Are you Salt?

I was blessed to be brought up in church—specifically, a Southern Baptist church. And if there are two things I’ve learned about the people in those churches, it’s this: they are some of the friendliest, most caring, most loving people you’ll ever meet… and they all love to eat! Now, judging by my size, you can probably tell I picked up at least one of those traits.

I won’t go on about food too long, because I don’t want to start a choir of growling stomachs. But let’s be honest—nobody likes a bland steak. Actually, I would say nobody likes bland food, period. Thankfully, God gave us something that fixes that: salt. It’s in everything. You can hardly buy food—or even some drinks—without it. Salt is essential.

And Jesus knew the value of it, too. So much so that in one of His most famous sermons, He gave us a command involving salt. You probably know the sermon I’m referring to—the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said many important things in that message, and while we don’t have time to cover them all today, I want us to focus in on one verse. So if you want to read it with me, lets look at Matthew 5:13. I want us to take a deep dive into what Jesus calls us to be—and maybe explore some practical ways we can live that out. I also want to examine the warning He gives to us also.

So Let’s read it together…

Matthew 5:13 ESV

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

So what does it mean when Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth”?

Before we can understand that, we’ve got to know a little about what salt actually did back then.

In Jesus’ day, salt wasn’t just a seasoning — it was a preservative and very valuable. They would rub it into meat and fish to slow down the decay. Without it things would start to rot fast.

So when Jesus says we are the salt of the earth, He is calling us to be a preservative. All we have to do is look at the world around us. I know im not that old, but i have seen things drastically change spiritually and morally in my lifetime. Im sure you all could say the same. We are living in a day of people calling what is evil good and good evil. I am nervous everyday as to what my children might get exposed too. But all we can do as parents and Christians is try and preserve their innocence and try to live out the life God has called us too. There are too many false gospels going around. The false gospel of self truth seems to be the most prevalent at the moment. Its all about trying to teach people, mainly children that how ever you feel is your truth. That somehow somewhere down the line God got it wrong and that your right. We as Christians must boldly and unashamadly hold fast to the word of God and His truth. And I believe we were born for such a time as now. He placed us here to live differently than the world, to show the love of Christ to our neighbor, and to stand up for His truth! When we do that we are being salt to this world and actively preserving what is good. We shouldnt be a closet christian and try to blend in with the world, we need to stand out! We are called to preserve what is good, speak up for the truth, and live in a way that points people to Jesus.

Paul says it this way in Philippians 2:15 — “That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

We have a great examples in the bible of how to live this out. Think back to Genesis 6 and the story of Noah. Genesis 6:11 described the state of the world at that time. It says

Genesis 6:11 ESV

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.

But Noah didnt follow the ways of the wicked. Genesis 6:9 describes Noah as

Genesis 6:9 ESV

a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

Or how about Lot and his family being the means of preserving good in Sodom. They were born to preserve Gods truth and goodness in their time, just as we are born for our time. We may be the only bible some people read. The only source of truth they may hear.

And as i touched on earlier, salt gives flavor. It can bring out the best in some food. So when Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth he is also calling us to bring out the flavor of Gods goodness wherever we may be. People should be able to see the joy of Christ in us, The peace that passes understanding in hard times, and a hope that this world cant offer. Paul says in Colossians 4:6 — ‘Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. So when things may get heated at times we should be prepared to bring Gods grace into the situation. Our words should not bring down anyone, but build them up.

Salt was also used as payment to Roman soldiers. As a matter of fact thats where we get our word salary from. Salt was a much needed substance. The Roman soldiers needed to be worth their salt, and thats where the old saying, are you worth your salt came from. So are you worthy to be the salt of the earth for God. Are we prepared to stand for His truth in love. Do we work for the Lord like we should? We all know as dark and wicked this world has become, people need to hear the Gospel more now than ever. They need to see Christians living out what they preach. We need to be genuine in our faith, trustworthy and also a source of truth, and to be a positive influence out in the world.

There are many other uses for salt, but the last one i want to talk about before we move on to the rest of the passage is that salt can be used for healing. Salt was used to clean and disinfect wounds. When salt is added to a wound it draws the fluid out to prevent bacteria from causing infection and spreading over a larger area. We need to take part in trying to heal our broken world. In 2 Kings 2:19-22 we see salt being used to heal and disinfect water. It reads

2 Kings 2:19–22 ESV

19 Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 20 He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 22 So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.

Jesus spoke in parables. I believe He did this because one parable has many different teachings that we can learn from. So as followers of Christ we are called to preserve his goodness and hold back the decay, to be worthy of being called His salt , and to bring healing to this lost world.

But Jesus also gives us a sobering warning in the very next words he speaks in Matthew. He says but if salt looses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? Salt isnt always pure. It could be mixed with impurities and rendered useless. When this is the case all the salt is good for is to be thrown out and like Jesus says to be trampled underfoot by men. So how do we keep from losing our saltiness? When we start to ignore the teaching of the bible we start to lose it. When we are outside of these church walls do we take Jesus with us? We need to boldly stand out for Christ, and not become bland and blend in for our comfort. We arent called to live for our comfort. Are we actively preserving what is good, or are we trying to just compromise for peace. Matthew 16:24 says

Matthew 16:24 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

We must deny the ways of the world.

Now, I want to press into this a little deeper—because Jesus wasn’t just giving us a catchy metaphor. This wasn’t a motivational slogan for discipleship. This was a charge.

When Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth,” He was not giving a suggestion—He was giving an identity. Notice, He didn’t say, “You should be the salt of the earth.” He said, “You are.”

If you are in Christ—if you have been born again—you are salt. It’s His nature in you. The real question is not if you are salt, but what kind of salt are you being? Are you living out the purpose He saved you for? I feel as though God has called me to preach his word faithfully and without shame and thats what i aim to do. Public speaking has never been my strong suit, but if this is the way God has called me to be the salt, i want to be the saltiest thing that has ever existed. He never promised us that this earthly life we live would be a walk in the park, but we have a great promise in Deuteronomy 31:6 that we should never forget as we actively try to be the salt God calls us to be which says

Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Salt Must Stay Close to Be Effective

You know, salt is only useful when it comes in contact with something. A salt shaker sitting on a table doesn’t season anything until it’s poured out.

And I think that’s part of the lesson Jesus gives us here. We can’t preserve, season, or bring healing to this world if we stay sealed up in the shaker.

Too many Christians have a “holy huddle” mentality. We want to gather together, enjoy fellowship, and keep to ourselves. Now, don’t get me wrong—fellowship is vital. The church is essential. But Jesus didn’t call us to isolate. He called us to influence and go out in the world.

We have to come into contact with the world—not to conform to it, but to impact it. As Jesus Himself prayed in John 17, we are to be in the world, but not of it.

Our neighborhoods, schools, jobs, even our families—that’s our mission field. Your neighbors might not ever walk into a church, but they live right next to you. Your neighbors and even the cashier you see every week—that may be the very person God is calling you to season with the truth of His Word.

Salt Changes What It Touches

When salt touches food, it changes it. When it touches wounds, it cleans them. When it’s poured into water, it purifies.

And if we are living out our faith, people should see that same kind of change when they are around us.

When people are hurting, do they see a healing presence in you?

When the world around you is rotting in sin, do you stand as a preserving influence, holding fast to righteousness?

When anger, gossip, or bitterness show up, does your speech—seasoned with grace—diffuse the situation?

We aren’t here just to “be nice” Christians. We are here to be a transforming presence, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 —

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”

We are called to be different—to live different—and when we do, the world around us cant help but notice.

The Danger of Losing Our Saltiness

Let’s spend a few more moments considering the warning Jesus gives us

“But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.” — Matthew 5:13

That’s strong language. And it should wake us up.

Jesus isn’t talking about us losing our salvation—He’s talking about losing our effectiveness, our witness, and ultimately, our influence for the Kingdom.

