“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 underfoot.” (Matthew 5:13)
“Until my conversion in 1975 I professed to be an atheist in part because I looked at the roughly 85 percent of my fellow U.S. citizens who claimed to be Christians and could not see that their faith genuinely affected their lives. I reasoned that if even Christians did not believe in Jesus' teachings, why should I?”- Craig S. Keener, professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky.
A true believer will allow the teachings of Christ to permeate their soul. A true believer will have them make a difference in the way they live. How many other non-believers feel the same way Professor Keener did? It is a sad testimony that it would have to be said of any Christian, but we are human and have the free will to do with Christ’s teaching as we will. That doesn’t make it alright. Simply believing in God is insufficient. If we call out to God to reveal Himself to us He will do so. Then what?
We are called by Jesus to be salt in a bland world that is tasteless in its execution. All the excitement that is drummed up by this world is aimed at useless, banal, frivolous endeavors that do nothing but titillate the senses, yet leave our core unmoved. God seeks to move us off our useless, banal lives into a life of peace, fulfillment and hope. If we are made aware of His teachings and His great and wonderful promises to us and yet remain unchanged, we are missing the reason for them altogether. What is the purpose of calling oneself a Christian and going to Sunday service if we do not take our conversion seriously? It’s begs the question, have we truly had a conversion experience at all? That is between the individual and God; however, it is a valid question each person needs to ask themselves. Have I received forgiveness for my sins and then simply walked away or have I allowed God’s message of forgiveness and grace to jolt me awake and create a spiritual hunger in me that is insatiable. Are we truly salt to this dying world? Do we make a difference for Christ to those non-believers around us? Do we bring stability, wholeness and knowledge of God to the world? It is a personal and individual question that only we can answer for ourselves. God wants to use us and flow through us to provide the same hope He has given us to those who are lacking. Extend yourself and allow yourself to be salt so that those around you may taste the goodness of God.
WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!
