forgot there aren't just nine verses in Ephesians 6. There are more to come, and we're gonna have our family meeting next week. I think after Shepherd's Conference, Lord willing, we'll be back in Ephesians chapter six, beginning with the armor of God. But this evening, as you probably saw in your TC Connection, I wanna direct your attention to a short passage, a short but very familiar passage to many of us, Matthew chapter five, verse 13. So if you have your Bibles handy there, go ahead and turn with me to Matthew's gospel. You know, one of the age-old questions that has always faced the church from the very beginning of its establishment in the book of Acts has been this, and it still faces us today if we're honest. How does God's people, the church, relate to the world? to the secular culture that surrounds it. How can we, who have been called out of the world, still reach back into the world for the sake of the gospel? That's what we come to discuss this evening. Have you ever found yourself teetering on the edge of that dilemma as a Christian? Well, in our passage this evening, Jesus is so helpful. He is going to help us navigate this age-old dilemma. In Matthew 5, really the section that we're in, verses 13 through 16, Jesus, looking around at his disciples there on the mountain, says to them, let's just read these verses, 13 through 16, Matthew 5, verses 13 through 16, he says to them, You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. In the conclusion, verse 16, so let your light then shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. In this passage, Jesus, in only the way that he can, as Lord of creation and of the fountain of all wisdom, he makes two brilliant analogies to perfectly answer this dilemma that we teed up at the beginning, and to help us understand what the Christian's relationship to the world should be. Notice the two analogies, of course, are most familiar to you, two of the most essential elements for life in the ancient world, salt and light. Perhaps you may have recognized these word pictures. You may have even associated them together because of your time spent in church, in and out of Christianity, growing up and hearing the phrases used together among God's people. But Jesus, I want you to transport yourselves back to this very moment. Jesus uses them here, these two images, because as the famous English theologian John Stott points out, in Jesus' day, salt and light were indispensable household commodities. In fact, a well-known Roman author in Jesus's time by the name of Pliny is recorded having said, to the whole body that nothing is better than sun and salt. It's very interesting. Light and salt, salt and light. These two would have been associated together by Jesus' disciples, not because of their familiarity with Christian catchphrases or bumper stickers, but because of their necessary functions in everyday life. Perhaps it would have been similar to hearing the modern phrase, nuts and bolts. or perhaps even more appropriately, in modern society, in our day and age of power grids and plumbing, this would have been like referring to the two common household commodities of running water and electricity. two of the most basic needs for our everyday existence. The same was true for salt and light in Jesus' day. And so you can just imagine the impact of these two statements for those disciples who were sitting there around Jesus' feet on that mountainside to hear this spoken of none other than them. Looking at this ragtag bunch, Jesus says, this is what you are. In fact, both of these statements, in verses 13 and 14, parallel statements, in the original language of the construction, emphasizes the you, the subject. He says, you, you are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. What a shock this would have come as. What a shock this would have been Given the two analogies, us? What a radical statement this would have meant for His disciples. A group of nobodies gathered together on that hillside to borrow the Pauline language of 1 Corinthians. Indeed, these were truly not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble. These were the foolish, the weak, the despised, and the things that are not. And yet Jesus looks at them and says, you, you are the two most indispensable commodities from the ancient world. But not only do we need to feel the original shock of the metaphors themselves, because of who Jesus is talking to, we need also, at this point in the discourse, to understand how, listen, these words would have, would have hit the disciples, at this point in the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, which makes them, in context, even more profound. Look down at the passage. You see, they would have been just processing the difficult words of verses 11 and 12. Just look at it, notice. Jesus has just finished saying this. He's just concluded the Beatitudes with this application. