You are the salt of the earth - Me?

 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”  Matt 5:13

What is Jesus saying to us? What was Jesus saying to his disciples?

Both these questions have followed me for weeks as I have meditated on this verse. I kept coming back to the question, why salt?

Jesus talks about salt losing its flavor and becoming worthless but why?

I did some research and found I had very limits about salt.  I only thought of salt as a flavor enhancer and to preserve dried meats. I never thought of it as one of the building blocks of life. Better yet, a building block of a healthy life. Is that what I am building block of a healthy life?

• Thousands of years ago, when the diet of humans was potassium-rich and sodium-poor, this sensor for salt was a crucial survival tool. Nature, in her infinite wisdom, devised a way to help humans (as well as animals) seek out salty foods so they could be assured of receiving adequate sodium from their diets.
• Sodium chloride or salt plays countless roles in the body.
• Sodium is crucial for maintaining the health of every cell in the human system. It permeates the fluid between cells (often called the "extra cellular fluid") and potassium exists mainly on the inside of the cells (in the intracellular fluid).
• Sodium is important in two other "salty oceans" in the body, our blood and our lymphatic fluid.
• Sat is also necessary for the production of hydrochloric acid, the digestive enzyme secreted by the stomach in order to digest protein.
• Along with potassium, sodium is required for the proper functioning of our nerves and the contraction of our muscles. (The heart, as you may know, is our hardest working muscle.)
• Sodium is necessary to maintain several kinds of equilibrium - fluid balance, electrolyte balance and pH (acid/alkaline) balance which are all of the utmost importance to the body.
• Too little can cause fatigue, spasms, poor heart rhythms, sudden death and even increase the risk of heart attack in hypertensive patients.
• Too little on a hot day leaves us open to sun stroke.
• An eight-year study of a New York City hypertensive population stratified for sodium intake levels found those on low-salt diets had more than four times as many heart attacks as those on normal-sodium diets – the exact opposite of what the “salt hypothesis” would have predicted.
• The human body needs plain water and salt. The proof of this is the use of "SALINE IV's" in ambulances and hospitals. They don't give an IV of plain water but of salt water.

PS. Refined salt is not healthy unrefined sea salt has these qualities.

I also looked up this idiom : “rub salt in/into the wound: to make a difficult situation even worse for someone”

I am the salt of the Earth. The salt that comes out of Earth-coastal sea salt and mined rock salt has a flavor to get into people's lives, to be desired and recognize. But if it has no flavor it will be tossed out.

Is that what I am, salt of the earth, a building block of a healthy life?

Consider this. Salt is made up of many many grains. Conversation is made up of many many words. Salt gets my attention because of its flavor. Conversation gets my attention when its has a flavor that appeals. When words come together to encourage, to bless and build up, I devoured them. Other words sting in my wounds or are ignored and trampled underfoot.

He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

The good work God began is

transformation and my full reconciliation to God

turning me from a rebel into a worshiper  “A. W. Tozer"

drawing me into friendship

turning me, a scoundrel, into a Saint

repeating to me again and again that I am accepted and loved not rejected

that makes me God's handiwork

Eph 1:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

God's confidence in completing this work in me is fully committed, unreserved and unwavering.

When I dig in my heels, He keeps working

While I swerve, He is steady

When I want to bail out, He is confident and encouraging

When I am empty, He says welcome, “I've been waiting for you.”

He could not use my pride, it never gives Him credit. My arrogance and intimidation are not his tools. The reward of humility is the fear of the Lord. This is where I am finally able to bring him glory, commensurate with His Name.

All the time my worldly nature does not want to surrender to humility and needing help. I would rather avoid you. I would rather hide than let a need be known. I prefer to arrogantly puff up and bluff than admit a lack or weakness.

My defenses against humility are a few lies.

I believed God is responsible for my pain.

I believed He cannot be good.

I believed God is responsible for my turmoil, anxiety,

and that He does not answer prayer.

When all the time God opposes my pride and does not answer my double mindedness. We have not worked together well.

Yet His plan remains and He moves me closer to the good works He has laid out for me by way of the road to humility.

Each trial giving me another opportunity to learn more about bitterness or more about His love, His ways and His kingdom.  I CHOOSE to learn about His love.

……..

Just 24 hours after writing this my emotional balance slipped. I am crying out, “I want to give up”. My response will be to quote this memory verse in every idle moment of the day and in every way to moment during the night.

Philippians 1:6   I AM “confident of this, that He who began a good work” IN ME “will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me

 1 John 5:18  “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.”

The one born of God-is that Jesus who keeps me safe?

Am I born of God before or after I stopped sinning?  I'm confused. I thought I had to protect myself from sin. I thought I had to exercise self-discipline to keep myself from sin. Is John saying that Jesus keeps me safe and keeps the evil one away from me?

The counterfeit message is I must prove that one of God. I must exercise the discipline and clean up my own life.

The counterfeit message says, if I do not sin that proves I am from God. And if I sin it proves I'm not from God.

So why do I need an intercessor if I am born of God and without sin. Surely the pride of life alone would keep me from following God and bring sin into my life.

Hebrews says, “I can come boldly to the throne of grace and receive mercy and grace.”

