JRM Sison Chapter - Teachings

     God has plans for us; plans of goodness, mercy and joy that are filled with colors. But all these plans are hindered by Satan. All Satan ever wanted is to divert our thanksgiving, praise and worship from God towards him. He made it a point to imitate whatever God wanted to give His children. He imitated language; he imitated miracles; he imitated blessings; he imitated prophecies; and he even imitated the doctrine to divert us away from God.

     The lesson for today is about salt. Jesus, our Lord and Saviour have given salt as a symbol of holiness and love. In Matt 5:13, He has said, “Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” He mentioned two kinds of salt; salt of the earth and salt to be trodden under foot of men. God is mentioning that our salt-like characteristic must be with savour; meaning useful for God’s tool over all the earth. Savourless salt is meaningless salt. It can’t be used for anything. Even if it is salt, it only looks like it because its savour is no longer there. It’s only use is for decoration.

     Satan has tried to rob this salt-like characteristic from Christians right from the start. He wanted to steal its essence because he wanted Christians to be savourless salt. In Genesis 19, it tells the story of Lot and his family and what transpired in Sodom. They were saved from utter destruction. God destroyed the sinfulness of Sodom. But Lot’s wife, though saved, desired that sinful life to be restored. Thus, as she looked back, not heeding the word of the angels that warned them, she became a pillar of salt. That pillar of salt was a symbol of her sinful consequences. Wait a minute, does that mean that the pillar of salt has some connection with the salt Jesus was talking about? The answer is yes… and no. The pillar of salt is in physical form. The salt described by Jesus is in spiritual form. The pillar of salt can’t be used for domestic use, thus, useless. The salt of the earth is delivered through language. And this language is God’s gift to man. Through language man delivered their salt with effectiveness by the grace of God.

     The similarity of the two lies on the person. The pillar of salt is not about an unbeliever or a newborn Christian but a mature Christian; a person whom God had shown favor, blessings, and mercy. This Christian is a person who has a magnetic personality that attracts other people to his favor. A person that is living a lie as a Christian; a Christian that lives in sin; a Christian that thinks only of himself rather than on God’s plans; a Christian that lives in the past not in the present that God gives and the future that God offers; a Christian that loves God but does not trust in Him.

     Salt is used in many ways. It has more than 14,000 uses. In the U.S. year 2007, salt is used in highways (70% used against snow build-up), water conditioning (12% for softening hard water), chemical uses (7%), agricultural uses (6%), and food grade use (5%). Note that only 5% of salt is used for domestic or household use. Notice how important salt is for the development of highways (evangelism). It is even used to condition their water supply, making water adaptable for daily use, i.e. laundry, washing, etc. (cleansing, healing, restoring). It is also used for chemical uses to be used for other means (arts, sciences, and way of life). It is also used for agricultural uses (business, livelihood). And used for food grade use (restoration, healing and correction of oneself).

     During the old days when electricity was scarce, salt was used to preserve fish and meat. When the fishermen have gone to sea for days searching for a big catch, they use salt to preserve their catch to avoid spoiling it when they travel back home. In hunting, salt is an invaluable antiseptic, cleansing aid and seasoning for their catch. Catch meat is tasteless without salt even if there is sauce available. Salt preserves, seasons and cleanses.

     The pillar of salt described in the book of Genesis is a useless salt. It looks like salt but it isn’t. It can’t be used to preserve (it killed Lot’s wife!); or to season (care to use that kind of salt for your meal? Gross!!!); or to cleanse (how on earth could that cleanse knowing that the result of that salt was due to the destruction of a city?!)

     Right now, many Christians who thought they were salt of the earth became pillars of salt instead. Salt of the earth edifies, restores, mends broken hearts; generates love, focuses on the love of Jesus. Pillar of salt brags, destroys relationship, and destroys the image of Christianity. In totality, the pillar of salt is Satan’s deception of God’s salt of the earth. It may look like Christian but it isn’t. It may sound like holy but it isn’t. It may feel like blessed but it isn’t. The pillar of salt is only skin-deep. It can’t penetrate to one’s heart and soul. How can we know it? It is through one’s language.

Living a life filled with SALT - as said before, one’s salt is seen through one’s language. Language is a gift of God that brings about WORSHIP to the Lord. One’s language must encompass these things: Word of God; Obedience; Reverence. When you worship, you don’t sing songs then feel the presence of God without REVERENCE in His presence. If you did feel some goosebumps, it is not out of reverence but out of emotion. Reverence cannot be achieved if there is no OBEDIENCE. Reverence without obedience is not reverence but a programmatic lifestyle. You just worship out of duty and not out of obedience. Obedience can’t be achieved if you don’t have the WORD of God. Thus, worship is the totality of God’s WORD, OBEDIENCE because of the Word and REVERENCE because of obedience through the Word; that engulfs the carrier of worship (SHIP-the person not the spirit).

The right SALT:
     a.     Seasoned
     b.     Affectionate
     c.     Lasting
     d.     Trustworthy

The wrong SALT
     a.     Slander
     b.     Anger
     c.     Lingers
     d.     Temptation-prone

Conclusion:

     Colossians 4:6 states “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Seasoned means refreshes, creates color in life. Be affectionate to everyone. Have that lasting relationship filled with love. And let that trustworthy character fill the gap of silence and bridge a relationship based on trust. Jesus is the first example who based His earthly life in a salt-of-the-earth character. To Him, being salt of the earth is not a command but a passion towards the love that God has shown. Brethren, God is love and love is God. A salted life is a life filled with love. A salted life is a life of obedience. A salted life is a life of reverence. A salted life is a life of worship. A salted life is a life of contentment. Let us worship the Lord and allow God’s grace to fill us through our obedience to His words. Let us pray.