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Can you imagine the disciples sitting there hearing that and thinking, well, gee, what an encouragement? No doubt, some of them would have been thinking, look, if this is the world that you are sending us out into, if this is how the world is going to treat us, then how do you expect us to respond? How do you expect us to relate to them? How do we live as kingdom citizens of heaven, a different realm, a different kingdom, yet stuck here on earth and persecuted because of it? Why should we even care? Some of them might even be asking this. If this world is not our home and we're simply passing through it, how are we supposed to relate to a world that hates us and persecutes us because of who we are? You see the natural response? I'll just be honest, my own heart's response to that is, after verse 11 and 12, I'm washing my hands of their problems, I'm dusting my feet off, I'm minding my own business. No doubt some of the disciples at this point would have been asking, what does it matter then to us, what happens to the world? Why should we even care about what happens then if we already possess the kingdom? If the kingdom of heaven is ours, why involve ourselves if we belong to a different kingdom? So can you imagine now the impact then for Jesus to turn right around and tell his disciples that though they be hated by the world, Yet they are the very salt and the very light of that world that hates themselves. Shocking. And this is the dilemma of the Christian mission, is it not? If we're honest, and it is remarkable though, isn't it, that as citizens of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus doesn't say here, you are the salt of the heavens. It doesn't say you are the light for the angels. No, rather unexpectedly, Jesus says that as citizens of heaven, you have a responsibility to this world. Yes, yours is the kingdom of heaven, but at the same time, you are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. We might put it this way. Jesus, in effect, is saying that your heavenly identity If you notice, he said previously in the Beatitudes, verse three, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Verse 10, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It belongs to you. You belong to it. You are of a different citizenship. And yet Jesus says that your heavenly identity now gives you, it actually gives you this earthly ministry. It gives you this earthly responsibility that your heavenly citizenship demands this earthly relationship. What does that look like? Well Jesus now explains to us with these two metaphors, salt and light. Now tonight we'll only have time to really cover the first metaphor in verse 13 of salt. But even before we do that, I do wanna draw out some implications, perhaps, and some observations from this entire section that we've just read, verses 13 through 16, because I do think that both analogies taken together as parallel statements, they make some of the same general points that we have to touch on before we dive into the details. So here are just two. initial, we'll say, implications from this whole section, from these two-word pictures taken together. And then, in a moment, we'll look at verse 13 specifically. But here's the first of these implications that help us to understand what is exactly our relationship to the world as Christians. Well, Jesus says here, that we are to be in the world, listen, for the very purpose of influencing the world. Let me show you this. The way Jesus speaks of both salt and light here in this section make this very obvious to us. In other words, notice how deliberate Christ is to stress in both analogies that there is a proper use of salt and there is a proper use of light. In fact, he goes so far as to say in both analogies that if they're not actually being used for their expressed purpose, then they have no purpose. If the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything. Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand it gives light to all who are in the house. Listen, by implication, we are to be in the world for the very purpose of influencing the world. That is Jesus' point here. Just as salt is to be used for its qualities and light is to be used to give light, just let me ask you, just right up front, have you ever wondered why we are not just saved and then taken home immediately to be with Christ? Why is that? Wouldn't it be nice? Wouldn't it be really nice? In fact, that was Paul's dilemma, right? It's better to be with Christ, and yet he was still hard-pressed. To remain, he said in Philippians chapter one, would mean for him fruitful labor. Listen, wouldn't it be far more convenient if God just saved us and then in that very moment ushered us into his presence? Why doesn't he do that? Why does he leave us here amidst all this sin and chaos and the people that annoy us? After all, if we've been transferred into the kingdom of his beloved son, then what in the world, pun intended, are we still doing here? You ever ask that question? Well, in God's perfect wisdom, here is the answer. It is implied in this passage. What is salt for? What is light for, if not to give light? We are left in the world, beloved, for the very purpose of influencing the world, or to capture it in one word, ministry. I love it, as a Christian, you are still alive and in this world for one reason, gospel influence. You ever think about your life that way? Part of Jesus' point here is to say to us that it is absurd. It is absolutely absurd for salt to sit on the shelf and become stale. It is just as ridiculous for a lamp to be lit and then covered over with a basket. So, Christian, let me put it to you. If you are not involved in gospel ministry, then why are you here? Jesus says in unministering and uninfluencing Christian is as absurd, as paradoxical, and as pointless, as unsalty salt and unshining light, it makes no sense. Listen to a quote from D.A. Carson. He says this, we must recognize that it is impossible to follow the