BE A PURIFYING INFLUENCE IN A DECAYING WORLD

Proclamation:

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

In this passage of his letter to the believers in The Church at Colosse, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul told them to be careful in the way in which they act towards and speak to outsiders.  He told them that they should make every effort to interact with others in a Christ-like manner, displaying the grace of Christ, so that their behavior and their words were helpful and reflected positively on Christians.

Application:

As believers, we should speak with grace.  Our words should be spiritual and wholesome (Godly), fitting and sensitive (appropriate), purposeful and complimentary (helpful), kind and gentle (considerate), truthful and thoughtful (filtered by our mind before being spoken).  Our words should also be seasoned with salt.  Salt adds flavor to food, but it also prevents corruption.  It was used to prevent the bacterial contamination of meat before refrigeration in days of old.  Salt has a purifying influence by preventing decay.  By their being like salt they would have a purifying influence in a decaying world.  Jesus said that His disciples are the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)  As believers, we should also know how to, and be ready to, answer people when they question us.  To do this we must read and study The Word of God. (2 Timothy 2:15)  Then, after we hear and read The Word of God, we must be doers of The Word. (James 1:22)  We must live in such a way that our Christian beliefs and our behavior are consistent.  Let us pray that God will use us to add a Christ-like flavor to this sin-sick world, and that He will use us to be a purifying influence in this decaying world.

Be Like The Salt Of The Earth

"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."  Matthew 5:13 (NIV)

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke to His disciples, and to the crowd that surrounded them, in His Sermon on The Mount, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew.  Jesus told His disciples that they were "the salt of the earth."  Salt has a unique flavor.  Because of its chemical properties, it has a purifying and a preserving influence.  Jesus said, if they lose their "saltiness", then they were no longer good for anything.

As students of Christ, and of His Word, believers today are to be like salt.  We bring a unique "Christ-like" "flavor" to the world.  Just as salt prevents most germs from growing or surviving, we should inhibit the spreading of sin, evil, and wrong-doing by our presence, principals, and our practices.  Just as salt can purify and preserve meat, we should be able to help purify, correct and redirect, and preserve, encourage good works, in the people that we come into contact with.  Our words should be "seasoned with salt" so that we speak appropriately to people, and answer their questions correctly. (Colossians 4:6)  If we lose that ability to help people, then we would be good for nothing.  So, let us be like salt, and be a Christ-like purifying influence in a sin sick world.

Believers Are The Salt Of The Earth

"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."  Matthew 5:13 (NIV)

After Jesus taught the beatitudes in His Sermon on The Mount, the Apostle Matthew records that Jesus continued and taught His disciples that they were the salt of the earth.  Salt is useful as a preservative and a flavor enhancer, without those qualities it is basically useless.  They were to preserve the Christian beliefs, behavior, and way of living here on earth.  If they did not provide the world with the flavor of the teachings of Christ, then they were no longer good for anything.  

In the times before refrigeration, salt was used to preserve meat.  Most bacteria could not grow in a salty environment.  In a corrupt and sinful world, believers are the "salt" which God uses to preserve the teachings of Christ by their words and actions.  Jesus said that salt was good. (Mark 9:50 and Luke 14:34)  He also said that believers should season their conversation with salt. (Colossians 4:6)  Our speech should be graceful and it should preserve and reflect Christ-like behavior.  We are to spread The Word of God throughout the world.  If we allow the pursuit sinful pleasure to silence us, then we loose our effectiveness for The Lord.  Just as salt which is contaminated with worldly minerals can loose its effectiveness and become useless.  The believer who is contaminated with worldly influences is no longer good for anything.  Perfection is not required, believers still sin, but like King David they pray, confess, repent, and they persevere.  He who begins to work for The Lord, and then longs for his previous sinful lifestyle, is not fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62)   

Grace Filled Christian Conversation

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul encourages believers to be careful in the way that they act and speak so that they would not turn people off from Christianity.

Some people will make judgements about all Christians based upon what they see and hear from one or two Christians. We should speak with grace, spiritual & wholesome (Godly), fitting & sensitive (appropriate), purposeful & complimentary (helpful), kind & gentle (considerate), and truthful & thoughtful (Christ-like). We should make sure that our walk and our talk reflect good Christian behavior and conversation. We need to be like salt, we should be a purifying influence in a decaying world.

Be Like Salt

Being called "sugar" by someone you know can be considered a term of endearment or affection.
Most people would consider it a compliment to called "sweet."

The same is not true for being called "salt" or "salty", but maybe it should be. The word "sugar" is not found in the Bible but the word "salt" is included several times. The Bible says that "salt" is good, Mark 9:50 and Luke 14:34.

The Bible states that "Ye are the salt of the earth ..." Matthew 5:13 The Bible also states that our speech should be "... seasoned with salt ..." Colossians 4:6.

We know that salt add flavor the food. You may not know that in the past, salt was used to prevent the infection of wounds, and also to prevent the decaying of meat prior to the advent of refrigeration.

If we are to be like salt, then we should add a "Christ-like" 'flavor' to the world, and we should be a purifying influence in a decaying world.

Maybe we should consider it a good thing and a compliment if someone call us "salty".