Salted with Salt and Salted with Fire

Believers are called to be the salt of the earth. But, in order to be the salt of the earth the believer has to be salted with salt and salted with fire.

Jesus is speaking to Christians (believers) just as He had spoken to His disciples (also believers) when He preached to them the Sermon on the Mount:

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" (Matthew 5:13, NKJV, emphasis added).

Jesus compares our function on the earth to that of salt. First of all, salt gives flavor. Food which by itself alone is unappetizing becomes tasty and acceptable when seasoned with salt. As Christians, our function is to give flavor to the earth. The One who enjoys this flavor is God! Our presence makes the earth acceptable to God. The earth is not acceptable to God because the "god of this age" (2 Cor. 4:4) has dominion in this world since Adam's fall. Our presence commends the earth to God's mercy. Without us, there would be nothing to make the earth acceptable to God. But because we are here, God continues to deal with the earth in grace and mercy rather than in wrath and judgment. It is our presence that makes the difference.

Suppose we as Christians, fail to fulfill our responsibility as the salt of the earth, then we are like what Jesus said, "Good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" (Matt. 5:13).

In my opinion, what Jesus said, "Good for nothing" and "Being thrown out (rejected by God)" to Christians constitutes the most severe condemnation! Futhermore, we shall be trampled underfoot by men! Men become the instruments of God's judgment upon the saltless, apostate Church. If we as the Church fail to fold back the forces of evil and wickedness, our judgment is to be handed over to those very forces that cause men to trample the Christians!

Important Functions of Salt

1. Salt gives flavor

As described above salt literally adds taste and flavor to food that of itself is unsavory, making it more palatable.

2. Salt preserves and restrains the Process of Corruption

The second function of salt in relation to food is to restrain the process of corruption. In the days before artificial refrigeration, sailors who took meat on long voyages used salt as a preservative. The process of corruption was already at work before the meat was salted. Salting did not abolish the corruption, but it held it in check for the duration of the voyage, so that the sailors could continue to eat the meat long after it would otherwise have become inedible.

Figuratively speaking, the true Christians' presence on the earth as Christ's ambassadors operates like the salt in the meat. The process of corruption due to sin is already at work. This is manifested in every area of human activity - moral, religious, social, economical and political. We cannot abolish the corruption which is already there, but we can hold it in check long enough for God's purposes of grace and mercy to be fully worked out. Then, when our influence is no longer felt, corruption will come to its climax, and the result will be total degradation. When the true Christians lose their saltiness or when they are no longer here on earth - when Jesus comes for His bride (1 Thess. 4:14 - 17), then the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness or the man of sin, will make his appearance!

The Salting Process

Jesus spoke to His disciples, "For everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt" (Mark 9:49, KJV, emphasis added).

Notice that "everyone" refers to both the genuine believer and Jesus' foe. "Every sacrifice" refers to the genuine believer only.

Let us study this verse one part at a time.

1. "Everyone shall be salted with fire"

We have to look into the context of Mark 9:49. Jesus was speaking to His disciples who believed Him. He was warning them about offences - To stumble those who believe in Him, and to sin with one's hand, foot or eye. Christ's message is that unless we submit ourselves to the purging process by fire (salted with fire) in this life we will have to suffer the unquenchable fire of hell one day - where "Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44, 46 or 48 repeated three times)!

This is a solemn warning to genuine Christians and backslidden Christians. The reason why it is better for us to cut off offending members of the body is that, the work of everyone shall be tried (seasoned or salted) with fire.

Notice that Jesus was using a figurative method of teaching. He was using the hyperbole. The purpose of the hyperbole is to create an impact on those who are reading or listening. Hyperbole is an exaggeration. Jesus was using the hyperbolic style to bring home the point on how we should regard offenses, and offending characteristics in our lives.

There are two types of fire:

To the genuine Christians the purging fire is "The Refiner's fire" (Mal 3:3) and "Baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matt 3:11). To the backslidden or sinning Christians God is "A consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29).

"Consuming Fire"

"The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning" (Isaiah 33:14, NIV, emphasis added)?

In Old Testament Scripture "Zion" speaks of the Church. Isaiah was speaking about the impending Judgment of the "sinners", "godless", "backsliders" and "hypocrites" in the Church.

God desires purity only fire can bring. Therefore, even for the ungodly, who nevertheless shall be imperishable in their doom (salt symbolizes preservation from decay), but purging out only the dross from His people.

"Each one's work will become clear; it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:13 - 15, NKJV, eimphasis added).

Notice that Paul was talking about the judgment of Christians for rewards. Fire is an agent for judgment of the Christian's work.

"Baptism with the Holy Spirit and with Fire"

The phrase "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" appears in both the Gospel according to Matthew (Matt. 3:11) and Luke (Luke 3:16).

John foretold the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2):

"When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them" (Acts 2:1 - 3, emphasis added).

The fire speaks of the refining fire to consume the "dross" in the believers to kindle their hearts with divine fire and impart to them with divine love and zeal to serve God. It also gives them power to bear witness to the unbelieving world (Acts 1:8).

It is not Biblical to think of two separate baptisms. A renowned Bible teacher has said, "the baptism with the Holy Spirit is for the Church Age and the baptism with fire is for the Kingdom Age". This teaching is not supported by Scripture.

The Scripture reveals that many other divine manifestations were associated with fire. Here are two examples:

1. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush (Exodus 3:2).

2. The Lord descended on Mount Sinai in fire (Exodus 19:20).

The appearance of fire is an indication of God's presence. Therefore we can paraphrase "Baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire" as "Baptism with the Holy Spirit and with divine presence of God".

2. "Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt"

The righteous (genuine Christians) can withstand the fire, for it is part of their present salting as "a living sacrifice" for the serving God (ministry).

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1, emphasis added).

Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt; therefore every Christian, being a living sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt prepares a Christian for ministry. A salted ministry is God's desire! An unsalted ministry will not bear fruit.

Jesus said, "Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in youselves, and have peace with one another" (Mark 9:50, emphasis added).

Just as food without salt is not acceptable to man, a "living sacrifice" (Christian) without salt shall not be acceptable to God. When we are salted we have peace with one another. For example, our prayers offered without "peace" of heart on behalf of our fellow men are savorless (saltless) to God if we are without salt in ourselves!

Paul said, "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one" (Col. 4:5, 6, emphasis added).

In other words, when we share the Gospel to unbelievers (those who are outside) we must walk in wisdom and we must "be salted" so that our speech will be salted with salt and with grace to our hearers.

"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Eph. 4:29. emphasis added).

I believe a salted life is the only basis for Christian ministry.

The Covenant of Salt

The Covenant of Salt is an expression of an everlasting Covenant. Salt with its preservative nature speaks of the binding agreement between two parties. The close connection between salt and covenant-making may be seen when people in the Arab world shared a sacrficial meal (salt was always present) together to seal their friendship and agreement on some important issues.

A covenant of Salt is simply an everlasting covenant whose efficacy will always remain. Covenants made between men, in general, are fragile, delicate and vulnerable. They can be violated and broken. But when God makes a covenant with men, because He is the Lord and He never changes, His covenant is called a "Covenant of Salt".

God's people's offerings to God are given under the "Covenant of Salt":

"All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you" (Numbers 18:19, emphasis added).

David received his kingdom forever from the Lord by a Covenant of Salt:

"Should you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt" (2 Chron. 13:5, emphasis added)?

Under the New Covenant of Salt believers are the children of God in His Kingdom forever!

"But as many as received Him to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believed in His name" (John 1:12, NKJV, emphasis added).