norms of the kingdom in a purely private way. The Christian is not poor in spirit, mournful over sin, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker, all in splendid isolation. Jesus, he says, develops two telling metaphors here to picture how his disciples, listen to the language, must, by their lives, leave their stamp on the world. Luke 11, let's be clear tonight from our passage. From the very beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, there is no such thing as a purely private Christian. There is no such thing as a Christian who nobody else knows is a Christian. By the way, it's also important for us to note at this point what Jesus is saying here in these statements, not just about his true disciples, but about the world. Think about, think about the analogies here for a moment. In other words, for us to understand what our role in the world is to be, it's helpful to ask this question. What is Christ's view of the world in light of these two metaphors? You ever ask that question? And let me just say this, it's not the Disneyland perspective of mankind. You guys know what I'm talking about? We recently, my family and I went to Disney. There's a ride there called the Carousel of Progress. It's not the Disneyland perspective on mankind that mankind and humanity will inevitably progress and get better because after all, we are all naturally good if we would just be allowed to reach our potential. Think about the analogies here, salt and light. were considered such precious, necessary, beneficial, and essential commodities. Why? Precisely because life without them was miserable. It was terrible. Life without salt or light in the ancient world almost certainly meant disease. It almost certainly meant discomfort and maybe even eventually death. This is Christ's perspective of the world, listen, apart from the influence of his disciples. A world that is ever in the process of decaying and rotting and going rancid. A world that is blind in its sin, ruled by Satan, groping around in utter darkness. A world that is in desperate need of salt and light. Listen, if God were to take his disciples out of this world, he would be effectively removing the only influence that he says that works against this view of the world. And so Jesus says here that Christians, Christian, beloved, you are the only answer. Now, this is something that seriously needs to be clarified, though, about the kind of influence that you're called to be, that Jesus is talking about here at this point. I think there's a lot of misunderstanding. Notice, not only are Jesus's statements here emphatic, but they are also exclusive. Look at what he says. The definite article is there for both salt and light. We are not just a light as one among many. This is the world's perspective. There are many lights out there. You follow the one you want. They are all good. No, we are not just some of the salt amidst the world of other salts, but what does Jesus say? You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Beloved, you take believers out of this world and you effectively take any kind of good spiritual influence out of this world. Think about that for a moment. Think about that for a moment. This clarifies, does it not, for us what kind of an influence that Jesus has in mind, doesn't it? Because we might imagine We might imagine, if we aren't careful in our reading, that here Jesus meant simply that Christians are generally to be a beneficial and a good influence upon society in the same way that, say, the Red Cross is a beneficial and influence on society. If we didn't think carefully here, we might imagine that Jesus is simply referring to a kind of common grace good that Christians have upon society and upon the world. And while I'm not denying that Christianity does have a kind of an effect upon the culture, I don't believe that's what Christ has in mind here by this passage. He says, listen, you are the only salt and the only light this world has. Only citizens of the kingdom can be this for the world. Only those who are poor in spirit, only those who mourn over their sin, only those who are gentle, only those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, only those who are merciful, only the pure in heart, only peacemakers, and only the persecuted for Christ are the salt and the light of the world. You think about that. What are the implications here? The reality is that if you take true disciples out of this world, unbelieving men can and will continue to seek to improve education, eliminate poverty, provide clean water, the list goes on and on, does it not? And they may at times do so more efficiently and effectively than the church could ever have to meet those needs. but be salt and light in this sense? The sense that Jesus is referring to? Impossible. Jesus says, no, you take Christians out of this world and you don't have this kind of influence, period. This is something that only true disciples can be. Just think about this in the context of verses 11 and 12. As we've read already, Jesus makes it very clear that as true disciples, our lifestyles will be met with persecution and we will inevitably earn the hostility of the world that we are seeking to influence, right? Isn't that true? And yet our influence is still, look at this verse 16, it is still considered good here. Look at verse 16, let your light so shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works. You see, the temptation is to read this and to