Sometimes the most common items are of the greatest value and contain the most important lessons. One of the traits that made Jesus the greatest teacher was His ability to use the common items and turn them into powerful visual lessons. When Jesus finished giving the beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 which describe the character of His people, He immediately turned His attention to the influence that His people should manifest in the world because of their character. He used two of the most common and necessary items in life to convey His message – Salt and Light.

“During the grim winter of Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow, salt starvation decimated his troops, lowing resistance to disease. Epidemic spread. Wounds that might otherwise have healed became fatal. Thousands died” (National Geographic, September 1977, p. 384). Salt is valuable in many areas of our life. It’s no wonder that Jesus told His people, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). When the Jews heard the word “salt” several key thoughts about salt came to their mind which should also come to our mind when we think about being the salt of the earth.

Salt Declares One’s Loyalty.

Often in biblical times, when a covenant was made between individuals, it was sealed by each eating salt. It was called a “covenant of salt.” Three times in the Old Testament the phrase “covenant of salt” is used (Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5). It is interesting that Abijah said to Jeroboam, “The Lord God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?” (2 Chronicles 13:5). At lease symbolically, God and David entered a covenant of salt which declared God’s loyalty to David that his descendants would rule His people. Christ, as a descendant of David, is still ruling over God’s people.

When one is baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3-4), he enters a covenant with God. When Jesus said we are “the salt of the earth” it ought to remind us that we have entered a covenant with God. It is a serious covenant and God expects us to uphold our part of that covenant. Our declaration of loyalty was declared when we confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord. “Lord” means we accept Him as the master of our life. In any “master-slave” relationship, whatever the master required, the slave had to obey. That is true in this spiritual covenant we have entered with Christ. How seriously do we look at all that Christ commands? Because we are the “salt of the earth” we need to be reminded that we are to be loyal to Christ, no matter what the cost is.

Salt Reminds One of Sacrifice.

In all ancient cultures, salt was valuable and often thought of in connection with the heathen “gods.” Homer spoke of salt as “divine.” Plato hailed it as “a substance dear to the gods.” Also, in the Old Testament, salt was offered with all sacrifices offered to the one true God. “Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offerings; with all your offerings you shall offer salt” (Leviticus 2:13). When we think of ourselves as “the salt of the earth” we are reminded of the sacrifice that Christ made for us and that our body is to be a sacrifice to God. “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-KJV).

Salt Is Essential to Life.

When babies were born, they were bathed in water and rubbed with salt (Ezekiel 16:4). This served as an antiseptic to prevent disease. Without salt in our physical bodies, one is prone to convulsion, paralysis and even death. We are “the salt of the earth” to rub on the world around us to prevent the spiritual disease of sin. We are all familiar with the idea of preserving meat by rubbing it with salt. We need to do what we can to preserve those around us. Our salt can lead to the preservation of the souls around us.

Of course, we all know that salt adds flavor to our food. It is interesting that Job said, “Can something tasteless be eaten without salt? (Job 6:6). Paul urges, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Colossians 4:6). In another book Paul continued this thought, even though he did not use the word “salt.” “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another…Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:25, 29).

Salt, the Christian Value

We have heard the expression, “He is worth his salt.” That saying came about when laborers were paid in salt. In fact, our word “salary” comes from the Latin salarium which root comes from “salt.” At times when salt was scarce, an ounce of salt would purchase an ounce of gold (William Barclay, Commentary on Matthew). That is how valuable Christians are to this world. Let’s live to show that we are as valuable as gold and that people can say of us, “He/she is worth his salt. Jesus truly expects us to be the “salt of the earth.” The world needs salt’s saving power.

— Wayne Burger

Any spiritual minded person can see that our nation has become more and more wicked and secular rather than spiritual. Many have said for a long time, “we need a spiritual revival.” There is one taking place and many people are taking notice of it! “On February 8, 2023, at a chapel service held at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky students gathered for their normally scheduled chapel. After the chapel service there were about 20 students who lingered around to continue to pray and worship together. The longer they prayed, the more students gathered to join them...then faculty joined in...then more students joined in... and it became this large worship and prayer gathering.

“This revival is not just isolated to Wilmore, Kentucky, but has spread to other parts of the nation as well. Samford University, Texas A&M, Lee University, and many others across the nation have started their own revival of sorts. For many of us who see these things happening, we look at them with criticism in mind, with doubts about their sincerity, and some even rebuke for not teaching truth or worshipping correctly” (Kolton Ballance, Conifer church bulletin).

More about Asbury University

Asbury University is a private Christian university in Wilmore, Kentucky. Although it is a non-denominational school, the college is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The Wesleyan Holiness movement came out of the Methodist Church in the early 20th century. When John and Charles Wesley began the Methodist Church, they believed in and taught a “second work of grace” which was a baptism of the Holy Spirit. They did not believe in speaking in tongues as Pentecostals do who also believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They believed that this baptism of the Holy Spirit would purify their adamic nature and enable them to live a more holy life. In the 1784 “Christmas Conference, John Wesley, who continued to live in England and who never left the Church of England, gave power over the Methodist Church to Francis Asbury, who promoted “the second work of grace.”

From that time on until the early 1900s, one Methodist bishop promoted “the second work of grace,” and the next one maybe did not. About 1919 several “Methodist Churches and those believing in “the second work of grace,” formed the Nazarene Church who became the leader in that particular doctrine. That movement came to be known as “The Holiness Movement.” Asbury University is part of that movement.

Our Attitude

First, we should be pleased that there is at least some who are trying to bring about a change in the spiritual nature of our nation. Revivals like this in the past have accomplished such goals. The first such revival, which is called by historians “The First Religious Awakening,” occurred between 1720 and 1740. But it didn’t last. The second religious awakening began in 1790 and lasted into the 1800s. It had a greater effect and in fact, from that revival, came the Stone-Campbell Movement which led to the restoration of churches of Christ in this country. The church of Christ actually began in Jerusalem in 30 A.D. The record of its establishment and its spread is recorded in the book of Acts. The Stone-Campbell movement only restored the church. They went back to the Bible and put into practice what the Bible taught about the church and Christianity. But, that restoration did begin from a revival, similar to the one that is taking place in the United States at this time.

Some people have expressed concern that the Asbury Revival may not be following all that the Bible teaches. That was true with the revival of which Barton W. Stone was apart. But, as time went on Stone and others corrected their errors as they studied the Bible to gain a better understanding of what the church and Christianity was to look like. If the Asbury Revival today is not correct in every aspect of biblical truth, maybe they will learn where they have fallen short and/or where they are in error and correct it.

Revivals Survive When

Religious revivals cannot survive long if they are only built on emotion. People who respond to God only through an emotional moment will fall away when the momentary emotion is gone. For one to sustain his or her relationship with God, he or she must establish that relationship through knowledge. Peter said, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:2-3). Notice, twice in these two verses Peter speaks of the blessings that come through knowledge. For one to have a sustained relationship with God based only on emotional experiences, one must have greater and more emotional experiences because an emotion will only sustain one for a limited time. Then he or she must have another and even greater emotional experience. Soon, one has reached the highest level of emotion. When that point is reached, one’s relationship with God begins to diminish. Religious revivals can only be sustained if one’s emotions are based on Scripture. Emotions are feeling. Scripture is fact. Facts last. Emotions come and go.

We ought to be pleased that there is a movement at this time that is driving people to God. We also ought to pray that those connected to this revival will go back to the Bible and let their emotions be guided by truth. If anyone who has a relationship with God based on knowledge, has connections with this revival, may he or she help guide that revival. If that happens, it will continue to change lives and will be long lasting. This nation needs a revival, but it needs a revival based on God’s word, not just on man’s ever-changing emotions.

— Wayne Burger