The Savour of Salt

Scripture: Luke 14 v 34: "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned."

Colossians 4 v 6: "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how to answer every man."

James 3 v 8 - 10: "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." 

Salt has been a precious commodity from time immemorial. It has been used in barter and trade and in some places it was taxable. The salt tax or taille in France caused such an uprising that it became a forerunner to the French Revolution.

In days of old salt was indispensable to the Jews, being used a an antidote in animal feeds, as well as in their sacrifices for the Day of Atonement. They have an inexhaustible supply of salt in the Dead Sea. 

Salt symbolised hospitality, durability and purity. To eat the salt of a king was to show him complete loyalty. To eat bread and salt together with someone was to make an unbreakable friendship. You would remark that he was worthy of his salt. A true friend.

So if salt lost its savour, its taste or saltiness, it becomes useless. Jesus said to His disciples that if that happened how could it become salty again. He was referring to people who share the Word of God in an uninspiring way, without the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The letter killeth but the Spirit gives life to the Word.

The Word must go forth in durability and purity, and in power, to change the minds and hearts of sinners. Salt should be in the Word preached to make people thirsty for more. So don't oversalt, give too much at once, just gently season your speech as guided by the Lord, to attract people to the gospel and to begin their search for truth.

We have eaten salt with our King, Jesus Christ, when we believed the gospel and became born again into His Kingdom. He has shown us complete loyalty and we must do the same. When we curse, speak evil or through jealousy try to separate good friends, our disloyalty to Jesus is evident. He says such a person will proceed no further.

If our speech is seasoned with salt we will always have a good answer for every man. I once had an encounter with an ambitious insurance salesman. For every gory scenario he mentally painted for me, I gave him the Word of God:

No weapon formed against me shall prosper.

By the stripes of Jesus I am healed.

My treasures are in heaven where thieves cannot break in and steal.

Fear not, Jesus has overcome the world. Nothing shall by any means hurt me.

My name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

The insurance salesman left defeated because he was trying to sell me a product I already had in abundance from my Lord and Saviour. And He has honoured my faith without ceasing. It takes discipline, obedience, commitment and true love of God to walk the walk of faith. The enemy sends in many to try to derail it but Jesus has it fully covered.  

So use your tongue wisely to bless and not to curse. Those evil seeds of division you have sown yield a hundredfold crop for you to reap. You need to repent, change your mind and thinking, and ask God's forgiveness. Take back your ugly words while there is still time, and pray for crop failure. Otherwise your salt will completely lose its savour and your efforts to win souls will be useless.

Those whose speech is full of grace and truth; who do not mishandle the Word of God, will be rewarded with great fruitfulness in their work for Him. Their saltiness will inspire and draw an endless stream of seeking souls to the Living Water of Jesus where they will never thirst again.

Prayer:  Father God, we put away malice and evil words which destroy our witness for Jesus, and pray that our words would always be seasoned with salt and the blessing of Your Word.  We greatly desire to enlarge Your Kingdom with the fruit of our labours. In Jesus' name. Amen.