forget that Jesus literally just spoke verses 11 and 12, and so often we come and read this like a bumper sticker in such a way that it does not bring persecution. Because after all, how can good works be met with persecution and hostility? What's the answer to that? The answer to that is that God's definition of good is perhaps different than ours at times. We need to get away from the reading of this that could be confused with a popular worldly sentiment that just says simply, look, be a difference. Make a difference. Leave your mark on this world, be a mover and shaker. That's not what Jesus is teaching here. Yes, we are to be in the world for the purpose of influencing the world, but beloved, notice what this influence is ultimately aimed at. In the last part of verse 16, put your eyes on it. That they may see your good works and do what? And praise you for it? No, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. You see, our influence is not to have its goal in the secular notion of the greater good and the advancement of mankind. Our influence, beloved, as true disciples here in this passage is to be God-ward. It is for worship. This is spiritual influence. This is an influence for the glory of God. So first implication, we are to be in the world for the purpose of influencing the world, that much is clear. But there is equally a second implication to be found here from these two analogies taken together. that we should also keep in mind, even though we are to be in the world in order to influence the world, the metaphors of salt and light also make it clear, listen, that we are not to be of the world, you've heard that before, in the world, not of the world, we are not to be of the world, but add this to this statement, okay? So that we don't lose our influence on the world. Do you get that? We are not to be of the world. You've heard that before, but we often leave out the second part, so that we don't lose our influence on the world. You see, this is equally Jesus' point here. Yes, we are to have an effect and influence on the world, but in order to do so, He teaches us here, we must be sure to maintain our Christian qualities and character. We are to be pure and distinct. Listen, so that we are the ones influencing the world and not the other way around. You understand? Look, there is a subtle danger here, isn't there? That we've seen over and over again in the history of the church, that in its attempt to influence the world, the church at times has rather become too much like the world. Right, in the name of evangelism and contextualization, and it has actually forfeited its true gospel influence and effectiveness. But notice these two analogies. They are perfect and they are potent. The moment that salt loses its saltiness, Jesus says, it is good for nothing. And it's better to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. The moment that light doesn't shine and pierce the darkness, it is an utter contradiction and absolutely pointless. In other words, Jesus' true disciples will only influence the world Listen, to the degree that they are noticeably different than the world. If light is no longer light, it is darkness. If salt is no longer salt, it is useless. The same is true of the believer. To make a difference, beloved, we must first be different. Only the poor in spirit can help the proud. Beloved, do not be deceived. If we become like the world, how can we then call them to glorify a holy God? It's impossible. That is utterly contrary to what Jesus teaches here. So just in our initial two implications, we're reminded of these two principles as we proceed. to the details, and they are like guardrails for us as we come to think through what our responsibility to this world is based on our identity as citizens of heaven. Number one, we are to be in the world for the purpose of influencing the world. And number two, we are not to be of the world so that we don't lose our influence on the world. Now that we have that in our minds, let's look more closely then at the first analogy that Jesus gives us here. The first metaphor that Jesus employs, and all we'll have time for, is that of salt. Look at verse 13. Jesus says, you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good, he says, for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. What does Jesus mean here? By this analogy, After reading a number of commentaries, as straightforward as Jesus' statement is here, and as simple as it seems, there are actually quite a number and a variety of explanations as to what he meant by comparing the Christian to salt. And the difficulty really has to do with the fact that salt had, and it still does have, so many different beneficial uses. One commentator lists at least 11, and there are probably more. But let's see if we can narrow it down to what Jesus perhaps had in mind in this context of the Sermon on the Mount. Because clearly, we can't just import our own understanding of the metaphor here. We need to at least restrict it to the ancient use, right? In the college and career class, I kind of made up this this analogy of how salt, you know, we know nowadays is a great conductor of electricity. And so maybe Jesus is saying here that as Christians we are to shock the world and electrify society. But we understand, they didn't have electricity back then. We cannot say that it is a legitimate meaning here. So what can we limit this to? Suffice it to say, in the New Testament time, salt, was a very common commodity because it had so many stills, had so many common household and commercial usages, even if we eliminate the modern uses. It was arguably even more vital and useful for the ancient world than it is for us perhaps today, but the primary function is maybe one we would have thought about even today when we come to eat We think about salt as a condiment, don't we? A seasoning for our food. Certainly the case back then. Job chapter six, verse six, can something tasteless be eaten without salt even in the oldest book in the Old Testament? Colossians chapter four, verse six, metaphor has used their speech that's seasoned with salt. There is a seasoning use for salt as a condiment. And if you notice, if you notice in our passage, we might lean even towards this understanding, because on the initial reading, we might imagine, because of our English translation, that this is primarily what Jesus had in mind here. Why? Because he goes on to say, if salt loses its taste, right? if it becomes tasteless. And so we read that and we say surely he's speaking of taste here. But two things need to be mentioned here. The verb actually translated as tasteless here, it's not really the normal word for taste. It's actually a more general term that is used to refer to that which is foolish and nonsensical. The root of that word is where we get the term for moronic. So it's kind of an unusual term. The English translation translates it here, taste, actually because of context. And so it's a little bit misleading. In other places, that word is used more naturally as the opposite of wisdom. You can look at, write down Romans chapter one, verse 22, the first Corinthians chapter one, verse 20. But there's a second thing to be said here. It has also been pointed out by Craig Blomberg that given the amount of salt needed to preserve food without refrigeration, it is not likely that many ancient Jews really considered salt primarily as enhancing taste. That's a good point, right? But because of this association and because of this reading, many have come here and applied this and made this to mean that Christians should be tasty or that they are to be the spice of life. In other words, the world is bland and insipid and boring and Christians are not. But the question is, does this fit the context of what Jesus is saying here coming out of the Beatitudes, right? In other words, at this point in the Sermon on the Mount, is Jesus telling his disciples that they are to be making the world a more interesting and zesty place to live? Is his main point here that just as salt enhances the taste and flavor of our food, Christians are to enhance the taste and flavor of life in this world. I've actually heard others say and argue from this passage that Christians ought to be the most interesting and exciting people to be friends with, that we should work hard not to be boring, prudish, or awkward in the eyes of the world. Maybe you've actually heard that as an application of this passage. But as much as that might sound compelling to our flesh because we like the idea of being admired and accepted by the world, I don't think that's the point here. We're not called in this passage to be trendsetters. That's not really the point. Especially if you think about it in context, on the heels of what Jesus just got finished saying in verses 10, 11, and 12 that we read earlier, that Christians, listen, are to expect persecution, not popularity. If Jesus does in some small way mean to allude to the taste of salt as a quality here at all in his comparison, it's more likely that he simply is highlighting the fact that salt has a very distinct flavor to it. And that's about it, that it stands out unmistakably when it is used. That fits better with the context here if we're speaking of taste, especially when you take it together with the parallel analogy in verse 14 of light, since that is the explicit point with light, right? Light is something that you can't hide. It's obvious, it stands out, it is distinct. But I do think that Jesus means to reference more than merely the distinctiveness of taste here, though that may be part of it. Why, because he goes on to say, notice, if salt has become dull or insipid, or even foolish, literally, that it is no longer good, look at this, for anything. And so we're compelled to keep asking, what are the other good and useful qualities of salt that could fall into this category of anything that Jesus is referring to? Well, for starters, perhaps the most common use of salt back then that would have come to mind was for the preservation and storage of foods. Maybe you've heard this. And especially the curing of meat that would otherwise go rotten and spoil without the modern luxury of refrigeration or deep freezing. Much like what we know and understand today, salt by its very nature is a great, in that sense, disinfectant, and it kills the bacteria that naturally causes both disease and decay, keeping putrefaction at bay, slowing the process of corruption, thus making food last longer. We understand that. It's interesting to consider that this may be why salt in the ancient world, just as a short little connection here for you, was at times, this is fascinating, it was eaten as a ritual when a covenant was made to signify longevity and permanence in that covenant because this symbolically reflected that physical quality of salt that preserves, right? So some have concluded then because of this that Jesus in