Wednesday, April 29, 2015

The Real Salt Life

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.” (Matthew 5:13)

Beloved,

In 2003, a group of friends developed a line of clothing called, “Salt Life.” They were connected through their passion around their time spent in the ocean. These friends embarked on a journey, “to develop a brand that wasn’t just a logo; they wanted it to represent a style of life.” Salt Life encourages its customers to live for a passion for the outdoors and to experience all that the ocean has to offer. It is not uncommon to see bumper stickers on cars all over the Southeast spreading the “Salt Life” culture.

Christians were the original ones who were called to live and spread the “Salt Life.” Jesus said Christians are the salt of the earth. Although salt had many purposes in the first century, it was primarily used to enhance the flavor of and to slow the decay of food. The church is called to be the salt of the earth as we enhance the flavor of life and arrest the decay and corruption of the earth. How does the church live the “Salt Life”?

First, we live flavorful lives. Christians should live in such a way to attract people to Jesus. Their speech should, “always be gracious, seasoned with salt,” causing people to consider the claims of Christ (Col 4:6). Proverbs 14:13, “By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.” We can preserve the earth with our “salty” speech.

Secondly, we live holy lives. In the first century, salt would lose its taste and effectiveness as it was mixed with impure substances. Craig Bloomberg writes with that the common problem with salt was of it, “being mixed with various impure substances and therefore becoming worthless as a preservative.” Salt could no longer function in its designed way because it became defiled. Likewise, the church will no longer function in its designed way if it becomes defiled. The church has to remain holy and pure from the world if it is going to slow the decay of corruption in the earth.

If a clothing brand could embark on a journey to create a “Salt Life” culture, should we not do so even more? We have been rescued from the dominion of darkness through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We no longer are destined for wrath but to obtain salvation in Christ. If a group of friends could use a logo to develop a Salt Life culture, then blood-bought believers can strive to create a true “Salt Life” culture.


Beloved, let us live flavorful and holy lives. Let us strive for a church culture where our speech is seasoned with salt as we live as blameless and pure children of God in the midst of this crooked and depraved generation (Phil. 2:15). We are the salt of the earth. Therefore, let us live like it as we give flavor and preservation to the culture around us.
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image credit (www.saltlife.com)

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