Salt of the Earth

   Matt 5:13 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.

   THESE spoken to here are among the salt of the earth . . . are YOU among those whom Jesus says are the salt of the earth?

   Are you among those who are “preserving” the earth with The Truth . . . or having lost The Truth are you “in the Words of God” GOOD FOR NOTHING . . .

   In the days of old – salt was used to preserve meat so that the hungry could be fed. 

   Matt 5: 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

   The blessing that is pronounced here upon the hungry – is the direct result of “the salt of the earth” which refers to the NTC as they feed the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ . . .

   Today “The Truth of God” is food to the hungry soul and it is also medicine to the sick of heart. 

   If we (as God’s people) carry The Truth with us in our lives - Then it is in this way that “the hungry sould” will be fed and the spiritually sick can be nurtured back to health . . .

   1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God (set Him apart) in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

   The alternative to I Peter 3:15 is to pollute the vision of Lord God that the world sees in our heart through mixing Truth with error such that

   we are no longer the salt of the earth that PRESERVES – but having lost our savour (having compromised The Truth by moving the

   landmarks) we are thenceforth GOOD FOR NOTHING but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. If you think that “to compromise a little” is a good thing . . . consider what Jesus says in . . .

   Mt 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

   Jesus tells His closest followers that it is through “The Truth” that He has deposited in His NTC that they are quite literally “the salt” which is able to give the world hope in Christ Jesus . . .

   Please understand that I did not say that salvation was found “in the church” . . . As important as the church is . . . the purpose of the church has

   NEVER been to save the soul of any man . . . the actual purpose of the church is for those of us who are ALREADY saved – to be able to bring

   honor and glory to our savior through obedience to the commandments of proper worship that He left us in His Word . . .

   Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

   What the Bible teaches in regard to “what a church is supposed to DO” . . .  is that The Truth which is able to lead all men – or to point all men toward the need for salvation in their lives – this Truth has been placed in the care 

   of His Church for the purpose of SHINING that Truth out into the world – like a city that has been set upon a hill . . .  And this is the reference that is meant by YE ARE (through the church) the

   salt of the earth . . . But Jesus quickly follows this with the idea that if the church is not careful . . . then those people who were once able to hold

   up a gospel that would give hope to a lost and dying world . . . If they added to – or if they took away from The Truth which God has left in their care . . . then they would become cast-a-ways concerning The Truth . . .

   Cast-a-ways that were GOOD FOR NOTHING . . . but to be trodden under foot of men – which gives the idea of something that is to be rejected    because of how it has become so spoiled that it is no longer fit to be used.

   Matt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

   Once again Jesus tells His closest followers – The NTC – that because of “The Truth” which only they possessed . . . they were quite literally THE LIGHT of the world.

   To be the light of the world DOES NOT refer to the fact that the church can save any man . . . but it does refer to the fact that the church can

   SHINE THE LIGHT which God has given to them - upon the path that “leads” to salvation – and that path is faith and repentance toward Jesus Christ . . .

   “The city of Truth” that is set upon a hill - is something that it is just not possible to hide . . . likewise the Cross of Calvary – the sinfulness of men – and the perfection of Christ are things that will NEVER go unnoticed when 

   they are  proclaimed by the people of God through proper worship of their savior . . .

   The only way to hide such a light “as this” from those who need it the most . . . is to actually “move the city” or to redefine the boundaries by moving the landmarks of God’s Truth . . .

   1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, “un-moveable” always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

   But think about all the progress we can make if we weren’t so stedfast and un-movable regarding doctrine . . . God tells us point blank . . . that your labour IN THE LORD is not in

   vain --- to believe this – is to secure the landmarks . . . to not believe it – is to allow those landmarks to be moved.

   As long as “the church” remains stedfast upon The Truth where Jesus has planted it . . . The Light will continue to shine for all men to see

   but if the church moves her foundation to another location . . . the light of the world will be lost to the next generation. 

   Jesus tells His church . . .YE ARE currently THE LIGHT of the world.

   The implication being -- ARE you going to REMAIN as the light of the world . . .

   I Peter 2: 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

    10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now (because of their separation – they are) the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

   YE ARE a chosen generation is once again a direct reference to the local NTC . . . notice how the church has been called OUT OF DARKNESS . . . ARE WE among the chosen generation – or have we gone back into the darkness . . .

   To be called “out of darkness” means that “the darkness” of untruth is something that has been left behind. 

   The city of Truth is set upon a hill so that LIGHT “and not darkness” is shown to the whole world . . .

   Referring to the first NTC Jesus tells them YE ARE the salt of the earth . . . What about our

   church . . . have we lost our savour (moved the landmarks) – making us GOOD FOR NOTHING except to be rejected . . .

   Referring to the first NTC Jesus tells them YE ARE the light of the world . . . What about you and I . . . have we moved “the city of Truth” or

   does God’s Truth shine just as bright in our church as it did in the first church . . . to shine bright in the world does not refer to size – nor

   does it refer to progress – but it does refer to love – and it also refers to obedience as we keep – guard and protect His Commandments . . .

   Referring to the local NTC Jesus reminds those who followed Him during His personal ministry that because ye have continued in MY

   WORDS . . . because of your patience YE ARE a chosen generation . . . So what about you and I . . . are we part of this chosen generation – or

   has God rejected our worship . . . To be sincere does not mean that we will be accepted . . .

   Mt 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

   II Cor 6: 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for YE ARE the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

   17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye SEPARATE, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

   YE ARE the temple of the living God because of how God’s Word is such an important part of your lives and your worship . . .

   John 6: 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

   67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

   YE ARE either where God wants you to be . . . or YOU ARE in a place where Satan wants you to be . . .

   Ye are the salt of the earth . . . ARE YOU the salt of the earth – or have you lost your savour . . .

   Ye are the light of the world . . . ARE YOU the light of the world – or have you moved the city of Truth

   YE are the temple of the living God . . . ARE YOU the temple of the living God  or have chosen to be the temple of an idol God . . .

   Mt 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

   I once heard a story about how penicillin was sold on the black market during WWII . . . as you know – penicillin is and was almost a

   miracle cure for infection and many illnesses . . . well the story goes like this . . . because of the

   war -- it got to the point where penicillin was literally the difference between life and death for millions of people . . . and as such it became

   extremely valuable . . . so what do you think those who sold it on the black market began to do . . . they began “watering it down” so that

   they could increase their profits at the expense of those who needed it “undiluted” in order fight the infection in their bodies and survive . . .

   The result of watering down this medicine on the public’s health was catastrophic . . . lives which could have easily been saved were not only lost . . . but many were also maimed and crippled for life . . .This made those who were guilty of “watering down” the cure very unpopular even among 

   the criminal element . . . they became criminals among criminals . . . and when these profiteers were caught they received NO MERCY at all . . . in the words of Matt 13:5 . .

   they were cast out as GOOD FOR NOTHING to be trodden under foot of men . . . 

   To hear the words YE ARE the temple of God – it is first required that we be UNWILLING to water down the cure by refusing to move the

   landmarks – by being careful not to lose our saltiness – by under no circumstances allowing the city of Truth to be taken down off of the hill where God has placed it . . .

   Pr 23:10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: