of jump into a thought here where Jesus Christ is teaching a lesson in John 4.

As Christ is talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, he's teaching an interesting lesson. And she's noticing a couple of things about this. Jesus Christ exposes her for who she is, in a way prophesies about her, knows everything about her. Also interesting, this woman says to her, This is verse 12.

Kind of questioning that, kind of making a statement at the same time. But interesting the answer that Jesus gives to her. Christ says to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. This well coming out of the water isn't going to satisfy you. Because it's like eating a bag of potato chips. You're going to have to have a drink. You've got to have another drink. And later on, even though you might be satisfied for a minute or two or an hour or two, you're still going to have to drink more if you're going to stay alive. So you drink of this water, you're going to be thirsty again. But then he says, And so when we think about being the salt of the earth, we have to be thirsty for the Word of God. Thirsty for that water that can truly give us that satisfaction that we need. I mean, you think about it, if we're the salt of the earth, it's like we're feeding this world a bag of potato chips.

Do we cause others to become thirsty? Think about it that way. Is my example causing others to wonder, well, what's different about her? What's different about him? And as they come to see that, hopefully they'd want to drink from the well of Jesus Christ as well. Do we cause others to want to be free from sin? Do we cause others to want to check out what is this word all about? What is this way that they're living? Are we causing others to want to have the kind of peace of mind that we have? Because we understand the truth of God. Do we bring that about in others? Are we that salt that causes them to want to be thirsty? Are we that salt in this world that stimulates that hope for life beyond what's going on in this world? For the truth of God, that there is hope beyond the grave. You see, that's the kind of parched power, that thirsting power that we as salt in this world should have. That God's given us an opportunity, in a way, I think, to promote a thirst for God in this world. That we can be that salt. We can be that thirsting that is offered to this world through us, through our example. Because the people we come in contact with, the people that we work with, they may never see a booklet. They may never watch a program. They may never run into anything other than you. As a living, breathing example of God's way of life. Can God use you to bring a thirst to them? I think He can. In fact, I think He can powerfully use us in that way. If each one of us has an opportunity to live that way, I think He certainly can use us to do that very thing. And so there is certainly a parched power, a thirsting power, when it comes to salt. Alright, there's a fourth thing. There's a fourth thing as well. We talked about there's a preserving power. There is a penetrating power. You might notice these are all peas, by the way. A parched power, a thirsting power to God. If you've ever had mashed potatoes that they didn't put any salt on...

Whoa, what is this? You've got to put a little salt on there. Well, unless you're totally on a restricted diet, you can't, maybe. But food without salt? It's just bland. There's something missing. Well, you put a little salt on that? Yeah, but you don't have to overdo it. But just a little salt? Wow! Food's just pop. And so there is a pizzazz power to salt as well. Okay, I'm stretching it there just a little bit. But salt makes food pop, doesn't it? I mean, it really gives...it adds that tang, that little extra flavor, where it just wouldn't have been there.

It's just been bland. And I think life is bland without us. Life would be bland without salt. And so where we live, where we work, there should be a little bit of pizzazz. We're supposed to be a part of the divine presence in this world, aren't we? I mean, we should be. And so don't we add or shouldn't we add flavor for wherever we live? Shouldn't there be this little bit of pop, this little bit of pizzazz, a little bit of flavoring in the world around us because of...we're like that salt that's throughout the world.

It's added to the food, and it permeates the food, and it changes it. I mean, just a little smidgen can do it. Ever have oatmeal? Maybe just a little oatmeal. Boy, a little bit of salt makes all the difference. Just a little pinch of salt makes all the difference.

And it's suddenly, to me, it's really good. It's really good. And Christ used that example in regards to us and how we should be in this world. In Mark 9, Mark 9, verse 50, the very end of Mark 9, here Christ, I think, is speaking to this pizzazz, this real flavoring power of salt.

And so if you go to Mark 9, Christ is making this point. Of course, he made the point in Matthew about being the salt of the earth, and that salt better not lose its flavor. That's Matthew 5, 13. In Mark, he says a similar kind of thing, but he says it a little bit differently in Mark 9, verse 50, right at the very end of that chapter. Notice what he says. 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. Have peace with one another. We can't afford to lose the flavor of God in our life. We've got to be that pizzazz. God's called us and chosen us out of this world for a purpose, for a divine purpose. Maybe it's a divine, pizzazzing purpose.

We've got to spice up this world with God's way of life. I think it's in Colossians, maybe also in Ephesians, where he says, we're to be seasoning our speech even with salt so that we know how to answer each other. So we're to be that seasoning. We're to be that seasoning in this world that we live, and salt can lose its flavor. And what it does, it's nasty. It's worthless. It's like those soldiers that aren't worth their salt.

And worthless salt? There wasn't much left to it. Back in those ancient days, you know what they would do with it once it wasn't useful for actually seasoning anything? They'd throw it on their walkways so that the weeds wouldn't grow. Nothing would grow there. They would put that salt on the pathways, and that would take care of it. And so as you think about this flavoring power of salt, I think it also speaks to this idea of salt also. Well, maybe if we just back up a verse.

There's something here that I think that's also interesting in connection to this lesson that Christ teaches about salt. Verse 49, just mark 949. Christ says, Everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Of course, we read that back in Leviticus, the sacrifice is seasoned with salt. Well, where that sacrifice? Now he changes that idea of salt just a little bit, saying, we're going to be seasoned with salt.

And sometimes salt hurts a little bit. Salt has this testing aspect to it as well that Christ uses. This word for seasoned, everyone will be seasoned with fire. If you were to look that up in a Strong's or a Thayer's Greek lexicon, it means literally salt. You're salted with fire. Yes, sometimes that's the way life is. Literally salted with fire. And he says, you will be seasoned with salt. You will be salted with salt. There's going to be difficulties. There's going to be trials. There's going to be testing. He uses fire here to point to that very thing. Many, many, many times throughout the Bible, Peter is one of those that comes to mind where it talks about fire as a type of trial.

The fiery trial that's to try us. That testing and that trying of faith has a connection to salt as well. And of course, you think of the purifying aspect so that we can be purified. We can be more godly. And so for this reason, Christ talks about the fact everyone's going to be salted. And as a sacrifice, we may be tried. We may be tempted. We may go through difficult circumstances in our life. But it all points to this purifying principle so that we can be the flavoring that God wants us to.

So we don't lose our savor. We don't lose our flavor. And so it's for this purification process so that faith can flourish. So that God can use us and be the kind of sacrifice so that we can continue to grow. We can continue to put on the attributes of Jesus Christ. And so this sacrifice, who we are, we can expect there's going to be some salt in our life. It's undoubted. It will come.

Christ says it will be. Not that it might be. No, there's going to be challenges. There's going to be difficulties. And so you would think about how that would have really had instances in the first century, as Christ used this example. Of course, here we are. We're in the Promised Land. You're around the Dead Sea. You know what they call the Dead Sea? The Salt Sea. The Sea of Salt. I mean, there's so much salt in it. You can't hardly get under the water.

It has this buoyancy that brings you back up. And they would oftentimes collect their salt from around the Dead Sea. Now, one of the challenges is that it wasn't pure. There would be other minerals in the salt. And so because of the impurities in the salt, these crystals that they would collect, they had to get the extra stuff out of it and get just the salt itself as much as possible.

And so the impurities would be washed away. They'd wash them away. Sometimes the rain would do this. They'd wash out the impurities and wash out the sodium chloride. That made the salt worthless. And you know what happened when that came about? Let's say the rains rained so much, it washed out all the best stuff, that it didn't have the flavor that it needed. And so that was the problem. When too much rain or too much washing, trying to get rid of the bad stuff, also washed out the salt.

And it became useless. And so you'll find this example used throughout, especially in the Old Testament, how that salt lost its savor and then they threw it out into the pathways, or they threw it out into the yard to destroy the soil, to destroy the fertility of the soil, and to harden the path.

But you see, we can't be a hardened path. God doesn't want us to be rock solid. He wants us to be moldable. He wants us to be shaped by Him. And so we don't want to lose our saltiness. We don't want to lose the savor of the character of Jesus Christ. And boy, does the world have a lot of ways to do that to us. We can be contaminated by the world.

We can lose our saltiness by just becoming watered down. The water can water us down, so we lose our saltiness. It's amazing some of the insights that even people who aren't a part of God's way have when it comes to Christianity. I was reading through a survey that George Barna did the other day, and he's done many, many surveys, and specifically zeros in on Christians, and people who call themselves Christian. And he wrote something pretty amazing as he was kind of summarizing one of his surveys.

He wrote this. He said, The average Christian in the average church today is almost indistinguishable from the rest of society.

That's pretty stark when you think about that. He also wrote, And of course, we could put that on and say, Oh yeah, that's the churches of this world. That's the way that they are.

Well, we've got to be careful if we just put that off on everybody else. I think we have to take that to heart as well. How different am I? Is there really a difference, or do I just blend in with everybody else as well?

He went on to write, He said, When marriages of Christians end and divorce at the same rate of the rest of society, when Christians cheated business or lie or steal or cheat on their spouses, at the same statistical level as those who say they're not Christians, he wrote, Something is horribly wrong.

And so, we better make sure we're not losing our saltiness. We better not be losing our savor. Christ said, salt is good, and we have to maintain that connection with God so we don't lose that saltiness, so that we can flavor the world around us. I mean, as salt, we're to sow our lives so that the best comes out in those around us, whether they're a part of the church or not. We can salt this world in that way. And so, how we live can bring the real pizazz power of salt really to the best. Paul wrote the Philippians, and I think maybe had that in mind. Notice Philippians 1, verse 27.

Philippians 1, verse 27.

I think Paul had this idea of the pizazz power of salt, this flavoring power that we need to be in mind as he wrote to God's people in Philippi. I think this is a powerful passage that kind of summarizes these four aspects to salt and how God uses this amazing example to teach us some vital spiritual lessons. The New American Standard puts it this way. Philippians 1, 27. It says, only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. That's the saltiness we're to be. And he writes, So that whether I come and see you, or remain absence, I will hear of you that you're standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. And see, together we can be that salt that sprinkles our neighborhoods, that sprinkles our workplaces, that sprinkles our communities, that sprinkles our families, so that we can be that living, breathing sermon that's preached every single day. Because there's no doubt, this world needs salt. It needs pure salt. And if we're not as salty as we need to be, now is the time to renew that saltiness. Now is the time to dedicate ourselves for that. In fact, if we think about the way that salt was used in the first century, can we say that we're worth our salt? Are we really living up to that calling that God has given us to be the salt of the earth? You see, God has called us to be that preserving power. He's called us to be that penetrating power, to allow not only our example to penetrate where we live, but to allow God's Word to penetrate our lives, so that we strive to live by His way more and more, all the time. And so that we are thirsting after His Word, more and more. And we're that parched power that brings out the thirstiness in others as well. So that ultimately, they see we're a little different, that we are bringing some flavor to the bland oatmeal of this world, and we're bringing some pizzazz to those mashed potatoes. We've got to be doing that. And so we need to be about our Father's business of preserving, of penetrating, of thirsting, and the pizzazz that He wants us to be. So let's dedicate our lives to truly be that salt. And so when someone says, please pass the salt, maybe it'll bring a couple of other things to mind as well.