comparing his disciples to salt here is saying that we have a kind of preserving effect upon this world. A preserving effect upon society. That we keep society from going bad. that as Christians involve themselves in the world, they keep the culture from becoming corrupt and sliding into chaos and moral degradation. And so from this view, many throughout church history have sought to, in that sense, redeem the culture and begin to view social work on the same level as gospel work. But the problem with that of course, is what we pointed out earlier. This influence is clearly a spiritual influence for the glory of God and something that only can legitimately be said of true believers. And listen, the world in this context is not just an otherwise nutritious piece of meat that simply needs to be preserved. Look, as believers, our goal in this world is not preservation of the world. The world is not okay the way it is. And by the way, biblically speaking, its fate is destruction after which God is going to start over with a new heavens and a new earth. No, the world doesn't need preservation. You know what the world needs? The world needs purification, not preservation. And this is what I think actually is the primary, is primarily the use of salt that Jesus has in mind here. Now it's not one that we would, it's not a connection we would typically make immediately, understandably, but I think it is one that his disciples as Jews would have made intuitively. Let me explain. When you begin to consider the biblical context and usage of salt in the Bible alone, the purifying effect of salt begins to rise above the other usages. Salt, of course, even as it is today, was a natural antiseptic that was used to sterilize, cleanse, and purify things that were considered unclean and unsanitary. Take for instance, the reference that Jesus makes in Luke 14, verse 35, Jesus refers there to the common household sanitary use of salt for the manure pile. Now there's a better analogy of our world, isn't it? Apparently back then, in order to manage and cover up the smell of all the waste that a farm and a household could produce in a day, you can just only imagine, people would dump salt on their manure piles because it rendered the mounds of waste more tolerable and it made the conditions more sanitary, at least that's what they thought. In effect, it cleansed. Now to be honest, biblically speaking, the world and our godless culture is much more like the manure pile that needs to be sanitized than it is like the piece of meat that needs to be preserved. But not only that, you go digging into the Old Testament for this sanitary use of salt. Ezekiel chapter 16 verse four seems to indicate that salt was used also in the ancient world to rub down newborn infants after bathing for sterilizing and cleansing purposes. So it's fascinating then, think about this, to see how these physical uses lead then to symbolic uses. And this by far is where, this by far is why this becomes so important in the Old Testament. Because of its cleansing and purifying qualities, it's no surprise that as you dig deeper, salt then, it took on a ceremonial and ritualistic use in the religious life of Old Testament Israel. according to passages like Exodus 30 verse 35, Leviticus 2 verse 13, Ezekiel 43 verse 24, God actually required salt for Israel's sacrifices. Why? Because it represented a purified offering. In fact, in 2 Kings chapter two, verses 19 through 22, God purifies the contaminated waters of a spring by having the prophet Elisha symbolically throw salt into it. And so when you begin to understand this and you see this in the Old Testament, that salt is symbolic of purification, You get to a passage like Mark chapter nine, verse 49, and Jesus' strange statement there about his disciples being salted with fire begins to make more sense. Because the idea is that just as a sacrifice is salted with fire, to represent a pure offering unto the Lord. Christians are to be salted with trials and tribulations as with fire so that we can offer up our lives to God as a pure and living sacrifice. You could even say that trials season or purify our lives as salt seasons and ceremonially purifies a sacrifice. So I think among all the differing uses of salt, I think it's safe to say that whether it was used as a preservative, think about this, whether it was used as a preservative, whether it was used as an antiseptic, a cleaning agent, or a symbol of purity, there is a common thread here that fits rather well with the point that Jesus is making in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, and it is this. It's this idea of purity and cleansing. Now you take all of that and you pull it in, salt is not only distinct, but it has a preserving quality about it because, listen, because it is purifying. And the Jews began to use it that way symbolically, and I believe this is Jesus's main point here. Listen, as Christians, We are to have a purifying spiritual effect upon those around us. And we can only do so, listen, by remaining pure ourselves. I mean, this is upheld by the context of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus' concern, listen, for his disciples, is that their righteousness, notice verse 20, surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees. He is getting at the heart of the issue here. He is saying to them, listen, Christian, true disciples of mine, you wanna be effective, you wanna be an influence, be pure in heart. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter two, verses 21 and 22, just listen. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, listen, useful to the master, prepared for every good work. Now flee, he says, from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord, listen, from a pure heart. Beloved, let me ask you, how useful can you say you are in the hands of your master? Are you pure this evening? Are you pursuing holiness, righteousness? So often we fall into the worldly kind of thinking that our influence in this world is going to be enhanced by our power to persuade, or political prominence maybe, or maybe even business savvy. Ever think that? But Jesus says here that our greatest influence is our own purity. But when it comes to influencing the world, to the glory of God, give me 10 average Christians who are striving after holiness, over 100 prominent men in high places. But notice what Jesus quickly adds here. We've gotta finish. But if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? Look, if the salt loses the very qualities that made it useful, the question here naturally is essentially, then how can it regain its influence? What happens when the Christian becomes worldly? Well, there are possibly two things going on here in this statement. You know, scientifically speaking, pure salt or sodium chloride, for you chemists, can't actually lose its properties unless something like a reaction breaks up a chemical bond. In fact, there was even an ancient saying in Jesus' day that for salt to become unsalty is like a mule having offspring. The point is, it's impossible. So Jesus could be using this as a proverbial saying and statement and making the point that it is impossible for a Christian to become unsalty. It is as absurd for a Christian, in other words, not to be this kind of an influence as it is for salt to become unsalty. But that point, I think, has already been made in that this reality, this is a statement of fact. We already pointed out earlier that Jesus does not say you should be salt of the earth. He simply declares of those who belong to the kingdom of heaven, you are salt of the earth. That is who you are, it is your identity and you cannot be otherwise. So I think that point was already made. I don't think he's making that same point here. In fact, The salt that was used every day in Jesus's culture was not made in a chemical facility. One dictionary observes, in the ancient world, what was often sold as salt was highly adulterated and the sodium chloride could leach out in humid weather, in which case the residue, normally a form of lime, would be useless. So I think that's true. Jesus is seeing this as a reality, as something that could actually happen. Indeed, the salt that you bought out in the open market did actually have somewhat of a shelf life, depending on the conditions and its purity. And so even given what Jesus says next, I think this is more what he has in mind. I think he has in mind the Christian who has become worldly. I believe Jesus was referring to this as a legitimate scenario and a warning to be considered as a lesson for us because notice the immediate context and the clarification that he gives next. He says, it is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Now this is an amazing statement, isn't it? And yet a sober warning. Beloved, this goes back to what we mentioned earlier. That if the church, or you as a believer, in your efforts, beloved, to reach the culture, you rather become like the world, you begin to lose your purity. your saltiness in that sense, then what Jesus says here is that, notice, not only will you be useless, not only will you lose your gospel influence, what does he say, but you will in turn be trampled by the world. Man, that is, that's a scary thought. You think you're on their side when you've won their approval, but guess what? In the next moment, they will trample you underfoot. That's very graphic and aggressive language. You think about what Jesus is saying here. It's the exact opposite of the response that we are seeking in verse 16, that they would instead glorify your Father who's in heaven. Listen, the lesson tonight is simple. Be salt, 11. Be pure. Pursue righteousness and holiness. If you wanna influence those who hate you for the gospel, then seek to live a holy life. Listen to 1 Peter chapter three, and we'll just close here. Verses 13 through 17, Peter would say this then. Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed, and do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence, and keep a good conscience, so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, beloved, if God should will it so that you suffer for doing what is right rather than, and I'll just substitute here, be trampled underfoot by men. Let's pray. Father, what helpful words you have for us here and what a good reminder. Lord, help us to be pure. We wanna be like your son. And we know that apart from your grace and apart from your spirit, that is an impossible task. And yet you have given grace to those who belong to you, to those who would mourn over their sin, who would admit their poverty of spirit, to those you have turned right around and said, and you are the salt of the earth. Father, that is a great privilege that we cannot fathom. It is an inestimable grace to us. Make us useful. Lord, we do not want to squander the riches of your grace. Make us useful as a church, and so make us pure. In Christ's name we pray, amen.