Yet this verse is one of guilt and shame to me. This must be meat and not milk. For it causes the young believers to choke and surrender their new life to the enemy.

Or is the milk that should be fed daily and hourly while the new believer begins a change of culture.

God is light. His culture is light. I am called to walk in the light and to be light.

The enemy lies, that there is no escape from his grip and the sin he has woven into my life. He says, “I will always have a foot in your heart. I will always master you.” He says there is no chance for change. There is no way to become a conqueror.

I am not at peace with this verse. I call upon Jesus’ protection. Keep me from harm and make me an overcomer.

I can find grace and mercy in time of need

 Heb 4:16  “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

God can see everything

nothing is hidden from him

therefore since Jesus is my high priest, interceding for me night and day, since he was tempted in every respect like me. Therefore I can approach the throne of grace and mercy and find grace

The counterfeit message:  God is of divine killjoy but God’s kingdom is one of righteousness, peace and joy.  Not dead joy.

The counterfeit message:  God is waiting to interrupt my growth, gifts or joy when I stumble. God promises to give me wisdom every day. It can come through scripture, inspiration or failure.” Samuel Smiles. 

The counterfeit message:  God is sitting on his judgment throne passing out condemnation, judgment which separates me from Him. God sent Jesus on a ministry of mending my relationship with God. Satan accuses me daily in the presence of God while Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede for me daily.

The counterfeit message: God is harsh, unforgiving, rigid, unapproachable. Paul says, “Let us the approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  When I agree with God about my thoughts and actions, David says: “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”  Ps 103:12

The counterfeit message: God requires total transformation before I can talk him.  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rm 5:8.  Before I had a chance to try and reshape my life God had already prepared the way of restoration. He paid the price. He assigned the comforter to guard me, to guide me, to help me pray and teach me wisdom.

I have been bought with a price

I have been bought with a price 1 Cor 6:19-20

These are words that must be meditated on, rehearsed in my memory like a script and reassembled again and again.  I have pondered them over and over as if examining each option for how one piece might connect to another in a living sculpture.

I am adopted into God's family, they call me kin

I am a chosen friend of Christ

I am a saint

I am one of the Lord and Spirit

I'm a member of the body of Christ and I have access to the father through the Holy Spirit

Fan into flames the gift you have received

You have not been given a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

Lie:      you do not have a gift

you don't know who you are

so how can you have a gift?

Who knows you?

Recognizes you?

Who do you serve?

You can't have a gift

they only recognize gifts and people like themselves.

Timothy, you might not think you have a gift today. But it was prophesied over you. So you do have a gift. Don't let others judge you while it is developing don't yield to fear while it is true.

Your life has been expanded by God. God has beautified your life a gift that the enemy is fearful.

I am unified with Christ in one spirit

1 Corinthians 6:17 “whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”

This must be a picture of where I stand and who I am becoming. There must be a dual sense in the verb, unified.

The Holy Spirit is in me.

I am hidden with Christ in God.

I am an adopted son.

These all speak of my position and connection with God.

Yet the passage talks about today and tomorrow.

I am united with Christ. I am called to stop conforming to the world and to have my mind renewed.

He empowers me to resist the deceiver and see him flee. He empowers me to resist temptation, accusation, and intimidation.

To become an overcomer I must learn how to walk with Him and I must recognize the poison in and brokenness of my soul. I must discern the deceiver’s prick that activates my pain.

The Spirit dwells within me. I can follow the Spirit, lean on the Spirit, call on the Spirit, ignore and grieve the Spirit of God within me.

Yet I cannot surprise him, for he knows me far better than I know myself. My brokenness and habits of sin are not unknown to him. No, in fact he is healing me, helping me to discern and helping me to overcome.

The Holy Spirit unites me with Christ. He is connected to me and all who believe, in a permanent unbreakable way.

I am a citizen of heaven

Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

I am seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father

I have access to God, I am encouraged to come boldly before his throne

I am a citizen of heaven

Well I live on the earth I can communicate with God in heaven.

Jesus said, God is a better Father than any man

ask and you will given

seek and you find

knock and he will open to you.

That there is so much more to citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus says, “pray thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” That God's will, his desire, his commands, his kingdom culture come to earth. Jesus said he was part of the kingdom culture of the Father. Jesus did what he saw the Father doing and said what he heard the Father saying.

Fashion is a part of every kingdom. And fashion is part of God's kingdom.

Col 3:12-17 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The measure of love, righteousness, peace and joy we have shows up in our clothes, attitudes and conversation. It shows up in our fashion and culture.

I do not belong to a kingdom of fear but one of wisdom, power, sound mind and security. In the God’s kingdom, love is not emotional chemistry or seduction.

 But one of protected sensuality and modesty.

The kingdom where love is God and God is love. Where the King desires to restore every rebellious person, to full and complete fellowship.

Heaven’s mission is reconciling men to God.

God confronts and heals

He extends me security and protection

He encourages me and me builds up

He convicts and exhorts while transforming me

He teaches me and grants me wisdom.

Cultures wear different clothes and personalities. That is true about the kingdom of heaven today and over the generations.

My citizenship is purchased by the blood of Jesus and is sealed by the Holy Spirit.

I was bought, sealed and adopted a citizen of heaven.