Matthew 5:13

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Matthew 5:13
The strength of the kingdom of heaven is first found in the character of its citizens. We have seen that in the beatitudes. But that is not the only power of the kingdom. The power of the kingdom is also seen in its influence. “You are salt,” Jesus said. In a world filled with corruption, kingdom citizens are present in order to stop the spoilage and bring true spiritual flavor to the lives of men and women around them.For salt to be worth anything it must have potency. In Luke 14:33-34, Jesus explained how a Christian maintains potency: “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” We maintain our potency by the fact that we are willing to sacrifice everything to serve the Lord. Here is the critical difference between a kingdom citizen and the “common” religious person. Good morals will not differentiate us from people in the religious world. But a true disciple of Christ stands out and draws people to the Lord because he is radical in the cost he will pay in his life to put the kingdom of God first. Christians who will put their own comforts before the Lord’s work have lost their flavor; they have no influence.

Next, for salt to be worth anything it must touch that which it intends to influence. Salt that “touches” will actually change the nature of what it contacts. Many Christians avoid unbelievers. They do not like to be around them nor do they have any intention of making a sinner their friend. But salt that is left in the container has no value for its intended use. We must get the salt out of the shaker. We must touch the lives of a corrupt and flavorless world if there is ever to be a change. If we stay inside our houses and never invite a sinner to share our lives, we are of no use to the Lord. Jesus ate with the tax collectors and sinners because they were the ones who needed the salt. The one accusation made of Jesus that was true was that He was a friend of sinners (Luke 7:34). A kingdom citizen will go and do likewise.
Berry Kercheville