We live in a world that is constantly pulling at us—trying to dilute our convictions, mix in impurities, and dull our witness. And if we’re not careful, we can become like tasteless salt:

Still claiming the name of Christ,

Still going through the motions,

Still sitting in church on Sundays… But powerless. Ineffective. No different than the world around us.

That’s why the church in Laodicea received such a sharp rebuke from Jesus in Revelation 3:15-16

“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth

Lukewarm Christianity is useless Christianity.

When we lose our saltiness…

Our words lose their power to convict.

Our lives lose their ability to inspire.

Our testimony loses its credibility.

The Gospel we preach gets drowned out by the hypocrisy we live.

And Jesus says when that happens, we’re good for nothing but to be trampled underfoot by men.

What does that mean?

It means we become a doormat for the culture—mocked, dismissed, and ignored.

You see, when the church loses its distinctiveness, the world stops taking it seriously.

If we look just like the world…

If we laugh at the same filthy jokes…

If we chase the same sinful pleasures…

If we compromise on God’s truth just to be liked…

Then why would anyone listen when we talk about the life-changing power of Jesus?

When salt loses its saltiness, it doesn’t just lose its purpose—it loses its respect.

And that’s why we’re seeing so many churches today that are packed with people but powerless in the Spirit.

They’ve abandoned truth for popularity.

They’ve traded conviction for comfort.

They’ve become bland, tasteless, and ultimately useless for the mission of God.

Brothers and sisters, let us never forget: We are not called to be popular. We are called to be faithful and fruitful

So How Do We Guard Against Losing Our Saltiness?

Let me give you 4 practical ways to do this

1️⃣ Stay in the Word Jesus prayed in John 17:17 —

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” We are sanctified—made holy and set apart—by God’s Word. If we aren’t soaking in Scripture, we will start soaking in the culture.

2️⃣ Stay Connected to Christ Jesus said in John 15:5 —

“Apart from me you can do nothing.” The closer we walk with Jesus, the more salty we will be. But if we drift away in prayerlessness and apathy, we will grow bland and useless.

3️⃣ Stay Accountable in the Community We need brothers and sisters who will sharpen us—who will speak truth in love and help us stay on the path of righteousness. Proverbs 27:17 says,

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

4️⃣ Stand Boldly in a Compromising World Ephesians 6 calls us to stand firm in the armor of God. Don’t water down your faith to fit in. Don’t be afraid to stand alone for truth. Jesus said in Luke 9:26 —

“For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory…”

A Final Warning

I want to leave you with this sober thought— We can lose our saltiness by degrees. And what i mean by that is

It doesn’t happen overnight.

It’s slow. Subtle. Easy to miss.

It starts when we compromise in the small things…

A little dishonesty here…

A little bitterness there…

A little silence when we should speak up…

Before long, we find ourselves on a path we never thought we’d walk—

Lukewarm. Ineffective and Tasteless.

Don’t let it happen to you.

Let the Holy Spirit search your heart today. If there’s any compromise, confess it. If there’s any lukewarmness, repent of it.

And let’s be the kind of believers who preserve, season, heal, and shine until the Lord calls us home.

So let me ask you this…

Are you being salt where God has placed you?

Are you preserving truth in your home, your marriage, your workplace?

Are you shining light in dark places? Or are you blending into the shadows?

I want you to think about this: If someone followed you around for a week, would they know you’re a Christian by the way you talk? By how you treat others? By what you stand for?

Or would they just see another face in the crowd?

Closing Application

I believe God is calling His people—now more than ever—to get out of the salt shaker.

This world doesn’t need watered-down Christianity. It doesn’t need lukewarm believers who are afraid to stand for truth.

It needs men and women who are bold, gracious, loving—and uncompromising in their faith.

People who will speak the truth in love… People who will carry the healing properties of the Gospel to the hurting… People who will preserve what is good and resist the decay of sin…

And by God’s grace, that’s the kind of Christian I want to be. And I hope you do, too.

Let me close with the words of Jesus again—this time from Mark 9:50 —

“Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Let us be people who preserve, people who bring flavor, people who heal—and people who reflect the light of Christ.

Let us be the salt of the earth, let us pray.